Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/330779
DUCATI 1199 SUPERLEGGERA FIRST RIDE P42 format, before offering them to customers. Will Ducati maybe produce an 1199 Superleggerissima in a cou- ple of years? Like the man said… The Superleggera's riding po- sition is subtly different from the other Panigales, with a .19 of an inch higher seat that gives frac- tionally more space for longer legs – I know, it doesn't sound like much, but believe me you notice this. It's a pity the footpegs are still just as slippery as on other Duca- ti sportbikes – funny how that's a perennial blackspot for them, but it may as well be for some- thing minor like this. But the taller screen from the race kit was fitted for the test, and squatting behind this down that long front straight was motorcycling nirvana. The wide-open power-shifter benefits from a new electronic strategy, and was faultless in upshifts, but even with the good settings dialed in for the slipper clutch, which still give some en- gine braking without any insta- bility, I found it hard to produce smooth downshifts while brak- ing hard at the end of the main straight. At least without blipping the throttle between shifts the old-fashioned way – as Valia told me he still does. Still, I did find it strange that for all the electronic expertise displayed on the Superleggera, it didn't feature an auto-blipper like every factory Superbike con- tender now has - including Ducati from the start of this season. Per- haps Ducati felt it was unproven technology that they didn't want to put on this bike - yet. Maybe that's another space we should watch? But that apart, this desmo- dromic jewel of a motorcycle is practically faultless and totally addictive, as well as a magnifi- cent beat-that demonstration of Ducati's engineering expertise. It seems practically unbelievable that this bike could be fully street- legal in all of the 43 countries it's being delivered to. Kudos to Domenicali for sanctioning it, compliments to Gherardi and his engineers for creating it, and congratulations to all 500 of you lucky devils who've ordered one. I hate you all. CN (Far left) This thing oozes trick. It gets the best from Öhlins, front and rear. (Left) Only 500 of the Superleggeras are being built and they're all sold. (Bottom left) An Öhlins fork and Brembo brakes. Of course. (Bottm rjight) The ultra short-stroke 1198cc Superquadro powerplant produces 200 horsepower at 11,500 rpm – that's five more horsepower than the Panigale R that leads the World Superstock Series.