V-twins axed | Ducati call time on the Superquadro V-twin with special edition Panigale V2

Ducati have announced they are ending production of their Superquadro V-twin engine, with a special edition version of their Panigale V2 supersport bike, limited to 555 units.

The news could mean an end to the traditional Ducati V-twin sportsbike, with the larger Panigales all powered by V4s. This special edition concludes more than 30 years of aggressive Ducati sportsbikes powered by a 90-degree V-twin engines, with four desmodromic valves per cylinder.

Engines of this kind have been found in the likes of the 748, 749, 848, 899, and 959 Panigale – with this new machine set to be available in October 2024 priced at a hefty £23,500. That’s a quid more expensive than Honda’s 215bhp CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP.

The Superquadro engine as we currently know it was first produced for the 1199 Panigale, which arrived in 2012 as part of a superbike arms race brought on by the arrival of the first-generation BMW S1000RR. The platform has evolved over time, and can now only be found in the 955cc, 153bhp Panigale V2.

Features of the latest and final version of the motor include head, clutch, and oil pan covers made of magnesium, with the engine acting as a stressed member. The announcement of the end of the motor could also spell bad news for the £16,395 Streetfighter V2, which shares the same engine and chassis components in a more upright package.

Back to the new special edition, and to help justify the £6205 price increase over the standard V2, it receives a special white, red, black, and grey livery created in partnership by Drudi Performance and Centro Stile Ducati.

Alongside colours, technical drawings of engine components can also be seen on the bodywork, and the bike weighs 190kg ready to go without fuel – 3kg down on standard.

Other nice touches include a set of golden 48mm Öhlins upside down, fully adjustable forks, plus a mono shock mounted to the single sided swingarm. These replace blacked out Showa forks and a Sachs shock on the base bike.

There are also adjustable Rizoma riders’ footpegs made of billet aluminium, plus lashings of carbon fibre on the mudguards, exhaust silencer, chain guard, and more.

If the plan is to head to the race track (many will likely live under covers in collections) then Ducati are also providing a number plate and mirror removal kit, plus a billet aluminium fuel filler cap. A GPS module for data gathering is also in place.

Whether the platform will be replaced with a new mid-size V-twin Ducati sportsbike remains to be seen. Go to ducati.com for more.