Ducati unveiled a new V4 engine called the Desmosedici Stradale derived from their MotoGP race bike. Key features include a 90 degree V4 configuration with counter-rotating crankshaft and twin pulse firing sequence. The engine produces over 210 horsepower and will power Ducati's new Panigale V4 superbike to be unveiled in November. The Desmosedici Stradale brings race-proven technology directly from the track to production motorcycles.

1. Desmosedici Stradale: a V4 for the Ducati sport bikes of tomorrow
• New engine directly derived from the Desmosedici GP soon to go into production
• Key features include Desmodromic timing, counter-rotating crankshaft and Twin Pulse firing
sequence
• New Ducati Panigale V4 to be unveiled November 5 at 9 p.m
“Marco Simoncelli” Misano World Circuit (Rimini, Italy), 7 September 2017 – Out of the experience gained in
MotoGP, where the 4-cylinder Desmosedici unleashes incomparable performance, comes a new 90° V4 engine
designed to power the Ducati supersport models of tomorrow. In transferring the technology of its most cutting-
edge power unit from racetrack to road, Ducati offers customers performance levels honed by years of MotoGP
experience.
Called the Desmosedici Stradale, this engine is set to become yet another Ducati milestone: it will be the first
time ever that the Bologna-based motorcycle manufacturer has equipped a standard production bike with a 4-
cylinder engine.
The official unveiling took place in Misano during the San Marino and Rimini Riviera GP, the thirteenth round of
the 2017 MotoGP championship. A perfectly natural setting for the presentation, as MotoGP is the proving
ground from which the new engine has drawn experience, technology and grit.
“It's with undiluted pride that we unveil this technological gem. It represents the start of a new chapter for our
company, underlining our vitality and an unshakeable commitment to investment in new products", stated Claudio
Domenicali, Ducati's CEO, during the presentation of the Desmosedici Stradale. "This engine also highlights the
close collaboration between Ducati Corse and the factory bike development team, proving just how instrumental
racing can be in developing the technology that is later applied on production bikes. In November, at EICMA,
we'll be showcasing the new Panigale V4, an all-new motorcycle powered by this extraordinary engine”.
While the Desmosedici Stradale engine is undoubtedly suited to the track, it has also been designed to respond
to the needs of the road rider. For example, to maximise mid-range torque - essential for a satisfying road
experience - and ensure punchy torque and power at lower revs, the engine has a slightly larger displacement
than its MotoGP counterpart (1103 cm³, to be precise). Power output from the Euro 4 compliant engine
configuration exceeds 155 kW (210 hp) at 13,000 rpm while maximum torque exceeds 120 Nm (12.2 Kgm) from
8,750 to 12,250 rpm.
An R version with a displacement of less than 1000 cc - which revs higher and is intended more for track use - is
currently at the advanced development stage. This will provide the foundation for the homologated version that
competes in the Superbike championship, where this engine will be used starting in 2019 (one year on from the
launch of the respective road version, as per the Ducati tradition).
As on the Ducati bikes used in racing, the crankshaft is of the counter-rotating type. This reduces the overall
gyroscopic effect and makes the bike faster and more agile when changing direction.
The crank pins, offset at 70° as on the Desmosedici GP, involve a Twin Pulse firing sequence that generates
easy-to-handle power delivery and optimises out-of-the-corner traction (“Big Bang” effect). This firing sequence
also gives the Desmosedici Stradale a unique signature sound.
A 90° V4 configuration makes the engine extremely compact, allowing centralisation of mass and smoothing
incorporation on the vehicle. The Desmosedici Stradale has, in fact, been inserted on the motorcycle with the
front cylinders banked 42° back from the horizontal, just like the Ducati engines employed in MotoGP. This, of
course, optimises weight distribution, allows the adoption of larger radiators and brings the swingarm pivot point
forwards.
Its architecture also evens up first order forces naturally without the added weight and power loss that a
balancing countershaft would involve.
As in MotoGP, the engine was designed with an 81 mm cylinder bore. This measurement reflects the maximum
limit allowed by MotoGP rules; it’s also the highest in the 4-cylinder supersport segment.

2. Using the same bore as the Desmosedici GP engine means both power units share nearly identical in-engine
fluid dynamics (i.e. on valves, intake ducts and throttle bodies, right where the power is produced).
Needless to say, the new engine is designed around the Desmodromic system, a key characteristic that helps
make Ducati prototypes the fastest in MotoGP. On this high-revving engine the “Desmo” system achieves a
degree of sophistication, lightness and compactness never before seen on a Ducati.
Variable-height air intake horns constitute another first for a Ducati factory bike, optimising cylinder intake across
the rev range and giving significant advantages in terms of power delivery and handling. Completing the fuelling
system are the oval throttle bodies, each equipped with two injectors: one above the butterfly and one below it.
This package of cutting-edge technical solutions - absolutely unique within the Supersport segment - makes the
Desmosedici Stradale an engine like no other in the motorcycle world.
Main technical data:
• 1,103 cm³ 4-cylinder 90-degree V
• Bore x stroke 81 x 53.5 mm
• Compression ratio 14:1
• Maximum power exceeds 210 hp at 13,000 rpm
• Maximum torque exceeds 120 Nm from 8,750 to 12,250 rpm
• Counter-rotating crankshaft
• Twin Pulse firing sequence, crank pins offset at 70°
• Euro 4 emissions
• Desmodromic part chain, part gear timing with dual overhead camshaft, 4 valves per cylinder
• Wet multiplate anti-patter servo clutch
• Semi-dry sump lubrication with four oil pumps: 1 delivery and 3 return
• Fuelling with four oval throttle bodies (52 mm diameter equivalent) and variable-height intake horns
• 6-speed gearbox with DQS up/down system
• 24,000 km “Desmo-service” maintenance interval (15,000 miles)
The complete press kit and images of the new Ducati Desmosedici Stradale engine is available for download
at Ducatipress.com
Desmosedici Stradale V4 engine
and Desmosedici GP
5906 x 3937 - 5.68 MB

3. Desmosedici Stradale V4 engine
5792 x 8688 - 16.92 MB
Desmosedici Stradale V4 engine
4016 x 6016 - 23.99 MB
Desmosedici Stradale V4 engine
6016 x 4016 - 16.78 MB
Unveiling Desmosedici Stradale
V4 engine Domenicali Pirro
Dovizioso Lorenzo
4596 x 3064 - 1.62 MB
Unveiling Desmosedici Stradale V4
engine Claudio Domenicali
3459 x 2947 - 2.63 MB
Contacts
For further information and media please contact:
UK Press and Racing Manager
Alan Jones
08456 718500
07718 037594
ajones@ducatiuk.com