Tanmoy Mitra profiles the limited edition Ducati Desmosedici RR bikes, the first true MotoGP replica

The new $72,500-Ducati Desmosedici RR is in a category of its own. The bike with its race-oriented features looks all set for the MotoGP series and just about looks out of place on the street.

The Ducati Desmosedici RR (Racing Replica) is a road replica of the Desmosedici GP6 MotoGP machine, which Loris Capirossi and Sete Gibernau rode in the 2006 Grand Prix motorcycle championship. The bike is the first-ever street motorcycle to offer a wealth of performance and technology of a racing bike, courtesy Ducati's experience in MotoGP.

The RR was launched at the 2006 Italian MotoGP event at Mugello. The company decided to make only 1,500 limited edition motorcycles with production scheduled for October 2007 and the first customer orders commenced this January 2008, with Hollywood superstar, Tom Cruise receiving the first RR motorcycle.

The company has introduced a new dedicated service plan for this limited edition bike. Each Ducati Desmosedici RR comes with three-year warranty and scheduled maintenance, free of charge for three years. The exclusive RR owners will also receive a special race kit that includes a 102-decibel racing exhaust, a dedicated CPU, bike cover and paddock stand.

The red-and-white superbike's body is made from titanium, magnesium and carbon fibre technology. The powerful four-cylinder Desmodromic engine built by the Borgo Panigale factory engineers makes the Desmosedici RR the ultimate and the most extreme MotoGP racing machine today.

Alan Jenkins was the man behind the aerodynamics package of the RR, aimed at achieving maximum speed and excellent handling. Jenkins also worked on the colour scheme of the bike. The new lightweight multifunction dashboard is a replica of the Desmosedici GP7 racing machine, which has been designed in collaboration with Ducati Corse.

The RR comes in two variants, with the "Rosso GP" version in red with a white number plate on the tailsection, while the second version, the "Rosso GP Team Version" has a white stripe on the fairing similar to MotoGP bikes. A team sponsor decal kit is provided with each bike.

Fitted with a Desmosedici-style digital instrumentation, by Digitek, the bike panel has no switches or buttons to compromise its clean lines. The wide screen allows the rider to read six values at the same time and also scroll through and select from various menus by handlebar-mounted switchgear. Activating the Ducati Data Analyser (DDA), riders are able to acquire up to 2MB of data (approximately 3.5 hours).

The chassis comprises a traditional Ducati tubular trellis frame made from ALS 450 steel. The steel trellis hybrid frame ensures an excellent stiffness-to-weight ratio, allowing superior maneuverability and riding precision

The RR features a new extra-long alloy swing arm, which is made of cast, forged and pressed aluminum, a component technology derived from the MotoGP bike. This feature provides the RR with a high level of traction, excellent weight distribution as well as a superb stiffness-to-weight ratio.

The rear seat support has a high temperature resin type carbon fibre, which is attached to the red frame. This material, normally used only on racing bikes, makes the bike extremely lightweight and exceptionally rigid.

Powered by a new D16RR engine with an output of 200 HP at 13,800 rpm and a torque of 11.8 kgmat 10,500 rpm, the engine is a masterpiece of engineering and precision, clearly representing the beating heart of this fantastic motorcycle.

Power is transferred through a hydraulically actuated dry multi-plate slipper clutch through a six-speed cassette-style transmission that facilitates easier internal gearing changes.

Like its GP counterpart, the engine in the RR acts as a connector between the chassis and the rear swingarm/suspension, thus playing an essential structural and stiffening role.

The RR's new light weight exhaust system has been fitted with a power-increasing 4-2-1 layout that uses 42mm diameter tubing with wall thickness of 0.8mm (.030in) AISI 309 to deliver more power.

The motorcycle was conceived with an expert rider in mind, looking for extreme sporting performance, as well as being assured of a reliable product that is more than capable of track racing. The development of the bike was possible, thanks to the significant collaboration of Vittoriano Guareschi, the official Ducati Corse tester, whose riding abilities combined with hundreds of hours of track time have made a fundamental contribution to the evolution of the project.

The RR complies with the strict Euro-3 emissions regulations.

Ducati Motor Holding, the maker of RR, is an Italian motorcycle manufacturing company based in Bologna, Italy. The company was established in 1926

Specifications

Engine

• Type: Double L-Twin (4 cylinder Twin Pulse), liquid-cooled, DOHC, Desmodromic, four valves per cylinder, gear-driven camshafts 
  
• Displacement: 989cc 
  
• Power: 197.3 hp(147.1 kW)@ 13,800rpm
  
• Torque: 11.8 kgm - 85.55 ft·lbf (115.99 N·m)@ 10,500rpm
  
• Fuel injection: Four 50 mm Magneti Marelli throttle bodies, 12-hole "microjet" with injectors over throttle, manual idle control 
  
• Exhaust: '4-into-2-into-1' vertical exit exhaust/silencer 
  
• Emissions: Euro-3

Transmission 

• Gearbox:  6 speed Cassette type  
  
• Clutch: Dry multi-plate slipper clutch, hydraulically actuated 

Vehicle

• Body: Full carbon fiber bodywork 
  
• Frame: Tubular steel trellis hybrid, carbon fiber seat support, aluminum swingarm 
  
• Front Suspension: Öhlins 'FG353' PFF forks USD 43 mm (1.7 in) pressurized, with preload, rebound and compression adjustment, TiN coated sliders 
  
• Front Wheel: Marchesini forged and machined magnesium alloy wheels, with 7 spoke design as GP6 
  
• Rear Suspension: Öhlins rear shock, with rebound, low/high speed compression adjustment, and hydraulic preload adjustment 
  
• Rear Wheel: Marchesini forged and machined magnesium alloy wheels, with 7 spoke design as GP6 
  
• Tires: Bridgestone, front 120/70 R17- rear 200/55 R16 
  
• Front Brake: Two Brembo radial "monoblock" calipers with four 34 mm (1.3 in) pistons; two semi-floating 320 mm (13 in) x 6 mm (0.24 in) discs, with machined flange: the same as GP6 wet race set-up 
  
• Rear Brake: 240 mm (9.4 in) fixed disc, fixed caliper with two 34 mm (1.3 in) pistons 
  
• Fuel tank: aluminum alloy 
  
• Dry Weight: 171 kg (377.0 lb) 
  
• Instruments: New lightweight Corse electronic multifunction dashboard with LCD 'bar' graph tachometer, trip/odometer, anti-theft immobiliser, lap time measurement, oil pressure, fuel reserve, EOBD, clock, air temperature and rev counter.