Always committed to offering enthusiasts the technologies developed at the highest levels of racing competition, Ducati has announced the arrival on the market of the new Ducati Corse Performance Oil powered by Shell Advance, developed in collaboration with Shell and designed to take advantage of the technical solutions of Ducati Superbikes with significant performance gains.
The Ducati Corse Performance Oil powered by Shell Advance lubricant comes about from experience gained in 23 years of collaboration between Ducati Corse and Shell in MotoGP and in the Superbike World Championship, which in 2022 led to the victories of the Riders’, Teams’ and Constructors’ titles in both championships with Francesco Bagnaia and Alvaro Bautista. A synergy that has made it possible to transfer materials and technologies to series production, thanks to technical solutions such as the dry clutch, pistons with DLC surface treatment on the skirt and the gun-drilled connecting rods adopted on the new Ducati Panigale V4 R.
The new Ducati Corse Performance Oil powered by Shell Advance, which uses Shell PurePlus technology, can be used starting from the first oil change on all Desmosedici Stradale engines equipped with dry clutches.
The formulation, based on a special selection of base oils and additives aimed at reducing friction, guarantees a 10% reduction of the latter compared to the original equipment Shell Advance 15W-50 lubricant, resulting in increased maximum power. In the case of the Panigale V4 R, powered by the Desmosedici Stradale R 2023, this advantage can be up to 3.5 horsepower, a value that rises to 4.5 horsepower in correspondence with the limiter.
These targets were achieved thanks to a special formulation of additives, developed by Shell in its collaboration with Ducati Corse, belonging to the friction modifier and viscosity modifier categories. The friction modifier used in Ducati Corse Performance Oil powered by Shell Advance creates an ultra-thin film on the mechanical surfaces, reducing the effect of imperfections and therefore friction. This additive makes using Ducati Corse Performance Oil powered by Shell Advance possible only on engines with dry clutches.
The viscosity modifier used is a special polymer, frequently deployed in racing applications, which tends to reduce viscosity under conditions of high sliding velocities, thus decreasing friction and increasing performance. At the same time, the viscosity modifier supports the oil to maintain a good degree of protection, particularly in the most critical conditions of lubrication, such as when starting. These results have been obtained thanks to a rigorous development and test process at the Shell research and development facilities, which are verified and applied in world championship racing competitions.
For the first time, enthusiasts can use a lubricant specifically designed for high-performance Ducati motorcycles, equipped with a V4 engine with dry clutch, to experience the sensations of the track to the fullest thanks to the extra power.
The special formula is dedicated to a specialistic use in closed circuits and requires performing oil changes every 620 miles (1,000 kilometers) or 12 months.
Distribution has begun through the Ducati sales network in Italy, France, Benelux, Germany, the U.K., Spain and Portugal, and it will extend to the U.S., Canada and Australia in the following months.
