2017 Ducati 1299 SuperLeggera

With Ducati having their official 2017 line-up unveiling yesterday, a collection of new and exiting offerings were introduced to the world. There're the new scramblers for 2017, the "Desert Sled" & "Cafe Racer", The new Monster 797, 1200 & 1200S, and the popular "Multistrada", this year in a 950. With the exception of their new "SuperSport" and "SuperSport S", every model unveiled yesterday was an updated version of previously existing models. Despite that fa

ct the Borgo Panigale-based manufacturer has released a truly special bike that falls into the updated category but is still very noteworthy.

While there had been a few teasers released by Ducati, hinting at a new SuperBike model, all we concretely knew was that it was called "Project 1408". Ridden onto the stage by MotoGP World Champion, Casey Stoner, was the new 2017 1299 SuperLeggera. While this bike does share many similarities with the 1199 SuperLeggera, the differences are astounding.

[cid=166667,https://dn3bmh8yk8vvw.cloudfront.net/FgZ1iqJNSrDR2pTWa7vusGOPXuI=/fit-in/600x600/ADlSm7OvSwmFFLQPqLDB_image.png]

The materials used, the engine's power and bikes over all power to weight ratio all make this bike a true piece of cutting edge technology.

While the new SuperLeggera does look a lot like the previous model, there are minor differences that are easy to catch. The bike has had a minor facelift since the 1199 model, and the exhaust has clearly been moved from under the engine to something falling inbetween a standard side pipe and an undertail pipe(s). With all this amazing tech and R&D packed into this bike, it's fortunate that Ducati picked arguably the most beautiful sportbike body of all time to house the new updates as the Panigale in any trim is an absolutely gorgeous bike.

The frame, subframe, body and wheels and are composed of carbon fiber, the only production bike to do this so far. The engine reportedly puts down 215HP, a respectable amount for a car fifteen times the weight of the new exclusive Ducati. The bike also comes with a new updated electronics

system with features allowing you to asjust wheel spin and skid independently of each other. With an $80,000 price tag, it isn't hard to see why Ducati is only building 500 of these lightweight track weapons.

As the name suggests (SupperLegga means "super light" in Italian), this bike is all about shaving off weight wherever possible, without sacrificing stability or performance. The use of carbon fiber and other light weight precious materials is omnipresent throughout the bike with a reported curb weight of just 339.5lbs, giving the bike a new world class standard of 1.58 pounds per horse power, craziness.

The updated engine is an impressive feat in and of itself. The new SupperLeggera sports a 1285cc V-Twin engine producing 215hp at 11,000rpms while still meeting Euro4 compliances. Every one of these elite machines comes with a "track kit" that includes an all titanium Akropovic exhaust, adding an additional 5hp. Because my first?thought after riding one would surely be, "this doesn't put out enough HP!"

As Ducati's CEO, Claudio Domenicali described it (The SL1299), "It's kind of insane", a claim that I don't think anyone will dispute.On top of the bike itself, buyers will not only get the track kit, but also a very exclusive invitation to a special track day where they will also get a chance to ride a Panigale R in WSBK trim.

Ultimately this bike is beyond impressive, being an updated version of an already outstanding bike, and while I could go on for several thousand more words on the tech-specs of this bike and production process, I imagine more people are simply interested in the "Bike-Porn" aspect of this unveiling and wish to see some wallpaper- Esque photos so I'll jump straight to that. But for anyone seriously interested in the technical details of this bike that make it amazing, I'll include a link to a much more thoroughly explained article posted earlier today on SportRider.com http://www.sportrider.com/ducati-unveils-exotic-and-stunningly-beautiful-1299-superleggera