Enter the new-for-2011 premium Ducati Superbike, the 1198 SP.
Added to the potent 1198’s equipment, the SP adds all the bits from the former 1198 S (Ohlins suspension and forged Marchesini wheels), plus a slipper clutch, Ducati Quick Shifter, Ohlins TTX shock (formerly T36PR), and an aluminum fuel tank.
The base 1198 also receives this upgrade.
Also making a welcome debut on the SP is a back-torque-limiting slipper clutch sourced from the previous R version. Banging downshift entering Imola’s many chicanes, the slipper proves to work terrifically. At a purported dry weight of just 370 lbs, the SP undercuts the base 1198 by 7 lbs and is 2 lbs lighter than the previous 1198 S.
The SP’s handling dynamics are aided by its lightweight forged-aluminum wheels, something not available on the base 1198 or the 848. Forged wheels weigh less than the typical cast-aluminum wheels, and this aids steering quickness and suspension compliance – both valuable enhancements on a sportbike.
All the while, it’s blessed with Ducati’s typically stout racetrack-bred chassis and exceptional brakes.
New for 2011, the 1198 motorcycle arrives on the showroom floor with Ducati Traction Control (DTC), Ducati Quick Shifter (DQS) and Ducati Data Analyzer (DDA) as standard equipment.
The DDA package in the 1198 enables the retrieval and analysis of data collected from a previous track session or road trip and DTC monitors front and rear wheel speeds to detect rear wheel-spin under acceleration and electronically reduces engine power to restore traction.
For 2011 the 1198 is available in traditional Ducati red with a racing black frame and graphite grey wheels.
The 1198 Testastretta Evoluzione Engine
The Testastretta Evoluzione engine is the crowning glory of Ducati's development and perfection of the L- Twin engine.
Ducati share the reward for that commitment with World Championship- winning technologies constantly flowing from the factory race team into production engines.
The incredible valve performances achieved are only possible because of Ducati's unique Desmodromic system, where valve closure is activated mechanically.
This system is used on every single Ducati motorcycle including their world-beating Superbike and Desmosedici MotoGP bikes.
To keep Ducati's highly efficient Testastretta cylinder heads breathing to their full potential, the injection system uses racing size elliptical throttle bodies, which are an equivalent diameter of 63.9mm.
Using technology developed for the Desmosedici MotoGP project, the design enables reliable operation of the 106mm diameter pistons when performing at high rpm.
The 1198 gears are machined from the same high-strength steel used in Ducati Corse race applications and are subjected to a shot-peening treatment that further ensures their strength and reduced fatigue.
The 1198, 1198 SP feature a beautiful and efficient exhaust system. The system terminates with Ducati's trademark twin under-seat silencers, delivering that unmistakable signature sound of the big bore Desmo 90° L-Twin.
Ducati 1198 Features:
From race-level engine specifications to World Championship-winning traction control and quick- shift electronics, the results are pure excellence.
The Ducati Traction Control (DTC) system further confirms Ducati's technology flow from racing to production and demonstrates how solutions developed for the track can be applied to enhance safer performance on the road.
Designed by the race track
Ducati Superbikes are race bikes, pure and simple. Superbike Chassis
Trellis Frame
Developed in cooperation with Ducati Corse, the lightweight Trellis frame features 34mm main section tubes with a material thickness of 1.5mm. Adding style to performance, the 1198 is in racing black.
Front Suspension
Rear Suspension
The lightweight Trellis frame and single-sided swingarm enable a compact and weight-saving rear suspension linkage system that features separate lower pick-up points for the push-rod and suspension unit. Single-Sided Swingarm
Race-Bred Brakes
The 1198 uses Brembo's incredibly powerful Monobloc caliper racing technology. Super Lightweight Wheels
The lightweight front wheels used on all Ducati Superbike models substantially reduces the moment of inertia, enabling a faster change of direction and enhanced acceleration and braking performances.
This precision in tire construction enabled Ducati technicians to create extremely fine programs for the Ducati Traction Controls systems used on the 1198 and 1198 SP.
Producing a front subframe in magnesium underlines the attention to weight-saving detail in the Ducati Superbike range.
Superbike Lights and Indicators
The horizontal twin headlamps, a signature Ducati style from the iconic 916, are modernised with the latest lighting technology. Ducati Quick Shift
The Ducati Quick Shift (DQS) system is the first time that a race-style electronic quick-shift has been supplied as original equipment on a production Ducati. Ducati Traction Control
The Ducati Traction Control (DTC) system further underlines Ducati's technology flow from racing to production and demonstrates how solutions developed for the track can be applied to enhance performance safety on the road.
While level eight administers a confidence-building, high level of interaction from the system by activating upon the slightest amount of wheel-spin, level one offers a much higher tolerance and, therefore, much less intervention for highly competent riders.
When the level is selected and DTC activated, the level is displayed on the instrumentation.
When the profile that best suits the combination of road or track conditions and riding style has been selected and the DTC system activated, front and rear wheel sensors compare speed differential to sense when rear traction is being broken (wheel-spin).
The first 'soft' stage of system interaction is executed by high speed software that makes instant electronic adjustment to the ignition timing, administering varying amounts of ignition retardation to reduce the engine's torque.
Data Acquisition
Normally only available on race bikes, DDA records numerous channels of data including throttle opening, vehicle speed, engine rpm, engine temperature, distance traveled, laps and lap times.
The system also automatically calculates engine rpm and vehicle speed data so as to display gear selection as an extra channel of information.