A Ducati V4 Could Be in The Near Future
Rennie Scaysbrook | January 20, 2017
Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali has hinted the company’s superbike future could lay in the V4 engine format.
Speaking at the Ducati MotoGP team’s 2017 launch at the factory’s Borgo Panigale headquarters, Domenicali spoke about the technology being developed in MotoGP and how it could be used for a new generation of Ducati superbike. He neither confirmed nor denied the development of the new Ducati V4, although his words certainly have merit.
“The engine development we have made in MotoGP has been exceptional. We have an engine which is very reliable, very light, compact and has a lot of interesting technology,” Domenicali said, as reported by racing website crash.net. “We are seriously thinking of introducing it to regular customers as it is a masterpiece of engineering.
“Of course, translating it into something that can be sold to customers on reasonably, even if premium, prices for high-end sports bikes, like the wings, we cannot say when it will happen but it is much closer. It might not comply with the World Superbike rules yet.”
Still only the Panigale R—for now
Speaking to the assembled press, Ducati Corse Sporting Director Paolo Ciabatti also did not deny the V4 rumors, however insisted the company’s focus is still on the current 1198cc Ducati Panigale R race format.
“We will race with the Panigale in 2017 and 2018,” Ciabatti said. “Obviously, we keep developing because the target is to keep improving the bike. We improved last year in the second part of the season with Chaz. We can be title contenders.”
Ducati will enter the 2017 WorldSBK Championship as one of the favorites to end the Kawasaki domination of the series. Team Aruba.It rider Chaz Davies took the last six race wins of the 2016 season and will be joined by former 250GP World Champion and WorldSBK race winner Marco Melandri, the Italian re-joining the World Superbike paddock after nearly two years away from competitive racing.