DUCATI

Ducati Superleggera V4 Centenario, the total madness of Borgo Panigale

It costs the same as a luxury sports car, accelerates like a MotoGP bike. The new Ducati Superleggera V4 Centenario doesn't do anything halfway: up to 247 hp, 167 kg and technology never before seen in a street bike to create a machine as extreme as it is exclusive. Only for a select few. And not by chance.

Ducati didn't want to celebrate its centenary with nostalgia. It decided to do it in style. In grand style indeed. The new Superleggera V4 Centenario is not just a superbike: it's a direct statement of power. The most extreme street motorcycle ever produced in Borgo Panigale.

Only 500 units will be produced (plus 100 Tricolore editions), but what is truly exclusive here is not the quantity, but the technical level. Because what Ducati has done with this motorcycle borders on the impossible: 247 hp, 167 kg in the racing configuration, and virtually unfiltered MotoGP technology.

At its heart is the new 1,103 cc Desmosedici Stradale R engine, developed specifically for this project. It delivers 228 hp in the street-legal version and up to 247 hp with the Akrapovič sports exhaust, figures that place it at the top of production motorcycles. But it's not just about power: there's more torque, more mid-range power, and virtually instantaneous throttle response thanks to the extensive use of titanium, a lighter crankshaft, and reduced internal mass. In short: it accelerates with a ferocity that's hard to describe.

And then there's the weight issue. Because Ducati didn't just cut grams: it went too far. 173 kg ready to ride without fuel (167 kg with the track kit) thanks to an absolute obsession with carbon fiber. The chassis is made entirely of this material: frame, swingarm, subframe, and wheels. The front is 17% lighter than an aluminum one, and the rear swingarm is 21% lighter, while maintaining rigidity. The result: a motorcycle that is more precise, more responsive, and closer to a MotoGP bike than any conventional sportbike.

But where this Superleggera truly breaks paradigms is in its chassis. Because it debuts two solutions never before seen on a street bike:

Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes, lighter, with less inertia and exceptional resistance to extreme use.

Öhlins NPX 25/30 fork with carbon fiber stanchions, straight from the logic of competition.

There is no middle ground here: less weight, more rigidity, more sensitivity. Every braking, every corner, and every change of direction feels more direct, more precise, more radical.

The suspension is complemented by an Öhlins TTX36 GP rear shock absorber, also derived from MotoGP, while the brake system features Brembo GP4-HY monobloc calipers, with a level of sophistication typical of the track.

Aerodynamics is also a key focus. Ducati integrates winglets and cornering sidepods, capable of generating downforce even in banked corners. This translates into greater stability in corners, more grip, and the ability to enter corners faster without losing confidence. Essentially, going faster with more control.

All this configuration is managed with state-of-the-art electronics: traction control, anti-wheelie, slide control, launch control, and an advanced dynamic engine braking system that even helps to better close the trajectories, as MotoGP riders do.

And then there's the package: a full carbon fiber body, titanium bolts, machined components, and an almost handcrafted level of finish. Each unit is numbered and comes with a track kit, racing exhaust, specific parts, and even track experience.

The price? As radical as the motorcycle itself: in the range of over €150,000, possibly reaching close to €200,000, depending on the market and configuration.

The Ducati Superleggera V4 Centenario doesn't compete with anyone. It doesn't make sense. It's a motorcycle that plays in a different league: the league of impossible machines. And, once again, Ducati has proven that when there are no limits…there are also no rivals.