Shell and Ducati launch new high-performance motorcycle oil

Shell Lubricants and Ducati Corse have collaborated to create a new high-performance motorbike oil, specifically designed for the new Ducati Panigale V4 R – the closest production model to a competition motorbike ever made.

Ducati Corse is the racing team division of Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A. that deals with the firm’s involvement in motorcycle racing. Ducati’s racing division develops the bikes that take part in MotoGP and Superbike competitions and the customer versions used in the national championships.

The Panigale V4 R adopts technical solutions previously reserved for MotoGP and WorldSBK Championship and the new ‘Ducati Corse Performance Oil – powered by Shell Advance’ – uses racing-type additives to deliver a power increase of up to 3.5 hp. In combination with the racing exhaust, the maximum power output of the Panigale V4 R can reach an extraordinary 240.5 hp.

The new, bespoke oil is the result of one of the most recognisable partnerships in premier motorcycle racing, with Shell having supported Ducati since 1999 when the manufacturer was racing in the WorldSBK Championship, and since 2003 when it joined the MotoGP Championship.

Ducati Course won the 2022 Constructors’ Championship and Riders’ title with the Italian Francesco Bagnaia in MotoGP and with Spaniard Alvaro Bautista in WorldSBK, with Shell and Ducati Corse having recently announced a multi-year extension of the Technical Partnership, up to 2027.

“This new Ducati Course Performance Oil is a step-change and an evolution of previous Shell Advance Ducati engine oil products. It is the latest result of our 24-year partnership with Ducati Corse and the learnings and innovations taken from the racetrack to deliver better road-going products for the benefit of Ducati and Shell customers around the world,” said Ade Ajala, vice president, New Business Development and Global Key Accounts at Shell Lubricants.

The motorcycle oil was developed through rigorous bench and chassis dyno tests at Shell’s research and development centres. The motorcycle oil was formulated using Shell’s proprietary PurePlus technology, from its Group III base oil from Qatar-based Pearl GTL plant.  It is designed to power and protect Ducati engines by reducing friction to increase power, protecting the engine against wear, and maintaining performance of gear box.