In one week’s time, Ducati will unveil its new V4 engine, which will power the next-generation of the Italian company’s superbikes and other high-powered motorcycles.
Set to debut the Thursday before the San Marino GP round for MotoGP, Ducati has begun teasing us some information, the first of which is the new motor’s name, the Desmosedici Stradale.
True to Ducati naming conventions, the name of the engine literally means what it is, a road-going version of the Desmosedici engine that powers Bologna’s MotoGP project.
Between the choice of that name, and the fact that the motor will debut at a MotoGP round, it is clear that Ducati is playing to the engine’s roots that stem from the Desmosedici GP bike, which also uses a 90° V4 power plant with desmodromic valves.
We can expect some technology from the v-twin “Superleggera” to be used as well, with the new Desmosedici Stradale engine being a sort of hybrid of the two engine designs.
At the event in Misano, we expect Ducati to give all the technical specifics of the Desmosedici Stradale engine, including its unique firing order. Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali hinted to A&R that motor’s firing order is something special, saying it was “something between a v-twin and V4.”
Domenicali added with a smile that “the most interesting stuff is inside,” referring to the technology and design found within the Desmosedici Stradale engine. This news should mean that the unveiling next week should be very interesting for both Ducatisti and motorcycle enthusiasts.
It is also important to remember that the Desmosedici Stradale engine will not only power Ducati’s next superbike platform, the but the V4 engine will also be used for several other Ducati models, likely those that require high-power outputs.
We look forward to seeing Ducati’s new superbike debut at the EICMA show later this year, and to also seeing what new models the Demosedici Stradale powers in the coming model years.
