FIRST RIDE: DUCATI PANIGALE V2
V4 about to suffer significant bother from sibling.
Now that Suzuki have stopped making the GSX-R750 there isn’t a sportsbike on the planet that manages to be devastatingly quick and devilishly easy to ride… except one: the Ducati Panigale 959. And there’s a new one – the Panigale V2.
While every current superbike, particularly Ducati’s Panigale V4, has too much power for normal brains, the Panigale V2 really is a breath of fresh air. Here at its world launch at Jerez it’s hard to imagine a sportsbike more flattering, easy to ride, or one that can instigate bigger smiles.
With feather-light steering and little impression of bulk, the Ducati rails through corners at speeds that would have a 200bhp superbike tripping over its laces. It exudes astonishing front-end feel, stability and never gets out of shape under extreme braking, or hesitates when you chuck it hard on its side. On this wide and perfectly surfaced grand prix track the 153bhp V-twin delivers its power so impeccably it feels mellow, almost. But glance down at the speedo for the true story. And that there is the Ducati’s trick – it’s so easy to get the best from that all but the most talented would be quicker on the Panigale V2 than a V4. And they’d be having that thing we call fun, at the same time.
With its V4-like aggressive snout, gaping air ducts, pointy back end, snazzy new single-sided swingarm and underslung exhaust it’s tough to justify the extra five grand for the basic Panigale V4, or the extra ten thousand pounds for the V4S.
For ‘go’ the Panigale V2 uses last year’s 955cc ‘Superquadro’ V-twin motor but bigger injectors, air intakes and a less restrictive pipe add 5bhp. And it is Euro5 friendly. Performance doesn’t significantly differ from the Panigale 959 – the motor still revs manically, booms like Barry ‘walrus of love’ White through its airbox and delivers its power crisply, especially in the raciest of three riding modes.
Subtle upgrades they may be but the V2’s new 2mm longer Sachs shock, with less preload, and tweaked Showa fork internals give the V2 more feel through its stiff monocoque airbox chassis, sweeter steering and a superior sense of grip. Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa II fast road/trackday tyres are standard, but this test bike is fitted with Super Corsa racing compound rubber, for the track we presume. Alessandro Valia, Ducati’s test rider, is cracking out 1:48s for fun around the Spanish circuit. To put this figure into some sort of perspective most fast group trackday riders would struggle to break the 1:50 barrier on their open-piped, slick-shod R1s and S1000RRS.
As you’d expect Ducati have also given the electronics the once-over; wheelie and traction control use the same parameters as 2020’s Panigale V4 range, are less panicky and intrude less than before. Because there’s so much mechanical grip and no excess of torque to deal with the silicone saviours barely make an appearance on this test.
ABS and sublime engine braking control are now lean-sensitive, plus there is now an auto-blipper, quickshifter and a new 4.5in multi-function TFT colour screen (half an inch smaller than the V4’s) and revised switchgear.
On the subject of ABS, the systems on most new sportsbikes are pretty much useless for extreme track use, because they panic at the first hint of hard braking and let the brakes off right when you need them the most. Happily, Brembo’s M4.32 calipers have so much power you need to death-grip the tank with your knees to stop yourself going over the handlebar.
Looks aside, this latest set of updates is subtle, but they really work. Whether you’re a lover of the trackday or a B-road cornering connoisseur the Panigale V2 is as close as you’ll get to sportsbike perfection.
‘All but the most talented would be quicker on the Panigale V2 than a V4’