Get Hotcars Premium. Start your free trial today
The 2017 Ducati 1299 Superleggera was an insanely powerful limited-production motorcycle that created quite some stir.
When it comes to the bike world, a few players have established themselves as prestigious manufacturers that build bikes not only for the racetrack but also for people to go and buy them. Ducati is one of the most prominent names in motorsport and sports bikes. It is famously known for its impressively engineered bikes and a very high revving engine that produces high amounts of power. The 2017 Ducati 1299 Superleggera was a well-engineered and electronically advanced motorcycle back in its day. The bike was so exclusive that it was limited to just 500 production units, and in today's time, the bike has become a collector's item like no other bike, which had a twin-cylinder engine and produced a lot of power.
The motorcycle made extensive use of carbon fiber and many tech features to put down its tremendous power to the ground. The bike also featured a lot of MotoGP Technology and ensured riders’ safety to harness all the power that the bike has to offer.
RELATED: This Is Why The 1299 Panigale Is The Best V-Twin Ducati Ever Built
In 2017, the 1299 Superleggera by Ducati was the most advanced and the most expensive motorcycle money can buy. The motorcycle featured all of Ducati’s advanced racing technology used on the racetrack by professionals. The bike was named Superleggera as it means super light in Italian, and it stands true to its name since most of the components of the bike are made from carbon fiber, magnesium, and aluminum in the interest of saving weight and resulting in extremely high power to weight ratio. In those days, the Superleggera was the first bike to make such extensive use of carbon fiber. For reference, the bike had a carbon fiber frame, swingarm, subframe, and wheel, even the fairing of the motorcycle was made entirely out of carbon fiber.
The bike also used Ohlin’s updated suspension setup, using titanium springs to save around 4 pounds of weight. Tungsten crankshaft, titanium rods, and a lighter flywheel used by Ducati reduced the engine's weight by nearly 4 lbs. These components made the bike a lot lighter, and the entire machine weighed only around 300 lbs.
RELATED: A Look Back At The Ducati 1098
The engine also produced much more power as any Ducati back in the day. In 2017, this was the most potent twin-cylinder engine by any manufacturer. The 1285 cc engine produced an excess of 215 HP. The layout and the arrangement of the engine were previously never seen before. The super Quadro L-twin Desmodromic engine was optimized to its maximum performance level. The bike made use of a 6-speed transmission equipped with a Ducati state-of-the-art quick shifter that allows seamless upshift and downshifts of gears without the use of clutch. MotoGP bikes used this technology to save the rider even a fraction of a second from going quicker.
The 2017 Superleggera offered a race exhaust kit as an option that resulted in the bike making 5 HP more while weighing 8lbs less. To put the power to weight ratio of the 1299 Superleggera into perspective, it has a better power to weight ratio than the Bugatti Chiron hypercar that produces over 1500 HP. Unlike most two-wheelers, the Ducati sends all its power to one wheel. To ensure that the power is shipped in an optimum and safe way, Ducati has an Evo range of safety features like wheelie slide control and multiple levels of traction control. The bike featured Pirelli Diablo supercross tires, and it had a 120-section front and a 200-section rear tire. Brembo handled the front braking with two 330mm brakes and had a 4 Piston caliper, while the rear had a 245 mm disc with two-piston calipers.
When the bike was new, it cost an excess of $80,000 which was a very premium amount for a motorcycle, but the 1299 Superleggera was no ordinary motorcycle and was one of a kind. Since the production of these bikes was limited to just 500 units, they sold out almost immediately. In a few years, when the entire world has only all-electric motorcycles and four-wheelers, the prices of these bikes will be skyrocketing. As the 1299 Superleggera was a one-of-a-kind motorcycle in today's time, one can still find them in the used market. A few models are listed for sale and are in Pristine condition for around $70,000, which is still pretty steep. Since these bikes are heavily focused on track use, they have very low miles on them.
The 2017 Ducati 1299 Superleggera was a fantastic motorcycle termed iconic for years to come. The sheer levels of engineering and technological marvels this vehicle achieved five years ago are still a benchmark for modern-day super sports bikes.
Sources: Moto Hunt, Top speed, Motoroids
A silent soul who dares to dream, Vrushali Padia is passionate about writing ever since her college days and has written in diverse niches. She is now an Electronics Engineer and a Writer. When she is not writing, she's exploring.