Upcoming Ducati V4 Superbike Spotted

Earlier this week, we had reported that Ducati was working on the final edition of the Ducati 1299 Panigale. The new motorcycle will be unveiled at Laguna Seca during the World Superbike round on July 7th. The Ducati 1299 Panigale will be replaced by the new motorcycle. This will be a big leap for Ducati as the new bike will be powered by a V4 engine. Now, spy pictures of the upcoming Ducati V4 superbike undergoing testing have been posted online. From the spy shots it’s hard to spot the visual difference between the new bike and the 1299 Panigale as it has been well camouflaged. 

It seems to be an evolution over the current design as the tail section, under-belly exhaust muffler and singe-sided swingarm have been carried forward. But we wouldn’t pass an early judgement as manufacturers are known to test new motorcycles using old bodywork. The underslung exhaust looks similar to the current bike but we can see two holes signifying that it’s a V4 powerplant and also the cylinder bank which is raked far back. Also, we can see a lot of testing equipment mounted on the tail section of the bike. Also Read - Harley-Davidson Planning To Buy Ducati

Details about the new powerplant are scarce, but according to some reports, the new V4 motor will be based on the Desmosedici V4 engine that powers its MotoGP machine. It is also rumoured that the new Ducati superbike will employ the same frameless chassis design as seen on the Panigale with headstock, swingarm and the tail section directly connecting to the powerplant. The new Ducati V4 superbike is expected to make its debut at the 2017 EICMA motorcycle show in Milan, Italy later this year and we are sure Ducati is working hard to make a worthy successor to the renowned 1299 Panigale. Watch this space for more updates.