DUCATI PANIGALE V2
THE ULTIMATE MIDDLEWEIGHT? Ducati tell us that even though the V2 has been gifted more power and torque than the outgoing 959, they’ve been working hard to make it the most user-friendly Panigale yet. So, are they telling porkies or are they on to a winn
Here at Fast Bikes magazine, we absolutely love a middleweight. And in reality, the baby Panigale has always been the ‘middleweight’ puppy in the Ducati sports bike family; a bit softer, a bit easier, and nowhere near as savage in terms of power, price and general riding experience compared to the brutality of riding any of their full-blooded litre weapons anyways. Yet even so, the outgoing 959 was a little lethargic, and not the most exciting tool in the shed, nor was it entirely comfy and completely user-friendly. Mercifully, Ducati have been back to the drawing board. Against tradition, they’ve dropped the numbers from the name, so following on from the 749, 848, 899 and 959, comes the V2. Oh and thankfully, it’s not just the name that’s been given some consideration.
Let’s forget the stunningly gorgeous overhaul on its appearance for a mo (including the glorious single-sided swinger’ and stubby pipe) and check out what Ducati have been up to below the fairings. On paper, the juiciest bit of news is that even though the new V2 is Euro5 compliant, the power and torque figures have both been hiked up slightly without adding any extra weight: five horsepower and 2Nm more, to be exact. This is thanks to the new injectors: there’s one above and one larger re-angled one below the butterfly, which when combined with new inlet ducts, boost the intake efficiency to produce the extra oomph – I mean, you get 60% of the torque on tap at just 5,500rpm. In order to control those whopping extra five horses, the V2 now comes equipped with a 6-axis inertial platform, which allows for the dog’s gonads of electronics to be stolen from the range-topping Panis; for the first time on the middleweight Duke, you now get proper cornering ABS, a ’blipper as well as a shifter and separated wheelie and traction control – although it does seem to have missed out getting launch control, for some reason. Couple that with all your usual adjustable riding modes, engine braking control and even the Ducati Multimedia system, and you have more tech than you can shake a stick at, and some of the best rider aids in the biz to make going fast as easy as possible.
It’s not all about a faster engine though, as Ducati tell us that they’ve made the V2 a much more pleasant and precise ride as well, with a more comfortable seat and suspension set up. The throne has been redesigned to be bigger and given extra padding, while the new pogos have been altered and lengthened slightly, for a more pliant ride on the roads. Don’t worry if you’re track focused though folks, as the new V2’s weight bias has been altered for a better feel when pushing on track; where the outgoing 959 felt sluggish on corner entry, Ducati say that they’ve cured that by gifting the front end a bit more of the action in terms of weight. But, did it all work? Well, there was only way to find out…
Stepping on to the pit lane at Jerez, at first sight, the V2’s beauty was absolutely undeniable. The unmistakably bold red colour scheme was just screaming out for attention, with the bold new Y-shaped rims, single-sided swinger’ and that stubby pipe (which is rare in today’s emission-crazed world) putting the baby Panigale in a class of its own aesthetically. Things got better when I jumped on as well; that extra 5mm of seat padding was a welcome addition, and although the cockpit felt compact, it didn’t feel cramped – in fact, with the bigger seat, it was quite nicely spacious. There’s always a worry with a big ol’ colour TFT dash that things are going to light up like a Christmas tree and get seriously confusing, but thankfully the whole display was pretty succinct, and the menus and buttons an absolute doddle to navigate. Firing up those twin-cylinders only made the experience that much sweeter as well; for some reason, there’s a zest from the ‘twin that you don’t quite get with a lot of other sports bikes on the market. Whether it’s the throaty growl, the bold colours, the attention to detail or the combination of the lot, for a standard bike, it actually did feel all kinds of special.
