Written by: Ducati
Date: November 15, 2009

Ducati Superbikes are race bikes, pure and simple. Their striking aerodynamic shapes create a natural riding position, confirmed by our development and factory team riders as the optimum for speed and agility. Performance is first and foremost in every detail. Trademark Ducati features like the high tail section and compact front end combine with twin under-seat silencers and single-sided swingarm to express the sheer engineering beauty of aerodynamics and agility. Add the Testastretta Evoluzione engines as the hearts of the machines and the result is all-out performance Ducati Superbikes that look fast even when parked.

Ducati Superbikes are the most advanced, most powerful twin-cylinder motorcycles ever built. They are the product of a team of designers and engineers who have combined their Ducati MotoGP and World Superbike technologies to create the finest sportbikes in the world. From race-level engine specifications to World Championship-winning traction control, the results are pure excellence. The Ducati Traction Control (DTC) system further underlines our technology flow from racing to production and demonstrates how solutions developed for the track can be applied to enhance safer performance on the road.

Ducati Superbikes, designed, engineered and built in Bologna, Italy, have always represented the pinnacle of Ducati motorcycle technology and racing success. For Ducati, racing and winning are a way of life and a way of thinking for our designers, engineers and everyone at the factory. Our unique engineering solutions are proven on the race track, where the only way to win is to have technical superiority and dependable performance. Ducati have dominated World Superbike racing, winning more Riders’ and more Manufacturers’ World Championship titles and more individual races than any other manufacturer. Add these unequalled performances to the historic achievement of winning the MotoGP World Championship, and the results speak for themselves.

The winning of both the 2009 World Superbike and Superstock Manufacturers’ titles is a fitting stage on which to present two exclusive and exciting special editions built to mark the historic introduction of a new Ducati Corse logo. The 1198 S Corse Special Edition and 1198 R Corse Special Edition are both equipped with factory team-style aluminium fuel tanks, Ducati Traction Control and a special celebratory Ducati Corse livery.

The ‘R’ is a race bike, pure and simple. Its competition specification and superior components together with advanced electronics and race-proven chassis technology deliver a level of performance that empowers with confidence and capability. On the road, it distinguishes you as a connoisseur of high-performance motorcycles. On the track it instantly promotes you to a higher level of skill. The road-going ‘R’ version is as close as it gets to Ducati’s factory race bike. The 1198 R is not a replica – it’s the real deal. An incredible 180hp L-Twin Testastretta Evoluzione engine in a race-winning Trellis chassis set-up weighs in at 1kg (2.2lb) less than last year to become an unbelievably light 164kg (361.5lb) and is equipped with Ducati Corse’s World Championship-winning traction control system.

The ‘R’ remains the only road-going Ducati to use twin injectors for each cylinder. The first centrally mounted injector feeds through a 4-hole nozzle while the second offset injector feeds through a 12-hole nozzle ensuring progressive and fluid power delivery throughout the rev-range. With this configuration the system has the capacity to provide much heavier fueling when used in competition.

To underline the 1198 R’s race intentions, titanium is used in the valves, connecting rods, and exhaust system to save weight and improve performance.

Confirming the 1198 R’s race specification by minimising weight and increasing performance, the crankshaft connecting rods are made in titanium, achieving a 34% saving over the stock 1198 rods while reducing their reciprocating forces and improving crankshaft acceleration.

The weight-saving cam covers in magnesium-alloy are evident by their gold colour.

Incredibly lightweight, the exhaust system has been engineered with a power-increasing symmetrical 2-1-2 layout that uses 52mm-57mm diameter tubing with a wall thickness of 0.8mm (.030in). It is equipped with a catalytic converter and two lambda probes for optimum engine mapping and Euro3 conformity. The system terminates with Ducati’s trademark twin under-seat mufflers beautifully formed in super lightweight titanium and stainless steel, delivering that unmistakable signature sound of the big bore Desmo 90° L-Twin.

Unique to the ‘R’ version, the dry, multiplate ‘slipper’ clutch reduces the destabilising effect of aggressive downshifting and helps provide the fine control required when used under extreme track conditions.

The 1198 R engine represents the finest twin-cylinder technology in the world. It produces 180hp (132.4kW) @ 9,750rpm and 99.1lb-ft (13.7kgm) of brute torque @ 7,750rpm in standard mode and an astonishing 186hp when using the supplied race kit (intended strictly for track use only).

