Martin Alva
In one of his latest interview, Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali has confirmed that the Italian company is considering to build a naked model powered by the latest V4 engine.
A few months ago, at a Motostudent event in Aragon, Domenicali confirmed that an electric model was inbound for the brand’s lineup, stating that the production was near. And now, chatting about the new 2019 Diavel 1260 S, Domenicali also hinted about a possible naked sportbike carrying the V4 engine.
Apart from the naked model, the interview gave way to plenty of other crucial questions too. When asked about the possibility of a streetfighter-style model using the V4 engine, the CEO replied with another question: “Do you think Ducati should produce such a bike?” The answer to his question was obviously yes, which led Domenicali to conclude “It will, therefore, be there as soon as possible!” What’s “soon”? Possibly sooner than we think.
Domenicali added that producing a naked V4 model was very expensive and much more complex than a twin-cylinder unit. With that in mind, considering all the time and work put into developing the unique engine, it would feel like a bit of a waste not put the engine design to good use.
Ahead of this, Ducati Managing Director Edouard Lotthe was quoted saying that an electric model, as well as a scooter, was in the works in the sheds of the Italian manufacturer. It was also suggested that neither of these models will hit the showrooms before 2021. However, now in the 2019 model year, Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali has added fuel to the EV fire.
At a student event at the University of Bologna, Domenicali was quoted saying “the future is electric”. This could peg Ducati’s first electric bike for debut in 2020 or 2021 models years. We expect this to fall in line right around the time we expect to see solid-state batteries making an arrival on production automobiles.