2020 Ducati Superleggera V4 Review – First Ride

If you’re looking for tangible information to put the Superleggera’s performance into context, pay attention to this graphic. Using the 2019 Panigale V4, and the final turn at Jerez – a slow hairpin with an exit speed of approximately 55 mph leading onto the front straight – as a benchmark, we’re looking at speed and distance across the start/finish line. To start, the 2019 Panigale V4 crosses start/finish at 155 mph. With the 2020 Panigale V4, and its chassis tweaks and front wings, by the time it crosses start/finish it’s traveling 156 mph and has a 15-foot gap to the 2019 bike. Interestingly, the 2020 V4 equipped with the Superleggera’s aero package, has a trap speed identical to the 2019 bike at 155 mph, but has a gap 20 feet ahead. Now with the Superleggera V4, complete with the racing kit, by the time it exits the final turn at Jerez and crosses start/finish, its 159 mph trap speed is 4 mph greater than the 2019 bike, and its gap across the line is a massive 30 feet. Hopefully this helps put into context what a 35-pound weight reduction, a 25-horsepower bump (the standard Panigale is rated at 209 hp), and an emphasis on aerodynamics can do to a motorcycle’s performance.