Ducati Goes Balistic With The 247bhp Superleggera V4 Centenario

Ever experienced the thrill of attending a MotoGP race? Ever had the idea of wanting to get a sense of just how crazy fast a MotoGP bike is to ride? Ever think, I want that, but for the road? If the answer to each of these questions is a resounding “YES!!”, then Ducati has something very special for you. Presented right after the 2026 Red Bull Grand Prix of the United States at COTA (Circuit of the Americas in Houston, Texas), this Ducati Superleggera V4 Centenario is a pure speed demon on two wheels, with a license plate. It uses the latest tech carried over from the World Superbike and MotoGP racing bikes, and promises a hair-raising thrill ride from the moment you fire up the V4 engine, until the moment you turn it off again. At which point you’ve either soiled yourself, or you’re running on pure adrenaline for days on end.

To be honest, I can’t even begin to fathom just how bonkers this thing must feel on the road. I’ve had my license and motorbike for quite some years now, and regularly hit the road either for commuting to and from work appointments or to unwind and clear my mind, yet my ‘machine’ doesn’t even come close to this. The Ducati Superleggera V4 Centenario is perhaps best compared to things like the Porsche 911. There’s the entry-level 911, the 911 Turbo, and then there’s the all-out 911 GT2 RS. That’s basically the spectrum of Ducati’s top-of-the-line supersports bike, the Panigale. Even the most basic one puts out staggering numbers, but this Superleggera V4 Centenario is next level, in the purest sense of the word.

It’s built to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Italian manufacturer, which was founded in 1926 by Antonio Cavalieri Ducati and his three sons, although the business of motorcycles came much later. Initially, Società Scientifica Radiobrevetti Ducati produced vacuum tubes, condensers and other components to be used in radios. Shortly after WWII, the company turned its focus to motorcycles, and the first production Ducati was introduced in 1950. This Cucciolo used a 48cc engine in what was not much more than a beefed-up bicycle frame, yet hit a top speed of 64kph.

From very early on, it ventured into racing, which seems like a natural thing to do when you build something that is faster than a horse and carriage. In 1951, for instance, the company’s second year of motorcycle production, speed records were set on the Cucciolo. A road-racing program followed in 1954, and the company has been involved in racing pretty much ever since. Ducati has won countless races and titles, including 7 constructors’ and 4 drivers’ titles in MotoGP, and 15 drivers’ titles in Superbikes, spread between works or factory teams and privateer teams. It also races in the Isle of Man TT, Moto E, MXGP (Motocross) and other categories.

The Superleggera V4 Centenario is directly derived from the WorldSBK-competing Panigale V4 and the Desmosedici GP26 bike piloted by two-time MotoGP World Champion Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia and seven-time and this year’s defending MotoGP World Champion, Marc Marquez. And it holds no compromise, cuts no corners and is an engineering tour de force in pursuit of unbridled performance. It starts with an ultra-light and rigid full carbon fibre chassis, a first for a road bike. But that’s not all, as the fairing, the swing arm, and even the wheels are in carbon. Another world’s first is the carbon sleeves for the front fork. The end result is a bike that weighs just 173 kilos dry in stock road-legal form, or 167 kilos with the special Racing Kit fitted, which is apparently fitted as standard. This Racing Kit makes the Supereggera V4 Centenario suited for the track only, and includes a special Akrapoviç exhaust, DAVC Race Pro software, a lower fairing, and open clutch, swingarm and alternator covers made of carbon fibre.

The engine chosen to power all this tech is the Desmosedici Stradale 1100 V4, a high-tech four-cylinder engine in a V-configuration with two cylinders angled to the front and two to the rear. This features the forged crankshaft with tungsten inserts of the already stupidly fast Panigale V4, and results in a power output of 228bhp. If you leave the pre-installed Racing Kit untouched, that power boosts to the full 247bhp, giving the Superleggera V4 Centenario an insane power-to-weight ratio of 1.48bhp per kilo. To try and put that in some form of perspective, the Donkervoort P24 RS we recently covered achieves only 0.77bhp per kilo, and even hypercars such as the Ferrari F80 don’t come close to this thing. All this power is fed through a Ducati Racing gearbox where neutral is below first gear, instead of in between first and second, enabling a more precise and faster shift through the gears.

To keep control of such a powerful machine, Ducati fits the Superleggera V4 Centenario with carbon-ceramic brakes by Brembo. These are again a world’s first on a production motorcycle, and are carried over from the racing bikes as well. New electronics also help to get the most out of the bike and do it (somewhat) safely. Systems like Dynamic Engine Breaking, eCBS rear braking and advanced aero keep the machine stable at high speeds and under heavy braking. Up to a certain limit, of course…

It goes without saying that Ducati paints its new top-of-the-game machine red, in a hue that’s called GP26 Rosso Centenario. The paint job is finished with white and black details and a racing roundel to emphasise its track-focused style. The fairing is fitted with all sorts of ducts, intakes and fins to channel air around and through the bike, and the exhaust snakes around the engine and chassis and exits underneath the seat (see two images up), or is tucked underneath the engine and exits in front of the rear wheel (see above), depending on which kit you’re running. It really takes things to extremes, and looks downright cool if you ask me. Although there are no official performance figures yet, I expect it to come as close to actual MotoGP bikes as legally possible.

Only 500 of these scarlet-red machines will be built, making it the most exclusive bike Ducati has ever produced, and as you’d expect, it costs a pretty penny. The Ducati Superleggera V4 Centenario starts at a whopping EUR 160,000, and if you want a hand-painted livery with the Italian tricolore, that jumps to EUR 200,000. If you don’t mind parting with that much cash and fancy a go on one, your chances are slim at best. Ducati extends a personal invite to 500 lucky devils who they find qualified enough to be offered the chance to buy one.

For more information, please visit SuperleggeraV4Centenario.Ducati.com.

Editorial Note: The information used and images portrayed in this article are sourced from and used with permission of Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A. unless stated otherwise.