2017 · Supersport · Buyer's Guide
Carbon Obsession Built for Track
Ducati built the 1299 Superleggera as a rolling argument for how far a twin can be pushed. The 1285 cc L-twin makes 215 hp at 11,000 rpm and 108 lb-ft at 9,000 rpm, and it carries all of that in a motorcycle that weighs 368 lb wet. Carbon fiber does the work on the bodywork and the structure, and the hardware behind it is the good stuff: Öhlins TTX36 damping, Brembo M50 calipers, Bosch Cornering ABS and MSC with slide, wheelie and launch control. This is the top of Ducati's twin-cylinder line, built in tiny numbers.
It rides like what it is, a track bike wearing plates. The riding position is committed and the 32.7 in seat sits you high over the front. What keeps the thing usable is the electronics. Ducati Ride-by-Wire power modes and the Bosch cornering safety net let you use a real slice of 215 hp without feeling hunted by it. It suits an experienced rider with track days on the calendar and a garage that treats the bike as an occasion. The honest caveat: no cruise control, no heated grips, no phone connectivity, and 4.5 gal does not go far at pace.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 215 hp (158 kW) @ 11,000 rpm |
|---|---|
| Torque | 108 lb-ft (146 Nm) @ 9,000 rpm |
| Displacement | 1285 cc |
| Engine | L-twin |
| Cooling | Liquid-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Final drive | Chain |
| Fork | Upside-down (USD) |
| Front brake | 330 mm |
| Front tire | 120/70-17 |
| Rear tire | 200/55-17 |
| Seat height | 32.7 in (830 mm) |
| Wet weight | 368 lb (167 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 4.5 gal (17 L) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Connectivity
Drivetrain
Lighting
Safety
The named systems that set this bike apart — and what each one does for you.
Braking
Rider aids
Hit the starter and the L-twin rocks the whole bike on its side stand before it settles into a hard, uneven idle you feel in your palms and through the tank. The bars are low, the tank is narrow where your knees land, and below about 40 mph you are carrying real weight on your wrists. Wheeling it out of the garage is the first surprise, because 368 lb wrapped in carbon moves like a much smaller machine. Once you are rolling, the sound is the headline. Dry, mechanical, loud enough to turn heads a block away, and it hardens as the revs climb. Heat off the rear cylinder finds your right shin whenever traffic stops. The TFT is bright and busy. Every contact point on this bike tells you where it expects to be.
What follows isn't my own riding impression. It comes from years of listening to riders: paddock conversations at track days, owner chats, club nights, and the messages that land in my inbox. On this bike the chatter is unusually consistent in both directions.
Riders lead with the way the power and the weight work together. Acceleration gets described as ferocious, and owners say it shows up track-ready with nothing needing to be added. The chassis draws nearly as much praise, with talk of telepathic handling and cornering confidence at real pace. The third thread is ownership itself: with only 500 built and exotic materials throughout, owners treat it as a collector's piece.
Cost dominates the gripes. Between the price of entry and the specialist servicing those parts demand, owners call it one of the most expensive machines to keep on the road. Heat is the next recurring note; riders say it turns genuinely uncomfortable once the pace drops in town. And many say it asks too much of you on ordinary rides, which takes commuting and distance work off the table.
Front brake master cylinder recall (NHTSA 17V-812)
A potential failure of the Brembo front brake master cylinder could lead to a loss of front braking performance, increasing crash risk. Affected units require dealer replacement.
Quickshifter faults and false neutrals
Riders have experienced erratic quickshifter behaviour, particularly during aggressive downshifts, and intermittent false neutrals between gears, which can be unnerving on track.
Clutch slave cylinder weeping
Some owners report fluid weeping from the clutch slave cylinder seal, leading to a soft lever feel over time. Replacement or upgrade to an aftermarket unit resolves the issue.
Engine stalling when pulling clutch
A few reports indicate the engine cutting out unexpectedly when the clutch lever is pulled in at low speeds, which may be related to fueling or idle control.
Where this Ducati 1299 Superleggera pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Torque
Displacement
Wet weight
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the 1299 Superleggera is actually built for.
This is the bike you buy when track days are the whole point. 215 hp, real Öhlins adjustment and lean clearance to spare, and it expects you to show up prepared.
Made for Barber Motorsports Park · WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca · Circuit of the Americas
It works on the Crest if you accept the terms: hard riding position, no cruise control, 4.5 gal of range. What you get back is a sound and a chassis your Sunday group will remember.
Made for Angeles Crest Highway · Coronado Trail / US 191 · Highway 1 / Big Sur
On tight East Coast roads you will use maybe a third of the engine, but the chassis and lean clearance earn their keep in every corner. Buy it for precision, not for the horsepower number.
Made for Back of the Dragon · Blue Ridge Parkway · Cherohala Skyway
If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
