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It seems like it was just three years ago I was writing about the advent of 200-horsepower naked bikes, but today's horsepower wars are again focused on the track-oriented sport bikes. Ducati has unveiled its 2023 V4 R, with 207 horsepower, seeing the BMW M 1000 RR's 205 and raising by two.
But 207 isn't the number you're seeing in all the headlines, right? That's 240.5. Which is how much horsepwer the new V4 is capable of producing when fitted with the track-only kit and the special Shell oil developed to minimize friction.
That's right, Ducati is offering World Superbike wannabes 240 horsepower, and if that feels like too much for the street, Ducati kind of agrees with you, because that figure isn't available in street trim and Ducati suggests you might want to switch to Low power mode (160 horsepower) when dodging slick manhole covers and center-lane greasy spots during your daily commute. As if anyone's going to do their daily commute on a $45,000 Ducati V4 R.
And seriously, if you do want to pretend you're ready to take on Toprak and Álvaro, I don't think there's any street-legal motorcycle you could buy to better fulfill your fantasies. There's a lot about the V4 R that would be familiar to real Superbike pilots, from adjustable swingarm pivot height to multiple engine braking settings to a built-in data analyzer with GPS and lot more. Most of which you can't see.
The suspension has been revised, the quickshifter has been improved, Ducati tells us, and of course the Brembo brakes are top of the line. First, second, and sixth gear ratios are a little taller to match the ratios on the World Superbike entries. You have four power modes to choose from: Full, High, Medium, and Low. The first and last of those are new. The previous Panigale V4 R would soften power in lower gears to keep overly enthusiastic consumers from looping themselves with an ill-advised twist of the throttle. Eliminating that protective feature was one of the changes race teams had to make to the V4 R to have full power available in first and second gear. Now, the new Full power mode gives you unbridled Ducati horses — except in first gear, where it still protects you from yourself. A little.
With potentially 240 horsepower available, you'll naturally need all the electronic help you can get. So the V4 R comes with the full Ducati alphabet soup of aids to try to save you: Bosch Cornering ABS, Ducati Traction Control EVO 3 (DTC EVO 3), Ducati Slide Control (DSC), Ducati Wheelie Control EVO (DWC EVO), Ducati Power Launch (DPL), Ducati Quick Shift EVO 2 (DQS EVO 2), and Engine Brake Control EVO 2 (EBC EVO 2), with a six-axis inertial measurement unit providing data to these systems.
And about that 240 horsepower number. Ducati says that number is attainable with the Akrapovič full racing exhaust system plus a little extra help from a special oil developed with Shell. The dry clutch allows the use of racing oil additives that wouldn't play nice with a wet clutch. The additional friction reduction from the racing oil provides that last 3.5-horsepower boost, Ducati says, from 237 to 240.5.
Are you feeling Bautista-like yet, maybe even Pecco-ish? I mean, you can't miss those carbon fiber wings looking like they were stolen from the MotoGP paddock. The Stradale R engine revs to 16,000 rpm in the first five gears and 16,500 in sixth, and the firing order that lights the two left cylinders close together and then the two right ones, sort of like a twin, makes a sound that might remind you of the Desmosedici MotoGP bike. Imagine the counter-rotating crankshaft whirling away down there, keeping inertia under control. Surely with all this you could be fighting for the top 10 in the Sunday morning Superpole race.
No?
Well, at least the V4 R makes a good platform for building a competition Superbike for those teams who do have a rider with a pro license. And it will probably make a fun ride for the rare individuals who have both the disposable income and the riding skills to take it to the track and exploit it. For the rest of us, no, we won't be buying a V4 R, and Ducati knows it. But I'm sure Ducati is hoping that if the halo luster is bright enough, we might buy something else red.
| 2023 Ducati V4 R (North America model) | |
|---|---|
| Price (MSRP) | $44,995 |
| Engine | 998 cc, liquid-cooled, 16 desmodromic valves, V-four |
|
Transmission, final drive |
Six-speed, chain, with Ducati Quick Shift |
| Claimed horsepower | 207 @ 13,500 rpm; 240.5 @ 15,500 rpm with race kit and special oil |
| Claimed torque | 82 foot-pounds @ 12,000 rpm |
| Frame | Aluminum |
| Front suspension | Öhlins NPX 25/30 43 mm fork, fully adjustable; X.XX inches of travel |
| Rear suspension | Öhlins TTX 36 shock, fully adjustable |
| Front brake | Dual Brembo Monobloc Stylema M4.30 radial-mount four-piston calipers, 330 mm discs; Bosch Cornering ABS |
| Rear brake | Two-piston caliper, 245 mm disc; Bosch Cornering ABS |
| Rake, trail | 24.5 degrees, 3.94 inches |
| Wheelbase | 57.9 inches |
| Seat height | 33.5 inches |
| Fuel capacity | 4.49 gallons |
| Tires | Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP 120/70/ZR17 front, 200/60/ZR17 rear |
| Claimed weight | 427 pounds; 415 pounds with racing exhaust |
| Available | 2023 |
| Warranty | 24 months |
| More info | ducati.com |
