Ducati Panigale V4 Unveiled
Months after unveiling the Desmosedici Stradale engine, the wraps have officially come of the entire Ducati Panigale V4 in Milan. Or should I say V4s as, unsurprisingly, there are three of the beautiful buggers up for grabs, brimming with the latest Gucci technology: the base model Panigale V4, the S version, and a limited-edition ?Speciale? that?s clearly aimed at affluent trackday pilots.
The major news is that 1,103cc V4 powerplant housed in a tweaked Panigale chassis, which utilises Bologna?s Desmodromic valve system, twin pulse ignition and a counter-rotating crank (very MV Agusta) that should liven things up somewhat. Churning out a claimed 214bhp at 13,000rpm with the same 81mm bore as Dovi?s MotoGP prototype, Ducati says the power-to-weight ratio is a class-leading 1:1. It?s also the biggest bore in the supersport segment ? no shock given the cheaty cubes. . With a redline at 14,000rpm and an astonishingly high compression ratio of 14:1, the V4 also uses a variable inlet system (a first for Ducati). But check this: with the optional titanium Akrapovic exhaust fitted, the V4 will produce 226bhp. Wowzers. In order to accommodate the new engine and its extra dollop of horsepower, Ducati has added a ?front frame? to the monocoque arrangement which weighs just 4.4kg. It?s now a semi, not a full monocoque, and attaches to both cylinder heads. This allows torsional and lateral rigidity to be separated and optimum chassis tuning. The swingarm is still fixed directly to the...
-------------------------------- |
|
Bob Jobs: The Bike EXIF guide to bobber motorcycles in 2024
28-04-2024 08:38 - (
motorcycle )