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New Ducati V4 1000

The next generation

For a long time Ducati was able to hold its own with two-cylinders against the four-cylinder armada of the competition. Now is a conceptual swing. MOTORRAD unveils the next generation of Ducati athletes, the Ducati V4 1000.

Some time ago the topic was seething in the rumor mill, D.ucati build a V4. Because it had been clear for a long time that the 205 hp Panigale 1299 was probably the end of the high-performance two-cylinder engine. Not because you can’t build a stronger two-cylinder, but because the exhaust and noise regulations will put an end to the big, powerful twins. Ducati is already struggling with the Euro 4 homologation of the Panigale, and will soon be launching a final series with the “Edizione Finale”. So what to do when the next, significantly strictter level of European environmental regulations comes in 2020 with Euro 5?

New Ducati V4 1000

The next generation

Supersport flagship with V4

Clearly, a four-cylinder is needed. Gone are the days of the high-revving, powerful Desmo V2, which has led the brand to countless racing successes since the late 1980s. For the extreme Panigale 1299 with its incredible 116 pistons, the insanely large valves, the huge, oval throttle valves and the fantastic 193 kilograms full of fuel, the last hour will soon strike. But now comes the V4. The Ducati developers are working flat out on the new supersport flagship of the Bolognese brand in German hands. This is shown by our pictures here, which our Erlkonig photographer received. Because the V4 Ducati is already driving! And not just somewhere on a small test track, but on the Mugello Grand Prix circuit. The V4 must have already completed its baptism of fire on the test bench, otherwise the Ducati test riders would not be thundering full steam down the endless home straight of Mugello.

Does it thunder at all?

Unfortunately, we cannot report anything about the sound. But at least Ducati manages to implement the Panigale exhaust arrangement on the V4 super sports car. A mighty underfloor muffler keeps the Ducati V4 1000 slim. In fact, the V4 Ducati seems to have a similar structure to the Panigale. The engine is integrated into the chassis as a fully load-bearing element, which can be clearly seen. The swing arm mounting is in the engine block, but the fork is not supported by a monocoque screwed to the front cylinder head, but by a frame that goes around the front cylinder head and is screwed to the rear. At least that’s how the first pictures show. It is clear that the V4 will be a bit wider than the V2. That means: To accommodate the intake system and the four throttle valves, more space is probably required between the cylinder banks. So you can look forward to the final construction.

Cylinder angle of 90 degrees seems secured

One can also speculate about the V4 engine. A cylinder angle of 90 degrees seems assured. What else would make sense for Ducati? The machine also looks like this when viewed from the side. Will the four-cylinder still come up with desmodromic valves? Anything else would be fatal. It’s precisely the desmodromic that gives the Bologna Grand Prix riders that extra boost on the straights that the competition would like. How much power will Ducati be able to achieve? What is clear is that it cannot get any less. If a Panigale 1299 already has 205 HP in the vehicle registration, then it must be at least 210 horses for a V4. This should be feasible without any problems, at least for the current Euro 4 version. The Grand Prix racers are said to have over 260 hp, so a good 220 hp should definitely be in there for a production motorcycle. We will see.

When will the V4 1000 be launched??

The subject of handling, weight and electronics will be much more interesting. It remains to be seen whether Ducati can break below the 200 kilo sound barrier with a V4. This is of course possible, especially if you take the frameless chassis construction into account. After 15 years of V4 MotoGP experience, the Bolognese can also be granted a certain amount of experience in setting up the racing car. The prototype completed the first test drives in Mugello at least fairly quickly. Will the V4 engine only appear in an athlete? Certainly not. Development is far too expensive for that. A modular system for everything to do with the new drive is mandatory. So you can of course easily imagine a naked bike with the engine or a Diavel version. In the end, even a Multistrada with a V4 drive could make sense, because BMW is very successful with the super sporty drive of the S 1000 RR in the XR version. When will the Ducati V4 1000 be launched? Ducati is still silent about it. Rumors that Audi wants to sell Ducati again make the Italians narrow-lipped anyway. MOTORRAD suspects: Ducati will present the new V4 engine in autumn this year, and the finished machine in autumn 2018. This leaves some time for the fans to save. Because – that much is clear – the V4 will not be cheap.

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