Alas, setting off for the first time had the opposite effect; from idle to a couple of thousand revs, the V2 was like a kid having a hissy fit. I found I was almost having to roll it to get it off the line, but when I got used to it, all was forgiven. I’d never ridden Jerez, or the V2, but from the moment I left pit lane I felt at home. It may look like the V4, and share a load of parts with the 959, but make no mistake, this is a very different machine; I had to look down and check that Ducati hadn’t pulled a fast one and put some sort of race bike between my legs – that’s how taken back I was on the red beast’s thirst for hunting apexes. See, the middleweight Panis have always tended to be slightly lethargic, but by chucking some rake and ride height and altering the bias ever so slightly to make the rear higher, the V2 felt like a proper race bike on the way into turns, with a precision I’d never before associated with a middleweight Duke. Rather than feeling like an old chopper, the V2 felt like a proper tool, but it wasn’t just about its corner entry prowess either. Although they’ve jacked it up, the Panigale hasn’t lost anything in terms of stability in a straight line or its side; even when on the very side of the tyre, it felt incredibly poised, and with a set of sticky
Supercorsas on, the amount of piss that can be taken on the very edge of the tyre was absolutely as astounding as it was effortless.
It’s not just on the side of the tyre where the Panigale was delightful, though. Oh no. Thanks to a new engine braking strategy and the whole wave of electronic gizmos, the V2 had just as much oomph on the anchors as it did mid-corner. They may not be Stylemas, but the Brembo Monoblocks pack some serious punch, and when combined with the heavy engine braking, makes stopping way easier, and indeed smoother, than it should be. Hell, thanks to the combo of a proper slipper clutch and the electronic aids, even the wheels stay effortlessly in line, and unlike so many other shoddy systems on the market, the Bosch ABS just sits silently in waiting, without ruining any of the fun. If you fancy doing some skids as well, somehow Ducati have thrown a middle finger up at the tree huggers and managed to completely bypass the whole Euro5 rules, which means the rear ABS can be switched off, which is seriously saucy as well, making the V2 a proper smile creator. It’s not just down to the electronics for keeping things in line though, as even though they’ve added some length on the pogos, they act gloriously plush as well when abused on braking – yeah, it’s not got a big gold Öhlins logo plastered on, but when given a pasting, the set up on those Showa forks and Sachs shock could easily trick you into thinking they’re Swedish royalty, which is no mean feat whatsoever, transmitting more good vibes through the bars than a
Rastafarian on reefa. And that good vibe translates all the way out through the corner exit as those extra horses make themselves known; there’s a lot to be said for willy waving power figures, but for me, at Jerez, 155hp proved to be more than enough for a bit of fun, without holding on for dear life; in fact, I reckon I could go almost as quick on track on the V2 for longer and with a bigger smile on my face, then I could on the fire-breathing V4.
That’s mainly down to the power delivery and throttle connection being so utterly sublime and smooth, which means that the V2 fires out of turns with some serious velocity for a middleweight, whether relying on the torque-y low down goodness, or utilising all of those revs on the quick journey to the redline. Like the ABS, the latest gen of Traction Control is absolutely legendary – I stuck it on three to try it out, and out of the slow second gear hairpin, the light was flashing, yet I could barely feel it, which is the secret behind a good set of electronics. When said journey has been undertaken on the gas, the Ducati’s ’shifter really does make itself known as well; like its bigger siblings, the V2 can be absolutely hounded through the ‘box, and finally, it has been gifted an auto blipper for good measure, which worked a treat for my little feet.
After just a couple of sessions on track I was able to really take the piss with the V2, and it just effortlessly obliged, but one thing that did have me panicking was how toasty the baby Pani got. I mean, I know it looks hot, but to be knocking on the door of 100 degrees on a cool day, is a bit extreme. I reckon on a hot day, the gonads are going to get seriously toasted, but I have it on good authority that it won’t go into limp mode until 110 degrees. Still, it’s a small price to pay for such a stunning machine, and there’s not many better places to get roasted walnuts.