Will Ducati make a V4 streetfighter?

Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali teases possible new models

The Swiss motorcycle website Acid Moto recently scored an interview with Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati, and took the opportunity to ask him about the Italian manufacturer’s plans for future motorcycles. Domenicali was reticent, but readers have attempted to unpack clues from his answers.

The reporters asked Domenicali about the possibility of a naked streetfighter using Ducati’s V4 engine. The Ducati CEO responded by posing a question: “Do you think Ducati should produce such a bike?” The interviewers notified him of the idea’s popularity, saying “Yes, there is a big demand…” Domenicali then went on to say, “It will therefore be made as soon as possible!”

This wasn’t an official announcement that can confirm whether Ducati will indeed release a naked V4. However, it’s good to know that the company has been made aware of the growing interest. The idea was on full display when the naked “V4 Penta” by Officine GP Design recently made the rounds in the custom bike scene — an environment that has always influenced production motorcycle development.

The interviewers also asked Domenicali whether Ducati would be offering a smaller-displacement version of the V4, to which the CEO said, “No. Clearly no. The V4 engine is much more complex than the classic two-cylinder, and it is very expensive to produce. On [a smaller] engine, it would raise the price of production and motorcycles should then be sold at a price that would be too high… The V4 engine will remain for the premium motorcycles of the brand.”

When asked if Ducati was planning more accessible entry-level motorcycles aside from the Scrambler, Domenicali said, “I cannot talk about it right now.” And when the interviewers of Acid Moto confronted him about Ducati’s noticeable lack of a maxi-scooter in its lineup, Domenicali reportedly smiled and replied, “It’s a top secret plan!”