Ducati announce updates to V21L MotoE racer ahead of season opener in Le Mans

Ducati’s latest V21L MotoE racer will make its season debut at Le Mans in France this weekend, with the Bologna firm unveiling a raft of updates aimed at improving performance, agility and rider control ahead of the racing.

Now entering its third year as the machine used in the FIM MotoE World Championship, the V21L is Ducati’s first electric race bike.

At the heart of the updates is a revised battery pack using new high-density 5Ah cells, replacing the previous 4.2Ah units. This allows engineers to cut the number of cells from 1152 to 960 without affecting power or range.

Crucially, that change trims 8.2kg from the total mass – a weight saving that Ducati’s simulations suggest could knock between three and four tenths off lap times, circuit-dependant.

There are plenty of chassis changes to report, also. Wheelbase has been extended by 4mm via new steering bushings to improve stability under braking, while the swingarm pivot is now height-adjustable – giving teams more control over chain pull, and handling characteristics.

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A redesigned back wheel, now 600g lighter and without a cush drive, further ups nimbleness by reducing unsprung mass.

There’s fresh flexibility on the electronics front, too, with riders now able to switch between three bespoke traction control maps during a race, each of which can be tailored to suit specific sections of the track.

Testing duties have been taken over by experienced Ducati pilot Franco Battaini, who steps in as the new official MotoE test rider and has already validated the updates on track.

Following Le Mans, the MotoE season heads to Assen in the Netherlands, starting on Friday, June 27.