To keep the highly efficient Testastretta cylinder heads breathing to their full potential, the injection system uses MotoGP-derived elliptical throttle bodies with an equivalent diameter of 63.9mm.

Its race-developed fairing design ensures perfect integration with the cooling system by providing efficient flow through the advanced, large surface area coolant radiator, which is assisted by lightweight, high flow electric fan assemblies and oil coolers.

The incredible valve performances of our engines are only possible because of Ducati’s unique Desmodromic system, where valve closure is activated mechanically. At high rpm it would be almost impossible for the valve to follow the steep closure profile of the cam lobe if it were relying upon a normal valve spring. With the Desmo system, the valve is closed mechanically with the same accuracy as it is opened, enabling steep cam profiles and radical cam timings. This system is used on every single Ducati power unit including our world-beating Superbike and Desmosedici MotoGP engines.

The specification of this engine underlines its no-compromise race technology. To help contain the massive ‘R’ power output, the crankcases have been sand-cast produced, a process that improves the molecular quality of the casting, increasing strength while ensuring that intricate shapes are achieved with absolute accuracy.

The 1198 engines all share the same attention to race-derived details. Race-designed 1198 pistons have a distinctive double-ribbed undercrown to achieve high strength and reduced friction by using minimal piston wall surface area. Using technology developed for the Desmosedici MotoGP project, the design enables reliable operation of the 106mm diameter pistons when performing at high rpm. Racing-type rocker arms are ‘super-finished’ for reduced friction and fatigue at high rpm. The gearbox’s carefully calculated specification allows the use of a high ratio 6th gear, fully enabling the speed increase achieved from additional performance modifications (suggested for track use only). Also with performance in mind and because of its high resistance to fatigue, the 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.

The new beautifully formed factory team-style aluminium fuel tank comes in a bold red, white and black colour scheme. It weighs 1kg (2.2lb) less than the original tank and boosts the bike’s fuel capacity by 2.5 litres (0.66 US gal) to 18 litres (4.75 US gal). The tank is formed in 2mm thick aluminium, brush finished and clear-coated to maintain a factory race tank feel and proudly displays the new Ducati Corse logo on top.

The high performance, fully adjustable 43mm Öhlins forks, which sport low friction titanium nitride-treated fork sliders, respond effortlessly to every imperfection in the tarmac. Beyond their advanced engineering solutions, one of the most important characteristics of Öhlins forks is their ability to communicate the condition and quality of the tyre-to-road contact patch, a feature that puts you in superior control.

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. The ‘S’ and ‘R’ rides on beautiful black 7-spoke lightweight, forged-aluminium, machine-finished wheels by Marchesini, and are fitted with Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SC at 120/70 ZR17 for the front and 190/55 ZR17 for the rear. These tyres have shoulder areas that maximize the contact patch and carcasses specially designed for stiffness under heavy braking and precision during high speed cornering. This precision in tyre construction enabled Ducati technicians to create extremely fine programs for the Ducati Traction Controls systems used on the bike.

The front-to-rear Öhlins suspension package is completed with a control-enhancing Öhlins adjustable steering damper.

Developed in cooperation with Ducati Corse, the lightweight Trellis frame features 34mm main section tubes with a material thickness of 1.5mm. The result is an incredibly rigid construction that remains one of Ducati’s lightest frame solutions ever. Through decades of racing and development, Ducati has proven that innovative chassis engineering and evolutionary frame advancements win races. The tubular Trellis frame, used on every Ducati motorcycle, is a signature design element. This unique Ducati frame is light, rigid and beautiful thanks to its ingenious Trellis design and use of high quality ALS 450 tubing. Each tube is mitred and micro-fusion welded in a complex triangulated pattern and our incredibly strong L-Twin engine cases are functional ‘stressed members’ of the chassis.

The dual construction technique used for the single-sided swingarm allows the main operational components to use individual aluminium castings so as to ensure strength around the pivot points, wheel hub and suspension links, while lightweight, fabricated aluminium sections are used to complete the construction into a single, beautifully engineered component. The swingarm is finished in natural aluminium to match the new factory team-style aluminium fuel tank.

Machined from a single piece of alloy, Brembo’s powerful Monobloc callipers achieve a higher rigidity and resistance to distortion during extreme braking. The resulting increase in hydraulic efficiency not only delivers incredible braking power, but also provides an enhanced and precise ‘feel’ at the brake lever. The twin Monobloc callipers each have four 34mm pistons that grip huge 330mm discs to help achieve spectacular brake performance. The weight of the discs has been kept to a minimum by employing racing-style narrow braking surfaces.

