Ducati's new muscle-cruiser superbike hits 60 mph in just 2.43 seconds while staying entirely in first gear

Ducati has just unveiled a new ‘muscle’ superbike, the Diavel V4 RS, which is faster than most cars.

It apparently does 0-60 in 2.43 seconds.

And in one gear.

But this crazy number actually gives us an opportunity to talk about the main ‘problem’ with superbikes.

This Ducati superbike is the ‘muscle car’ of motorcycles

The new Diavel V4 RS is powered by a 1,103CC Desmosedici engine, which puts out 182 horsepower and 89 lb-ft of torque.

It does 0-60 in first gear, in 2.34 seconds.

Traditional superbikes often have to shift into second gear near the end of a 0–60MPH run, which generally causes a brief interruption in acceleration.

Ducati eliminated this bottleneck by raising the first-gear rev limit to 14,000RPM, allowing the bike to hit roughly 62 mph before needing a gear change.

It’s impressive.

But there’s something we need to talk about.

The reason motorcycles can’t break records like cars do

There are clear physical reasons why motorcycles cannot consistently set speed records the way cars do.

In theory, motorcycles are capable of higher acceleration rates and have a better power-to-weight ratio.

But there’s an obvious physical limit.

With a car, you have a lower center of gravity and four wheels.

As long as the car is aerodynamically sound, the sky is the limit.

With a motorcycle, there’s only so much power and torque you can apply before the bike flips over backwards.

Why electric motorcycles aren’t really taking off

EVs are on the rise, but when it comes to motorcycles, the old combustion engine still reigns supreme.

There are two reasons.

First, instant torque is a problem if traction is tasked to one wheel only.

With too much torque and power, an electric bike would be unrideable and unsafe.

The second reason is a lot less technical: passion.

When it comes to cars, Sunday driving is the exception, because the norm is everyday driving.

People drive cars because they need to go to work, go to the shops, and so on.

With motorcycles, it’s exactly the other way around.

People may use mopeds, scooters and so on daily, but when it comes to motorcycles like this Ducati – well, this is a hobby vehicle.

And as such, inefficiency is not really a huge deal-breaker.