BRUCE ON TRACK

As mad as a box of frogs… that’s how I’d describe the V4S. Without doubt the Ducati felt the most potent of all the bikes on this test, spinning the rear with the traction turned off and producing skid marks on and off the track. From a pure hilarity/insanity point of view, this bike deserves to be on the top step of the podium because nothing else out there thrills you like it can. But when it comes to clocking fast laps, especially around the tight track we were on, it felt more of a handful than a Page 3 model’s cleavage. The V4S got a good seeing-to for 2020, with a bit less midrange to make the motor more usable, but it still tries to rip your arms from their sockets every time you crack the throttle. As for the new wings, God only knows when they come to the fore because the only time I noticed them was when I walked into them in the pits. As for the rest of the bike, it still feels largely the same as it did last year; tall, powerful, wide-barred and angry. It felt an awkward road bike, because the engine is so lumpy low down, but that hang-up was lessened when the taps were fully opened and the V4S could sing out loud. It does sound amazing, it looks beautiful too, but it’s not an easy bike to ride fast – it quite often feels like it’s taking you for a ride. But that’s the character of this beast, which isn’t for the faint-hearted. It’s an icon, packed with brilliant technology and some of the very best brakes in the business. On a fast, flowing circuit the Ducati would make perfect sense, being super-fast and focused, but it’s almost too focused for its own good, being easy to upset the bike’s taut, minimalist frame when bumpy surfaces come into play. Don’t get me wrong, the excitement this bike had to offer was off the chart, but its playful charisma couldn’t charm the stopwatch on this occasion.

Drive: 5th

Agility: 7th

Stability: 8th

Feel: 8th

Tech: 3th

Brakes: 4th

Overall: 7th