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/839188
2018 DUCATI 1299 SUPERLEGGERA FIRST TEST P106 ers of a green-frame 750SS I bought new in 1974, I still race in Classic F750 events on what is apparently the last such genuine bike to be used in something approaching anger on the race track. So for me the honor—no other word for it—was especially meaningful to be one of the eight journalists from around the world invited to sample the 1299 Superleggera at the Mugello GP circuit. Riding this two-wheeled Ducati's proclaimed axiom behind the development of this bike, and after riding it I reckon its engineers have hit the bulls- eye. That's an opinion perhaps inevitably shared by the firm's CEO Claudio Domenicali, who rode the Superleggera the day before I did, and pronounced himself proud of what his men had achieved. They don't come any better than this—nor any more exquisitely engineered. tubone (big pipe!) race exhaust supplied free with the bike as part of the race kit that was fitted for my ride, which further increases power by five bhp via with its massive 3.1-inch diam- eter drainpipe collector issuing through the twin silencer outlets in the space under the seat, se- lect bottom gear—and you're off. That's the last time you'll need to touch the clutch lever before you return to the pits and stop the WHERE YOU POINT THE SUPERLEGGERA IS WHERE IT HEADS FOR; IT'S AN ULTRA-PRECISE, PREDICTABLE PACKAGE THAT'S SO ENJOYABLE AND REWARDING TO RIDE. work of desmodromic art com- posed of magnesium, titanium, aluminum and carbon fiber, scal- ing a featherweight 344 pounds dry, or a mere 392 pounds ready to roll with a full 4.5-gal- lon fuel tank, was an undoubted thrill. "Created to provide quint- essential performance," that's Settle aboard the Superleg- gera's relatively plushly padded 32.7-inch-high seat, and you'll encounter an unmistakably racy riding position, with quite a lot of your body weight on your arms and shoulders. Thumb the starter button and relish the muted sound of thunder from the Ducati, for while the auto-blipper system fitted is switchable, you'd be crazy to turn it off because it works so smoothly and so well. It delivers a seamless backshift in every gear without having to finger the clutch lever, which means you can focus 100 percent on hitting your braking The ultra short- stroke 1285cc Superquadro engine, measuring 116 x 60.8mm now produces 215 bhp at 11,500 rpm, 15 bhp more than the Panigale R.