Carefully designed for aerodynamic efficiency and to hug the sleek lines of the chassis, the Superbike bodywork enables the rider to blend effortlessly into the correct riding position.

Producing a front subframe in magnesium underlines the attention to weight-saving detail in the Ducati Superbike range. Its construction provides secure support for the headlamp, instruments and fairing, and the weight-saving around this high, forward position contributes considerably to overall ‘feel’ and control of the machine.

The higher specification Öhlins for the rear of the 1198 R Corse uses TTXR twin tube technology and offers totally separate damping adjustment in compression and rebound. It uses experience gained in MotoGP to minimise friction and reduce the risk of cavitation under extreme conditions. An adjustable rear ride-height, independent of spring pre-load and other suspension settings, enables the perfect set-up for personal riding style or track conditions.

Underlining its competition intention, the 1198 R is designed as a true ‘monoposto’ with no provisions to carry a passenger. This has enabled a 50% weight reduction of the rear subframe by producing it in aluminium alloy.

The Ducati Data Analyser (DDA), which includes PC software, a USB-ready data retrieval card and instructions, enables you to review and analyse your performance and that of the bike’s, and to make comparisons between various channels of information. The system records numerous channels of data including throttle opening (A), vehicle speed (B), engine rpm (C), engine temperature (D), distance travelled (E), laps and lap times. It also automatically calculates engine rpm and vehicle speed data, enabling it to display gear selection (F) as an additional channel of information. An additional channel of information is now dedicated to recording the DTC index (G) which can then be viewed as a graphic trace and indicates the amount of DTC interaction during wheel-spin. (Subject to model) At the end of a ride or track session, up to 4mb of data can be downloaded ready to compare, analyse and get an inside view of the performance of both you and the bike.

The front fender and side panels are left in a contrasting natural carbon fibre finish while the belly-pan is painted, but reveals its carbon fibre material inside the aerodynamic recess for the side-stand.

The digital display is programmed with a stopwatch function that, when enabled, can be triggered by using the high-beam flash button and each recorded time stored in a memory. After your journey or track session, the times or lap times can be recalled from the memory and scrolled through by using the instrumentation buttons on the left-hand switchgear.

This pure racing digital instrumentation originating from Ducati’s MotoGP project has no switches or buttons to compromise its clean, minimalist lines. Instead, information additional to the default read-outs is managed from the left-hand handlebar-mounted switch gear, allowing the rider to scroll through and select from various menus. The display, which has a bright white LED back lighting presents rpm and speed, with the former displayed across the screen in a progressive bar graph. Optionally, the rpm and speed can be displayed in numeric values. Additionally, it displays time, air temperature, coolant temperature, battery voltage, two trips and a trip that automatically starts as the fuel system goes onto reserve. Warning lights illuminate to signify neutral, turn signals, high-beam, rev-limit, low oil pressure, fuel reserve and scheduled maintenance. The instrument display is also used to list lap times recorded by using the high-beam flash button as a stopwatch.

The horizontal twin headlamps, a signature Ducati style from the iconic 916, are modernised with the latest lighting technology. Two polyellipsoidal units light the way with a powerful beam while maintaining an aggressive look to the front of the machine in pure Ducati Superbike tradition. The rear light employs a specially designed strip of LEDs enhanced by a high diffusion lens shaped into the sleek lines of the tailpiece. The same LEDs are intensified for brake lights. The directional indicators also use the latest in LED technology for illumination. The frontal indicators are beautifully integrated into the rear view mirrors.

All Superbike mirrors come with an optional spacer kit enabling an extension of 30mm over the standard mirror stem length.

Ducati Superbikes are equipped with adjustable levers that operate Brembo radial-type master cylinders with remote reservoirs. Add easy-to-use switchgear with stopwatch function and DTC and DDA management and it becomes clear that functionality plays a major role alongside performance.

