It’s late October 2023, which means that we’re reasonably deep in the throes of New Bike Season. While a lot of manufacturers like to release carefully calculated teasers ahead of launching their most important new bikes, they usually come in the form of still images. Dark silhouettes, maybe, or extreme closeups of a part of the bike that won’t really make visual sense until you’ve seen the whole thing.
Ducati has certainly done that kind of thing in the past, but it chose a much different tactic this time around. Ahead of its next World Première release (planned for Thursday, November 2, 2023), it just uncovered an entire new engine—not with simple photos, or even with a running video.
Instead, Ducati played to both its ardent tech nerd and design nerd fanbase by releasing an absolutely exquisite exploded diagram animation. The video starts with all the engine parts laid out neatly on a table. Then, as if by magic, they start fitting neatly together, one at a time—with careful close-ups so you can get an idea of how it all works.
Gallery: Ducati Superquadro Mono
It’s called the Superquadro Mono, and if your Italian or other romance language knowledge is helping you out, you’ve probably gathered that it’s a single cylinder. Derived from the 1299 Panigale V2 engine, the Superquadro Mono features a stonking 116mm bore piston. It also inherits the same combustion chamber, 46.8mm titanium inlet valves, 38.2mm steel exhaust valves, and of course its signature Desmodromic valve system.
According to Ducati’s figures, the new engine makes an impressive 77.5 horsepower at 9,750 rpm, alongside 46 pound-feet of torque at 8,000 rpm. If you fit the optional Termignoni racing exhaust, it goes up to 85 horsepower at 9,500 rpm. Maximum revs are set at 10,250 rpm, which Ducati says has never before been achieved by a road-going single cylinder bike. (It's totally OK if you need to take a minute to catch your breath after reading those specs, by the way.)
The Superquadro Mono, you see, is a double overhead camshaft 659cc single-cylinder engine. It features a bore and stroke of 116mm by 62.4mm. The compression ratio is 13.1 to one. It’s mated to a six-speed gearbox, and Ducati has made it possible to fit its up-and-down quickshifter as an available option. Valve clearance check interval is 18,000 miles, and oil changes are due every 9,000 miles.
You’ll see more (and more beautiful) details in the video. The bike that the Superquadro Mono will make its debut in will appear on November 2, 2023. Are you excited?
