Ducati’s Desmosedici Stradale R 1100 Engine is a Masterpiece

• Displacement increase from 998cc to 1,103cc for stronger mid-range thrust
• Makes 226bhp, rising to 245bhp with the racing exhaust and Ducati Corse Performance oil
• Ducati’s Racing Gearbox with Neutral Lock

Ducati has used the Superleggera V4 Centenario to introduce an engine that is new in its production line-up and is an absolute beast with its output. The most advanced and power packed Desmosedici Stradale R 1100 has been specially developed for this model making this the most sophisticated Superleggera to date.

The bump in displacement from 998cc to 1,103cc is due to increasing the stroke from 48.41mm to 53.5mm. This change adds more torque and improves response throughout the middle of the rev range without dampening acceleration anywhere else. A short-stroke superbike engine usually delivers better top-end urgency, but this longer-stroke version is meant to give the rider more shove through corners.

Desmosedici Stradale R 1100 delivers 226bhp in Euro 5+ road configuration and 245bhp with the Akrapovic racing exhaust and Ducati Corse Performance oil. The new unit is 3.6kg lighter with the use of titanium, lighter screws and redesigned internals. Its pistons use a two-ring design with one ring and one scraper, plus “box-in-box” construction and an oversized 18mm piston pin to cope with the extra power. This makes the engine spin fast, rev smooth and remain durable.

Cylinder heads have the same arrangement as the earlier 998cc Desmosedici Stradale R with 34mm titanium intake valves and 27.5mm steel exhaust valves. All sixteen valves use titanium semi-cones for competition-style performance. The desmodromic timing is also manually set and certified by a signed nameplate from the technician who performs the check.

The crankshaft also receives some changes with replaced steel counterweights with tungsten inserts which are denser and can therefore be smaller for the same balancing effect. Placing these inserts at a high radius maintains the required balance while also making the crank assembly more compact and responsive.

Desmosedici Stradale R 1100 uses 56mm oval throttle bodies instead of the 52mm items used on the standard Desmosedici Stradale. The intake trumpets are fixed rather than variable to save weight, and uses different lengths to optimise flow. Upper injectors have also been revised for better atomisation by bringing the spray closer to the duct. Exhaust manifolds are titanium with an increased diameter of 41.7mm paired with an approved Akrapovic silencer. Both intake and exhaust ports are polished like those on high-end racing engines.

Further, this engine uses the Ducati Racing Gearbox with neutral placed below first gear rather than between first and second.

This is supposed to work with the Ducati Neutral Lock system to stop the rider accidentally selecting neutral during the final phase of braking into a first-gear corner. Ducati also says this arrangement makes the shift between first and second faster, smoother and more repeatable.