Ducati were the first manufacturer to introduce a true competition-level traction control system on a production motorcycle. 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. DTC uses the same software logic developed and used by Ducati Corse for their World Championship-winning MotoGP and World Superbike motorcycles and offers a choice of eight settings developed by their professional test riders and racers. Accessible from the left-hand switchgear and displayed on the digital instrumentation, the system offers a choice of eight profiles, each one programmed with a wheel-spin tolerance matched to progressive riding levels of skill graded from one to eight. 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). DTC then decides the best combination of two different types of instant electronic adjustment, calculated with data supplied from multiple sources. 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. During this initial stage of DTC interaction, up to three red lights – normally used to signify the over-rev limiter – illuminate to indicate the amount of DTC being applied. If the DTC software detects that the first ‘soft’ stage of system interaction is inadequate to control the wheel-spin, it continues to administer ignition retardation and, in addition, instructs the engine ECU to initiate a pattern of constantly increasing injection cuts until, if necessary, full injection cut. During this second stage of interaction, all four warning lights fully illuminate to signify that DTC has also initiated injection cuts. As soon as the system recognises the gradual return of equal wheel speeds, it incrementally re-establishes normal power delivery. This seamless interaction is key to the super-smooth operation of the system. The real innovative thinking behind the DTC system is how the various range of sensitivity levels decide precisely how to react to excessive wheel-spin by understanding the bike’s exact ‘dynamic situation’. From slow mid-corner acceleration with considerable vehicle inclination to high speed corner exits while almost upright, this ‘system intelligence’ is achieved by processing a mass of data in a matter of milliseconds. This technology exists thanks to the thousands of laps and hours spent testing, programming and earning Ducati Corse race victories on the track. It represents just part of Ducati’s latest road-bike technology and provides considerable increase in performance safety during mid-corner acceleration.

This top-of-the-range model is supplied with a race kit that includes a full racing exhaust system with 102dB carbon fibre mufflers by Termignoni and dedicated ECU which raises power output to approximately 186hp (intended strictly for track use only). Also in the kit is a unique Ducati Corse branded bike cover designed by Aldo Drudi and rear paddock stand as well as an official cased plaque of authentication that confirms the collectable value of this exclusive motorcycle.

Chassis

FRAME Tubular steel Trellis frame in ALS 450
WHEELBASE 1430mm (56.3in)
RAKE 24.5°
FRONT SUSPENSION Öhlins 43mm fully adjustable usd forks with TiN
FRONT WHEEL TRAVEL 120mm (4.7in)
FRONT WHEEL 7-spoke in forged light alloy 3.50 x 17
FRONT TYRE 120/70 ZR17
REAR SUSPENSION Progressive linkage with fully adjustable Öhlins TTXR monoshock with top-out spring. Aluminium single-sided swingarm
REAR WHEEL TRAVEL 127mm (5in)
REAR WHEEL 7-spoke forged light alloy 6.00 x 17
REAR TYRE 190/55 ZR17
FRONT BRAKE 2 x 330mm semi-floating discs, radially mounted Brembo Monobloc calipers 4-piston, 2-pad.
REAR BRAKE 245mm disc, 2-piston calliper
FUEL TANK CAPACITY 18l – 4.75 gallon (US)
DRY WEIGHT 164kg (361.5lb)
INSTRUMENTS Digital MotoGP derived unit with displays for: Speed, rev counter, lap times, time, air temp, coolant temp, battery voltage, A & B trips, fuel reserve trip, DTC level selected (if activated) scheduled maintenance. Warning lights for: Neutral, turn signals, high-beam, rev-limit, DTC intervention, oil pressure, fuel reserve. Plus: Integrated immobilizer system and management of DDA and DTC.
WARRANTY 2 years unlimited mileage
BODY COLOUR (FRAME/WHEEL) Corse (red / black)
VERSIONS Single seat
SEAT HEIGHT 820mm (32.2in)

Engine

TYPE L-Twin cylinder, 4 titanium valves per cylinder Desmodromic, liquid cooled
DISPLACEMENT 1198.4cc
BORE X STROKE 106×67.9mm
COMPRESSION RATIO 12.8:1
POWER 180hp (132.4kw) @ 9750rpm
TORQUE 99.1lb-ft 134Nm @ 7750rpm
FUEL INJECTION Marelli electronic fuel injection, elliptical throttle bodies.
EXHAUST Lightweight 2-1-2 system with catalytic converter and 2 lambda probes. Twin stainless steel and titanium mufflers

Transmission

GEARBOX 6 speed
RATIO 1=37/15 2=30/17 3=27/20 4=24/22 5=23/24 6=22/25
PRIMARY DRIVE Straight cut gears, Ratio 1.84:1
FINAL DRIVE Chain; Front sprocket 15; Rear sprocket 38
CLUTCH Dry multiplate with hydraulic control slipper clutch

Emissions

STANDARD Euro 3