Ducati is turning 100, and it's giving itself, and a select handful of riders the opportunity to celebrate with the brand from Borgo Panigale with something truly special and one-of-a-kind. Well, one-of-500, but tomato-tomato.
Rather than a cake or shiny plaque or fake gold Rolex, Ducati built a motorcycle, as you'd expect from a motorcycle manufacturer. But this ain't just some special-edition Ducati. It's the lightest, most power, most MotoGP street-legal motorcycle Ducati's ever built. And, honestly, it's just a middle finger to every other sportbike manufacturer out there.
This is the Ducati Superleggera V4 Centenario, and it's properly batshit. Like the kind of batshit that sets your couch on fire, steals your truck, drains your bank account, slaps your momma, calls the IRS on you, and then tries to make up for all that with a couple tacos and a bottle of Jack. I hesitate to even call it a motorcycle, and it's more feral than any motorcycle I've ever seen.
Enough jabber, let's talk about why it likely shouldn't see public hands and instead be committed.
If we're gonna talk about the Superleggera V4 Centenario, we have to start with the engine. The 1,103cc Desmosedici Stradale R 1100 V4 engine is the centerpiece of the motorcycle, and now features a host of modifications that push horsepower up to a leather-ripping 228 horsepower sans race exhaust. When you swap that over, which it comes with as an accessory, power bumps up to a stupid 247 rampaging Italian ponies.
You know, when the Panigale V4 first came out, I wrote a whole diatribe how it was basically like Viagra for Playboy, and not once did I think it needed more power. It was already giving riders that fizzy feeling in their nether regions. I honestly can't imagine what this would do, other than cause spontaneous climaxes, which might cause a few issues for one's leathers.
But the fun doesn't stop there.
According to Ducati, "Superleggera bikes are created when Ducati engineers are given total freedom. No constraints. No compromises. Just the goal of creating the road-legal super sportbike that all enthusiasts dream of." That's not hyperbole, either. The whole thing is a lack of compromise, from the wheels and tires, to the swingarm, to the body, to the chassis, and that glorious engine.
As you'd expect with something so heavily influenced by Ducati's MotoGP championship-winning machines, nearly everything is carbon fiber. The body? Carbon fiber. The swingarm? Carbon fiber. The Brembo brakes? You guessed it, carbon ceramic. Hell, even the wheels are made of the stuff. But the one piece of carbon fiber kit I didn't have on my bingo card is the front suspension, yet, here we are.
Ducati says "The suspension also sets a new world first: the Superleggera V4 Centenario is the first road bike to feature the pressurized Öhlins NPX 25/30 Carbon fork with carbon fiber sleeves made from unidirectional layers to achieve maximum weight savings compared to conventional production. The weight saving compared to the Panigale V4 R is 8%, rising to 10% compared to the standard Panigale V4, with a tangible improvement in direction changes and front-end sensitivity." So not only does it save weight, but you get an improvement in functionality. Likewise, the rear Öhlins is fully adjustable.
There's so much more to dive into on these parts, too, like the Brembo's being fitted to a road-legal bike for the first time ever, how much weight Ducati shaved off with all its carbon work (pounds!), and more, but there's more to talk about, too.
MotoGP-derived aerodynamics abound across the bike, including sidepods, and front and rear winglets. Everything is designed to channel air around the rider, provide high-speed stability, and faster and faster cornering prowess. The ECU is plucked from Ducati V4 R, but everything's been tailored and changed due to the increase in horsepower, and with the brand's latest and greatest tuning capabilities. You've got better traction control, wheelie control, side-slip control, launch control, and about a hundred other minute and big changes throughout, all of which you can tailor to your riding style and wants and needs.
Oh yeah, and the transmission is Ducait's own racing gearbox, which features dog-box-like setup, with Neutral being under 1st gear instead of between 1st and 2nd. You'll never not find neutral again, and honestly, Ducati should just make this standard. There, I said it! But as with any of these special edition motorcycles these days, you don't just get the motorcycle. You get the chance at some really dope experiences, and some killer additional parts, too.
Coming with the Superleggera V4 Centenario is a customized wooden case, a certificate of authenticity within a special box, a motorcycle cover and a mat, front- and rear-paddock stands, and a racetrack racing kit. That specific kit includes the aforementioned Akrapovič racing exhaust, DAVC Race Pro software, a machined aluminum fuel cap, brake lever guard, battery maintainer, neoprene racing seat, and a dedicated lower fairing, open clutch cover, swingarm, and alternator cover protectors. Those are all carbon fiber, of course.
Ducati's racing kit also includes the materials to remove the headlight, sidestand, license plate, and turn signals so you can hit the track without issue.
A select 26 customers will also have the chance for a MotoGP Experience. What's that, you ask? According to Ducati, "Twenty-six of its owners will be given access to the MotoGP Experience: a day on the track, guided by Ducati instructors, to discover the Superleggera's performance, culminating in a breathtaking finale aboard the DesmosediciGP26. The MotoGP Experience will take place on July 6-7, immediately following World Ducati Week 2026."
Furthermore, if owners want, they can also pay Ducati for a limited-edition helmet, leather jacket, and suit, all in the GP26 Rosso Centenario livery. As for that price, well, Ducati's playing coy and hasn't revealed it. Suffice it to say, it ain't gonna be cheap. In fact, it may be quiiiiiiiite expensive, totalling somewhere in the $100,000-$150,000 range. Though it could be more, too.
But as far as birthday presents go, it's certainly one helluva one. Let me ride it, Ducati, though I may need a drycleaner afterward...
