Analysis: Can Ducati’s New Superquadro Mono Engine Unlock New Markets?

Few motorcycle manufacturers command the respect and fan following like Ducati does. The Italian marque is known the world over for making fast, agile, sporty and downright beautiful motorcycles. Ducati makes some of the most powerful and achingly gorgeous motorcycles and its main markets are Italy, USA and Germany, with these three seeing the lion’s share of Ducati’s global sales.

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And while it has been in India for close to a decade now, barring a gap of 3 years when it wasn’t, Ducati is yet to fire on all cylinders despite offering a wide range of motorcycles, from scramblers to naked middleweights to ADVs and full-blown sportbikes and more or less everything in between. The fact that Ducati prices its motorcycles at a premium, when compared to its rivals is not lost on us either. But with other premium OEMs like Triumph, Harley-Davidson and BMW launching single-cylinder motorcycles and gaining ground on Ducati in terms of sales volumes, it is maybe the right time for the company to introduce the Superquadro Mono engine and take the fight to the aforementioned rivals.

What Is The Superquadro Mono?

The Superquadro Mono is Ducati’s first attempt at making a single-cylinder engine after 30 years. The last single from Ducati was the Supermono, a 549 cc single-cylinder unit that was used to power lightweight racing motorcycles. Only 65 of these were ever manufactured. The new Monocilindrico is the highest-revving and the most powerful single-cylinder engine ever. The Superquadro Mono is derived from the Panigale 1299’s screaming, howling 1,285 cc L-twin. The 659 cc motor is of course liquid-cooled and can churn out 76.43 bhp at 9,750 rpm. The engine speed can reach up to 10,250 rpm. The peak torque output is 62.76 Nm at 8,000 rpm. A ‘single’ producing that kind of power is unheard of. Add a Termignoni exhaust and the power output goes up to 84 bhp.

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Why Is the Superquadro Mono Special?

Because of its rather unique architecture. A deep 116 mm cylinder bore, and a wide stroke of 62.4 mm gives it an extreme bore x stroke ratio of 1.86. The bike gets 46.8 mm Titanium valves and 38.2 mm steel exhaust valves, enormous valves, along with Ducati’s pioneering Desmodromic system. Then there’s a compression ratio of 13.1:1, which is again, extreme. Till now, the Desmodromic system was a preserve of only special Ducati bikes and yes, now the Hypermotard 698 Mono makes that cut.

The rocker arms of the Desmodromic system get diamond-like carbon surface coating to keep internal friction to a minimum. The piston pin gets the same treatment as well. The engine crankcase is made of die-cast Aluminium with the head directly fitted to the crankcase. The benefit of Aluminium is that the thin walls, compared to steel construction, allow for better cooling from the water jacket that wraps the cylinder barrel. The covers for clutch, alternator and the head are also made of die-cast magnesium alloy that keep the overall weight of the engine in check.

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The crankshaft on the engine is asymmetrical and mounted on differentiated main bearings to contain the weight. Ducati engineers did well to include two balancing countershafts – one each for the front and rear, to keep vibrations to a minimum and refinement to a maximum. The countershafts also control the water and oil pumps.

What Is The Business Case?

Now this is where things get interesting. Ducati clearly says that the Superquadro Mono powered Hypermotard 698 Mono is aimed at a younger motorcycle buyer, who is around 25 years old. This means that Ducati is looking to add a new customer base and reach out to people that it hasn’t before. But a younger customer base doesn’t automatically mean a more affordable motorcycle. The Ducati Hypermotard 698 Mono is priced at $12,995 and the RVE variant is priced at $14,995 in USA, which roughly converts to Rs. 10.82 lakh and Rs. 12.48 lakh respectively, quite a tall asking price for a single-cylinder motorcycle and a far, far cry from sub Rs. 3.5 lakh motorcycles that Triumph, Harley and BMW currently sell.

Final Say

The Ducati Hypermotard 698 Mono definitely opens up new markets for the company, it also aims to include new and younger riders into the Ducati family and yes, it will be launched in India as well. It is confirmed. But for all practical purposes, it will be a still be an expensive proposition for Indian customers. The reason being that the 698 Superquadro Mono engine packs in significantly more power and tech than any other single-cylinder motorcycle on sale globally and Ducati would still like to distinguish itself from other rivals by levying a premium on its newly launched motorcycles. It does seem like Ducati is breaking our hearts, but it is not because it wants to, it is because that’s what makes sense for Ducati in its top 10 markets, of which India is not a part, not yet.