The new Ducati 1199 Superbike – or Ducati Xtreme – is apparently going to depart from Bologna tradition and use a gear-driven camshaft in the place of the previous belt-driven one.
The new technology is the kind that Aprilia used in last year’s 2010 SBK championship, and should help the new superbike get an extra three to five horsepower.
The 2012 Ducati Superbike would therefore use the same kind of camshaft technology as the Ducati Desmosedici employs in the MotoGP.
Asphalt & Rubber says that this fact will be highlighted in Ducati’s marketing and that it might make it easier for “Ducatisti” to move from the traditional belt-driven camshaft on the famed V-twin engine.
Accommodating this new technology, Ducati will also move away from its traditional steel trellis chassis to a frameless chassis which will cradle the new Superquadrata engine.
The 2012 Ducati 1199 will get more power from the new camshaft set up but should also have better performance as its slated to lose about 9 kg with the new frame – currently estimates are a gain of about 20 hp on the 1198.