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TECH NEWS
2022 Ducati Futa - 1.jpegDucati’s first pedal-assisted road bike doesn’t look much like an e-bike
Ducati has updated its e-bike range for 2022 and included its first pedal-assisted road bike in the shape of the new Futa, and it doesn’t look a whole lot like an e-bike until you check out the rear hub.
The Futa – produced with Italian brand Thok, like the other e-bikes in the range – is based around a carbon fibre monocoque frame that features lowered seatstays that Ducati says are designed to provide comfort and generate less drag than ones that join the seat tube higher up. The down tube, seatpost and fork blades are also said to be designed with aerodynamics in mind.
The Futa is built to a “sport endurance geometry”. The medium sized model has a stack of 562.7mm and a reach of 377mm, giving a stack/reach of 1.49. That suggests a riding position that’s pretty relaxed by road bike standards.
“The engine, located on the rear hub, is the FSA System HM 1.0 with 250W and 42Nm of torque which boasts a fluid and natural delivery in all conditions and is among the lightest and most compact in its category (3.98 kg),” says Ducati.
“This engine is equipped with five assistance levels that can be selected via the Garmin control on the handlebar, which allows you to manage the desired level of support. The FSA app, available for iOS and Android devices, allows the rider to view statistics, system status, remaining battery life and charge status quickly and intuitively. Through the app it is also possible to download any software updates and communicate with FSA service centres around the world.”
The Ducati Futa features an FSA K-Force WE groupset with 2x12-speed wireless electronic shifting, hydraulic disc brakes and carbon fibre cranks.
The carbon rims of the Vision AGX30 wheels are fitted with Pirelli Cinturato Velo TLR tyres in a 35mm width – considerably wider than those of most road bikes, the idea being to provide extra comfort and grip.
Read our FSA K Force WE review
The 250Wh FSA battery is integrated in the down tube and an optional 250Wh range extender is available.
Ducati claims a complete bike weight of 12.4kg (size medium).
The Futa will also be available in a limited edition version of 50 numbered units. This one will feature Campagnolo Super Record EPS electronic groupset, Vision Metron 40 SL wheels, and a Vision Metron carbon fibre handlebar/stem with internal cabling. Ducati claims a weight of 12.2kg.
The Ducati Futa Limited Edition is equipped with the 250 Wh range extender as standard and a Garmin Edge Explore GPS bike computer with a customised handlebar mount.
Take a look at all the latest electric bike news, buying advice and reviews on ebiketips
The Futa name derives from the Futa Pass, the Italian road that crosses the Apennines connecting Bologna to Florence.
The Ducati Futa is priced at £7,690 while the Ducati Futa Limited Edition is £11,990.
Get more info at www.ebike.ducati.com.
Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.
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18 comments
They seem to have failed the "make sure you search your product name with safe search off" test.
DO NOT DO THIS ON YOUR WORK COMPUTER
The username eadipus advises us how to check for potentially embarrassing connotations when choosing a brand.
OK.
I would have thought that if you're fortunate enough to ride a Ducati then you'd choose an alternative with a Ducati-like pedigree...not something with a Ducati sticker and paint job. Shame on them, really. Similarly, I can't imagine any serious cyclists being fooled by this.
Isn't this FSA system just a rebadged Mahle Ebikemotion with a different hub shell?
Thanks for your comment.
They’re very similar, but certainly not identical – ebikemotion has a claimed weight of 3.5kg, while for FSA it’s 3.98kg, so it doesn’t seem to simply be a case of a different shell.
I can't see it selling well in Romania.
In a similar vein, I sometimes wonder how many Pompino bikes On One managed to sell to Italy?
Well I never. You learn something every day
Very much Ducati priced...but not actually made by Ducati...
Well, the Land Rover bikes were made by Moulton for example, so nothing new really.
That made the Lane Rover bikes considerably more reliable than the Land Rover cars
Am I the only one that is a little bit triggered by use of the term "engine" in reference to the motor in the rear hub?
I'm concerned about the use of the word "futa".
I haven't googled it, but is that something a bit NSFW?
Most definitely, but I'm not your boss
I appreciate that Ducati named it after the Futa Pass, but you think they'd have done a bit more general googling before actually naming the bike...
with that name I expected it to have an automated dropper post with a vertical saddle
Am I the only one that is a little bit triggered by use of the term "engine" in reference to the motor in the rear hub?
Yes. It's quite obviously an engine, and that's what anyone who buys this over-priced scrap will want to be reassured about, so that the image of cycling can be projected without the tiresome effort. He's going to have to be dim as well as rich to choose a hub engine, and gullible enough to believe that it's going to be possible to get a replacement 'integrated battery' or easy to get the original one out. How appropriate that the brand name is owned by the same people who brought you these- this is Audi Q2 JIB 1555