Ducati’s new single-cylinder engine can be used for multiple new bikes, one of which will be a motard-style machine
Also known as the ‘thumpers’, single-cylinder engines are popular for their affordability and low maintenance. These are the most widely used engines for entry-level motorcycles and are available in both two-stroke and four-stroke formats. However, single-cylinder engines have their limitations. As if to push this architecture to its limits, Ducati has come up with the world’s most powerful and highest revving single-cylinder engine.
Ducati Superquadro Mono – The complete story
It’s been almost three decades since Ducati last produced a single-cylinder bike. It was in 1993 that Supermono 550 race bikes were in production. These too had quite a reputation, generating 75 hp at 10,000 rpm. The bikes used borrowed hardware such as the horizontal cylinder and desmodromics from an 888 Racing V-twin.
Now, thirty years later, Ducati has come up with an even better version of the Supermono. There’s a human connection as well, with Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali actively involved in both projects. Thirty years earlier, Domenicali was the project leader of the Supermono project. Now working as the CEO, he has played a key role in ensuring the success of the world’s most powerful single-cylinder engine.
Ducati Superquadro Mono – tech specs
Ducati’s new 659cc, single-cylinder engine is being claimed as the world’s most powerful and highest revving road-going unit ever produced. It borrows the 116 mm piston from the 1285c V-twin ‘Superquadro’, which has been used on the 1299 Panigale. The stroke is 62.4 mm, which is only 1.6 mm longer in comparison to that of the superbike. Due to this, the engine has huge oversquare dimensions and high revs. It also explains why the engine has been named the Superquadro. It essentially means the super square.
At max RPM, the piston of Superquadro can move 21 meters per second. The engine borrows various other components from the 1299 Panigale. It includes the combustion chamber, valves and desmo timing control. However, around 80% of the Superquadro engine is entirely new. In standard configuration, the engine generates 76.4 bhp. This can be increased to 83.4 bhp in track-ready configuration. With a desmodromic top end, the top rev range is an impressive 10,250 rpm.
Challenges for the Superquadro project
While it was easy to imagine the Superquadro, developing the engine was not an easy task. To make it practical, it was necessary to keep the engine as compact and lightweight as possible. And without compromising on the targeted performance figures. Every gram of metal had to be wisely used to ensure a lightweight profile and achieve higher power-to-weight ratio.
To make it possible, a number of tweaks and innovations have been implemented. For example, the cam profile has been completely redesigned. A smaller throttle body diameter has been used for the intake duct and the length has also been changed. Design and length of the exhaust pipe were also tweaked accordingly. All these changes helped achieve a robust torque curve.
Source: Bike - rushlane.com
