Say Hello To The 211bhp Ducati Panigale V4
If you don’t mind, we’re going to briefly divert our attention away from the world of four wheels, and to the world of two. Why? Because something quite significant just happened in bike land - Ducati has released its first ever mass-production superbike with a V4 engine.
The firm’s ‘Desmosedici’ MotoGP prototype bikes have used V4s for years, and there was a limited run ‘RR’ road-going version, but this new Panigale V4 represents a dramatic change of tack for Ducati. Yep, having pedalled the ‘L-twin’ two-cylinder engine for decades,all Ducati’s sports bikes will be V4-powered in the near future.
The 1103cc four-cylinder engine was developed with input from the Ducati Corse racing outfit, and indeed it has the bore as the MotoGP engine, but with a longer stroke to improve torque low down and in the mid range. The 90-degree lump also has a 70-degree crankshaft (which counter-rotates to improve inertia), allowing for a V-twin-like firing order.
Ducati has kept the weight down by using a newly designed frame, which sees the engine become a stressed chassis member. As a result, the V4’s 211bhp output has just 195kg of bike to shift. In other words, you’re not going to be wanting for speed.
It may have the potential for terrifying performance, but the Panigale V4 is loaded full of electronics to make riding it less scary. It’ll actually let you do “controlled slides during braking,” has an ABS Cornering system that’ll only brake the front wheel, a quickshifter that factors lean angle into how it operates, and much more.
Want one? The range kicks off with the standard V4 at £19,250. If you can stretch to £23,895 you can have a V4 S with Öhlins partially-active suspension, a lighter li-ion battery and forged wheels, while at the very top of the range you’ll find the £34,995 V4 Speciale. Just 1500 of the latter will be made, each one liveried up and packing a titanium exhaust plus a ridiculous amount of carbonfibre.
If you can settle for gawping at the new bike in the metal/having a little sit, you’ll find it on display at the Milan Motorcycle Show.
Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.
Comments
Tbh, this is so cheap. Even tho it will end up costing a lot more because of clothing and insurance, it still is cool!
Yeah, that’s superbikes for ya :) We need cars like this that put safe construction aside, there is no reason to have such large bodies and crumple zones, if we made cars like sportbikes then they would have the advantages of big contact patches without the huge weight of a car. Like a fsae car for example, carbon fiber fsae’s can weigh as little as 300 pounds with a carbon fiber monocoque, or as much as 600, with a 600cc 4 cylinder from a sportbike
now we need a v4 swapped miata
Yeah, that would be cool. Although miatas don’t weight 429 lbs, so you’d probably want something with more displacement or forced induction.
This is off topic but…
Do you know the different between bhp and hp? I’ve been running into different power figures for a future post, and I need to know if they’re the same. (The bhp references the car designation - for example, 535 and 640 - but the whole bhp/hp is confusing me.)
I’ve tried searching… Can’t seem to find any information that I can really understand.
as far as i’m aware there is no difference between bhp and hp; it’s the same thing
V4?!
If only I had 35000 laying around….
And say goodbye to it as it speeds past you!!
211hp from a Bike? Wow! Hahah I drive a 1998 Honda Civic Si, that had 127hp when it was brand new 19 years ago, many moons ago!
Hi 211bhp Ducati panigale V4
To race with these bikes and this power/weight ratio, you better have balls of steel.
Now this is a truly beautiful way to die.
I’m fanboying on these pieces of art.