Ducati 1199 Panigale “Superquadro” engine details revealed

Ducati released some details and photos on the all-new engine that will power its new generation 1199 Panigale model. The “Superquadro” engine is completely revamped, with a massively oversquare 112mm bore and ultra-short 60.8mm stroke (versus the current 1198’s 106mm bore and 67.9mm stroke). The cylinders of the 90-degree V-twin have been rotated backward in the crankcases six degrees, making the front cylinder 21 degrees from horizontal, enabling the engine to be positioned 32mm farther forward without running into front wheel clearance issues. Desmodromic valve actuation (what else?) runs much larger titanium valves, with the intakes growing from 43.5 to 46.8mm and exhaust from 34.5 to 38.2mm. The new valves are actuated by racing-style rocker arms, using the “super-finish” polishing for reduced friction and fatigue and then coated in polymeric-like carbon (PLC), a process originally developed for the aerospace industry. The previous belt drive for the cams has been replaced by a hybrid chain/gear setup, and the race-derived Superquadro pistons have a distinctive double-ribbed undercrown to achieve high strength and reduced friction with minimal piston wall surface area.

The Vacural® vacuum die-cast engine cases also incorporate separate nikasil-coated aluminum wet-liners, eliminating the jointing face that used to exist at the base of the cylinders. This design enables secure fixing of the cylinder head directly to the crankcase, improved sealing and enhanced heat dissipation from the thin cylinder-liners directly into the surrounding coolant. The primary-drive casing, clutch casing and outer cover, sump and cam covers are all cast in magnesium alloy. The crankcases now use shell main bearings for the crankshaft, previously only used by Ducati on the Desmosedici RR engine. Removing the roller bearings has enabled an increase in diameter of the crank journals for enhanced rigidity and an increase the crankcase section around the main bearing area for improved strength. The shell bearings are force-fed oil from internal drillings within the main bearing pillars to keep the new crankshaft well lubricated and is quickly scavenged back into the sump with the introduction of a highly efficient MotoGP-style vacuum pump. The pump is driven by the main oil pump shaft and effectively maintains constant vacuum in the crankcase area below the pistons, reducing atmospheric resistance during the downstroke of the piston and controlling the internal “breathing” of the engine.

Throttle bodies grow from the previous huge 63.9mm diameter to an absolutely humungous 67.5mm, with dual injectors and the usual ride-by-wire throttle actuation. To reduce emissions, a secondary air injection system for the exhaust ports has been added.

In order to ease starting, on the end of each exhaust cam drive gear is a centrifugal flyweight which retracts at speeds below tick-over to rotate a protrusion from the concentric section of the cam, thus creating a compression release. When the engine starts and the camshafts begin to rotate, the centrifugal flyweight flicks out, retracting the “protrusion” back into the cam and allowing complete valve closure for full compression. This ingenious setup enables the Superquadro engine to be started easily without using a larger battery and starter motor, reducing overall vehicle weight by approximately 3.3kg (7.3lb). The six-speed gearbox utilizes a wet clutch, with slipper back-torque limiter.

Claimed horsepower at the crankshaft is 195 hp @ 10,750 rpm, and 98.1 ft/lbs torque at 9000 rpm.