Ducati reveals most powerful single-cylinder engine ever
A new single-cylinder engine which Ducati claims is the most powerful in history, will debut in an all-new motorcycle on November 2Ducati is making some serious moves at the moment and its latest bombshell is a high-performance single-cylinder road engine dubbed the Superquadro Mono.
While the model it will be paired with is yet to be revealed, Ducati has confirmed that the Mono is derived from the 1299 Panigale engine and has a displacement of 659cc.
The news comes after Ducati recently announced plans to enter the motocross market from 2024 onwards. But despite motocross bikes almost exclusively featuring single-cylinder engines, there is currently no apparent link between Ducati’s off-road program and the Superquadro Mono.
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According to Ducati, the new single-cylinder engine is capable of 77.5hp at 10,250rpm or 85hp at 9500rpm with a racing exhaust, making it possibly the most powerful road single in history.
The engine is equipped with the brand’s Desmodromic valve system and also features a 116mm bore and a short stroke of 62.4mm. This gives it a bore/stroke ration of 1.86 which Ducati says is the “most extreme value” ever seen on a road single-cylinder engine. Ducati says the 116mm bore piston is an “absolute record” for a production single cylinder.
It is likely that the Superquadro Mono will be fitted to a supermoto-style motorcycle in the same vein as the KTM 690 SMC R. Ducati is set to reveal the new machine on November 2.
Ducati is not new to the world of single-cylinder motorcycles. Its early history was filled with singles, while it produced a lightweight single-cylinder race bike in 1993 called the Supermono. The Supermono only lasted until 1995, and only 65 units were built.
Main technical data of the Superquadro Mono:
- 659 cc vertical single-cylinder engine
- Bore x stroke 116 x 62.4 mm
- Compression ratio 13.1:1
- Maximum power 57 kW (77.5 hp) at 9,750 rpm – 85 hp at 9,500 rpm with Termignoni racing exhaust
- Maximum torque 63 Nm (6.4 Kgm) at 8,050 rpm – 6.8 Kgm with Termignoni racing exhaust
- Aluminium cylinder barrel
- Euro 5+ homologation
- Mixed chain-gear Desmodromic distribution with double overhead camshaft, 4 valves per cylinder. 46.8 mm titanium intake valves, 38.2 mm exhaust valves.
- Asymmetrical crankshaft mounted on differentiated diameter main bearings
- Double balancing countershaft with control function of the water and oil pumps
- Multi-disc oil-bath clutch, servo-driven and with anti-hopping function
- Semi-dry sump lubrication with delivery pump and recovery pump
- Fuel feed via oval section throttle body with an equivalent diameter of 62 mm
- Six-speed gearbox with the possibility of fitting the Ducati Quick Shift (DQS) Up & Down
- Oil change set at 15,000 km
- Check and eventual adjustment of valve clearance set at 30,000 km
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