Sports Cycle

New Ducati 1199 use gear driven

Our sources close to the development of the Ducati Superbike 1199 Superquadrata have confirmed the rumors that the new Bologna bullet will do away with the tradition belt-driven camshaft and instead feature a gear-driven cam configuration. The same type of technology that Aprilia used to cheat win the 2010 World Superbike Championship title, a gear-driven camshaft configuration should help increase power by 3-5hp throughout the rev range on the Superquadrata motor, as compared to Ducati’s traditional belt configuration.

Widely used in MotoGP, the 1199′s gear-driven camshaft will be a carryover from the Ducati Desmosedici (a point we’re sure Ducati will include in its marketing material), which should help ease the transition for some hardcore enthusiasts who see Ducati’s belt-driven camshaft as an iconic part of the Italian company’s v-twin motor. With seemingly no sacred cows when it comes to the Superbike 1199‘s development, the highly over-square v-twin motor will be nestled in a “frameless” chassis, departing from Ducati’s famous steel trellis designs of the past.

As the Ducati Superbike 1199 expected to lose about 20 lbs of weight with its new frame and other designs, the Superquadrata motor is rumored to be up 20hp over the 1198, reaching the 200hp mark in its highest trim form. With so much tech coming over from the Ducati Corse race team, it’s only a matter of time before we hear whispers of a Valentino Rossi race replica edition (rendered above).