Hollywood star Jason Statham is well-known for his action scenes and when it comes to the Expendables series of movies, he has been seen riding a Ducati Desmosedici RR in the Expendables before. The Ducati Desmosedici RR, at the time of the movie release, was not only one of the fastest Ducati motorcycles ever made but also one of the fastest motorcycles in the world. Now, as the shoot of the Expendables 4 is underway, the fastest Ducati in the world and one of the fastest motorcycles out there right now is the Ducati Superleggera V4 and once again, we might see Jason Statham riding the latest and the fastest Ducati in the upcoming movie. Statham gave a sneak peek of him and the motorcycle by posting a video of him riding the bike and also, posted again, some pictures with the motorcycle.

It was in the June of 2020 when the first Ducati Superleggera V4 rolled out of the production plant and was delivered to the first customer. The number 001/500 model of the Ducati Superleggera V4 was officially delivered to the Belgian Ducatista Filip Van Schil, who already possesses nine other Ducati bikes.

“When I received the call and the official invitation to come to Borgo Panigale to collect my Superleggera V4, the number 001 of 500, although I have always been a Ducatista, my legs trembled with emotion,” said Filip Van Schil. “A welcome like this, even though I was the first to call and order the bike, is something unimaginable. Receiving it directly in the company and touching the passion of the people who work in Borgo Panigale is an experience that I will always remember. Days like this are what make Ducati unique and different from all the other motorcycle manufacturers.”

It was Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati Motor Holding, who unveiled the Superleggera V4 001 and then handed it over to its first owner. The ceremony took place inside the Centro Stile Ducati.

The Superleggera V4 is the only motorcycle in the world, approved for road use, with the entire load-bearing structure of the chassis (frame, subframe, swingarm and rims), made of composite material, obtaining, for these components only, a weight saving of 6.7 kg compared to those of the Panigale V4 MY20. To ensure the highest quality and safety standards, these components are 100% controlled by the most sophisticated techniques borrowed from the aerospace industry, such as thermography, ultrasound checks, and tomography.

The specific set-up of the chassis gives an unparalleled deceleration capacity, an extraordinary speed of descent when cornering and a marked tendency of the bike to close the trajectories when exiting corners.

Many components are made of carbon fibre, modelled in advanced aerodynamic shapes. Thanks to the aerodynamic biplane appendages inspired by Ducati’s 2016 MotoGP bike, the most highly-performing in this field, it is able to guarantee a vertical load of 50 kg of “downforce” at 270 km/h, 20 kg more than that produced by the wings of the Panigale V4 MY20 and V4R.

The carbon fairings are embellished with a livery inspired by the Desmosedici GP19, with an alternation of lines and depths between the red colour of the GP19 and the visible carbon that highlight the shapes, the materials and the technical details. The red continues on the coloured sides of the OEM Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP tyres, specifically developed in the construction of the Superleggera V4.

The most powerful and lightest Desmosedici Stradale R engine is hidden under the carbon skin. The 998 cc 90° V4 unit of the Superleggera V4 weighs 2.8 kg less than the 1,103 cc V4 and, thanks to the Akrapovič approved exhaust, produces 224 hp of power in road configuration (EU homologation value), which becomes 234 hp by mounting the titanium Akrapovič exhaust for track use, which is included in the Racing Kit supplied with the bike.