Ducati Project 1408 Could Be The New Superleggera

Ducati is working on a new supersport motorcycle, codenamed 'Project 1408', for the 2016 EICMA, which could be the new 1299 Superlegerra.

The upcoming supersport machine that Ducati is hiding under the codename 'Project 1408', will be introduced at the EICMA show next month in Milan, Italy. For that, the company has launched a dedicated website with login credentials given to very limited people. However, one of them has leaked screenshots of the website revealing some details of the upcoming motorcycle, which hint that it could be the new 1299 Superleggera.

The leaked images show that the Ducati Project 1408 could be the lightest ever production motorcycle in its respective segment, and that makes us believe that it can be the 1299 Superleggera. Ducati launched the 1199 Superleggera in 2014 following a design philosophy with the objective of the maximum reduction of weight possible. It was achieved through the use of special materials, such as magnesium, carbon and titanium, resulting in a dry weight of just 155 kg. Only 500 units of the bike were produced back then.

The leaked screenshots from the official website claim that the Ducati Project 1408 will be the first motorcycle in series production to get a carbon fibre frame. The monocoque frame has been developed by Ducati R&D team using Ducati Corse with MotoGP standard quality control. The frame is 1.6 kg lighter, compared to that of the existing 1299 Panigale, and around 38 per cent lighter than a regular aluminium monocoque frame.

Not only the frame, but many other parts including the swingarm, airbox and the wheels have also been made out of carbon fibre material. Hence, we can easily expect body panels of the same material to achieve a remarkable reduction in weight. Superlegerra is not just about weight reduction and we can expect heavy tuning of the 1299 Panigale's engine with the use of titanium parts. Speculated to deliver around 220PS of power, this will be the most powerful Ducati motor till the date.

As per reports, exhaust muffler of the new Ducati 1299 Superlegerra would be similar to that of the World Superbike Panigale R. Therefore, we can see two under-seat Akrapovic mufflers instead of the regular under-engine unit seen on the existing 1299 Panigale. Coming to the component details, the Project 1408 will get Öhlins FL916 fully-machined forks at the front, along with an Öhlins TTX36 rear shock absorber with a titanium spring. The bike will use one of the latest and most advanced braking system with Brembo M50 Monobloc calipers.

Apart from the standard equipment, Ducati might also offer a racing kit with the new Superlegerra, comprising of a titanium Akrapovic exhaust, racing windscreen, front and rear paddock stands, dedicated dust cover, machined mirror fill-caps and most importantly, 5 extra horses. The kit will also eliminate the licence plate and side stand from the bike, reducing the weight further. And like the previous model, the new 1299 Superleggera or the Project 1408 could also be produced in limited numbers to maintain the exclusivity of the motorcycle.