NEW DUCATI PANIGALE V4

A shift from twins to V4 makes the new Panigale Ducati’s most important sportsbike since the legendary 916. Has the gamble paid off? And will it change our ex-gp star’s mind about Valencia?

‘I could have won BSB races on this,’ says tester James Haydon. High praise…

VALENCIA HAS NEVER been one of my favourite circuits because I only ever rode it on the Petronas FP1 World Superbike and I hated that burning death trap with a passion. So I’m hoping Ducati’s new Panigale V4 can turn things round… As I start it up for the first time I’m excited and nervous. I just hope it doesn’t disappoint – the opposition has moved on in the last few years, particularly Yamaha’s R1M which is awesome on track. For our first session on the bike Ducati have set the electronics conservatively – the riding mode is in sport (there’s wet and race too) and most of the other settings are on ‘three’ (‘zero’ being off). It’s a beginning. While warming it up I admire the new dashboard. It’s nicely laid out and designed to be a bit more intuitive than the

previous Panigale’s, especially when adjusting settings on the fly. But even at a standstill the engine is diverting my attention – it feels like all the reciprocating components are made from fresh air it revs so easily. Off I go. First impressions mean a lot and as I give it a massive handful coming out of turn one I immediately know this new V4 is something special. Something naughty. Damn it’s quick, and what a howl! It’s a different sound and character to the twins, but any Ducati fan would still recognise it – aurally it’s a lovely split between the traditional V-twin boom and the scream of a multi. If you were plucked from your living room and plonked, blindfold, on the exit of Valencia’s turn one you’d know it was a Ducati. The bike feels small, although not painfully so, and light and lithe. You immediately feel like you can dominate it and put it where you want, diving into turns. It holds its line so sweetly. But it’s the new engine that grabs your attention like a Joshua jab. It is immense and quite possibly a game changer. Torquey, brilliantly mapped and with a 14,500rpm rev ceiling (unheard of in previous generations of Ducatis) it’s a joy to exploit – a civilised yet brutal monster. As I start stretching its legs properly I can’t stop smiling underneath my borrowed lid (thanks for losing all my baggage Easyjet). There’s some serious black magic going on here – it still has that renowned torquey V-twin bottom end, yet that morphs into the freeflowing and revvy top end of a multi. Sounds impossible, but it really does feel like the best of both. The bike is beautifully balanced too, the chassis giving you just what your thoughts desire. It’s easy to stick it on the line you want or change it and turn even tighter. It’s brimming with feel and feedback, yet it doesn’t shake its head too much, or feel unstable. The chassis’ performance is due in part to the clever semiactive Öhlins suspension. In the pits, you can thumb through suspension settings for each part of any given corner: braking, corner entry, mid-corner, corner exit, and acceleration each have their own slider allowing for firmer or softer response. So you head back to the track to feel the settings altering in real time while you concentrate on riding the thing. I honestly didn’t think electronic suspension development would come on this fast, or ever feel quite this brilliant and natural. But it has. And it does. The new Pirelli tyres, which have been developed solely for this bike, are exceptionally grippy and feelsome, yet when you do get them sliding they’re progressive. Nice. I’m disappointed when my first session draws to a close. I want to stay out. The V4 S is an incredibly well-developed motorcycle, every part working in harmony with the next. This is one serious bike. But I hope there’s more to come when I push harder. Back in the pitlane I gaze at a parked Panigale S. The dimensions are spot on and though styling-wise it may be evolution not revolution, I can’t fault the thinking. The old Panigale is such an incredible looking thing already that you’d be nuts to chuck it away (remember the 999?). I especially like the new meaner front with its enlarged air intakes, stealth shape and clever LED lights. There’s definitely a more compact, contemporary and aggressive style. But of course most of the action is under the skin, thanks to the change to a V4. It’s a ballsy move, but of course Ducati know plenty about the configuration from 15 years spent racing in Motogp. So the Panigale has a counterrotating crank (like the Motogp bike) to reduce gyroscopic forces when turning into a corner, and to resist wheelies. And it’s smooth too because of its 90-degree V-angle and twin pulse firing order (like the Motogp bike) – it doesn’t even need a balancer shaft (unlike Aprilia’s V4). The whole engine is slanted back 42 degrees to optimise its position in the chassis (you guessed it, like the Motogp bike). This also optimises weight distribution,

‘It’s the new engine that grabs attention like a Joshua jab. It is immense and a game changer’