Let me be upfront about something. When Ducati drops a press release, I read it. Every word. But when Ducati drops a press release about a new Superleggera, I read it twice, then I go and stare at photos of it for an embarrassingly long time.
The new Superleggera V4 Centenario is here. Five hundred numbered pieces. Built to celebrate 100 years of Borgo Panigale. And it is, without question, the most extreme road-legal motorcycle Ducati has ever created.
But we'll get to the numbers. First, let's talk about what actually stops you in your tracks.
It Looks Like It Was Designed by Someone Who Hates Ugly Things
I've said it before and I'll keep saying it until someone proves me wrong: Ducati make some of the most beautiful motorcycles ever made. Full stop. No argument. The Superleggera V4 Centenario takes that tradition and turns it up to a level.
The entire fairing is carbon fibre, left partially exposed. Not painted over. Not hidden. Exposed. Because when your bodywork looks that good in its raw form, you don't cover it up. The wings, the Corner Sidepods, the mudguards, the tank cover, all carbon. The wheels, carbon. The frame, carbon. The swingarm, carbon.
And then there's the livery. Ducati calls it Rosso Centenario, a deep, dark red that traces its lineage all the way back to the 1949 Ducati 60, the bike that started all of this. It's not the bright, shouty red you might expect. It's darker. More serious. More Italian. Paired with Ducati's iconic white stripes in the GP26 livery, it is genuinely one of the most striking colour schemes I've ever seen on a motorcycle.
This is the livery that inspired the official Desmosedici MotoGP bikes for 2026. The race team took their cues from this bike. A road bike inspiring the factory MotoGP livery. Only Ducati.
And if 500 bikes in Rosso Centenario isn't enough for you, there are 100 Tricolore editions, a nod to the legendary 750 F1 Endurance Racing, one of the most iconic Ducatis of the 1980s. Retro charm meets modern madness. It's the kind of thing that makes your eyes water, and that's before you've even seen the price.
Right. The Numbers. Because They're Absolutely Ridiculous.
Now, I know what you're thinking. Ross, you said the looks are your favourite thing. And they are. But I'd be doing you a disservice if I didn't walk you through what's actually going on underneath all that gorgeous carbon.
Ducati built an entirely new engine for this. The Desmosedici Stradale R 1100, 1,103cc, up from 998cc, with the stroke lengthened to 53.5mm to pull more torque through the mid-range. In road trim, it makes 228 horsepower. Bolt on an Akrapovič racing exhaust and that climbs to 247 horsepower.
The wet weight without fuel? 173 kg. Drop to the racing kit and that falls to 167 kg.
The desmodromic valve timing is hand-adjusted and certified by a nameplate signed by the technician who set it. On a production motorcycle. That's not engineering. That's craftsmanship.
The Tech That's Never Been on a Road Bike Before
Every Superleggera brings something to the road that's never been there before. The 1199 brought a magnesium alloy frame. The 1299 brought a full carbon chassis. The 2020 V4 Superleggera pushed aerodynamics to the extreme.
The Centenario brings two genuine world firsts.
Carbon-ceramic brake discs, approved for road use. Built around a C/SiC core, these Brembo discs are 450 grams lighter per disc than steel, with 40% lower rotational inertia. The GP4-HY monoblock calipers include an anti-drag system that fully releases the disc when you're off the lever. The whole system is derived from technology that has no business being on a road bike. And yet, here we are.
Carbon fibre fork stanchions, the Öhlins NPX 25/30 Carbon fork is the first pressurised fork with carbon fibre outer tubes ever fitted to a road-legal motorcycle. Eight percent lighter than the Panigale V4 R fork. The cartridge stays pressurised to reduce cavitation under hard braking, giving you more consistent support on corner entry and under heavy braking.
The electronics package is MotoGP-derived and includes the new Dynamic Engine Brake function, a system that automatically adjusts engine braking contribution using the rear brake, mimicking what professional riders do instinctively. It's the kind of thing that makes a good rider faster and a less experienced rider safer. Both outcomes are good outcomes.
What Comes in the Box
The Superleggera V4 Centenario arrives in a custom wooden case. Inside: a certificate of authenticity, a dedicated motorcycle cover, paddock stands, a mat, and the full racing kit, Akrapovič exhaust, open carbon clutch cover, lower fairing, and a kit to remove the headlights, side stand, indicators and number plate holder for track use.
There's also a machined aluminium racing fuel cap, a brake lever guard, a battery charger, and a neoprene racing seat.
Twenty-six owners will also get access to the MotoGP Experience, a day on track with Ducati instructors, finishing with a ride on the DesmosediciGP26. The actual MotoGP bike. On 6 and 7 July, right after World Ducati Week 2026.
That's more than a motorcycle purchase, it’s a life experience.
Five hundred people in the world will own this motorcycle. Five hundred. And every single one of them, I guarantee, will spend more time looking at it in their garage than riding it.
Not because it's too precious to ride. But because it is that beautiful.
I've been around a lot of motorcycles. I've ridden things that have made my heart rate do things it probably shouldn't. But Ducati's Superleggera family, from the original 1199 to this, the most extreme version ever built has always done something to me that goes beyond the riding experience. It's the shape of it. The way the light catches the carbon. The way it looks like it's doing 200km/h standing still.
It's one of the most beautiful motorcycles ever made. And I'm not even slightly embarrassed to say that.
