NEW AND RIDDEN: DUCATI PANIGALE V4
The venomous V4 softened, but it’s still barking mad.
The rule book went out of the sportsbike window when Ducati’s Panigale V4 appeared in 2018. But it also tried to rip riders’ arms off. So for 2020 Ducati have kept all the good bits and fixed the moans.
This, the latest, Panigale V4 is about getting in to, through and out of a corner with greater confidence, less effort and more speed. Hurtling into the first turn at Bahrain’s challenging International Circuit proves the point. A section has been milled out of the frame for more flex and feel and the suspension has softer springs. As the bike squirms and twists under extreme braking I can feel everything. The semiactive Öhlins forks relay what the front tyre’s saying, making an awkward turn almost enjoyable.
Short-shifting through the gears, you feel the work Ducati have done on the twistgrip/throttle relationship. The link is more direct, but the torque curve is less brutal and more progressive. It’s more stable and less likely to spin up.
All this means the new V4 drives and holds the line on corner exit more cleanly and with less drama. But, this comes at the expense of the Panigale’s tongue-lolling lunacy – it’s almost a little tame, especially with the electronic controls turned up.
Ducati already had a good traction control system, so all they’ve done is refine it so that it responds quicker when rear wheel slip goes beyond the acceptable programmed level for the conditions. Even when the spin is enough for you to feel the friction vibration, and even hear the tyre protesting, the spin and slide control keep a tight rein on things. And once you know it can handle it, it gives you the confidence to push it hard and get serious drive out of corners.
The new V4’s 5mm higher centre of gravity along with a longer shock and 4mm less fork leg showing through the top yoke also helps load the front tyre as you brush the brakes. It’s even easier now to drop in and hit an apex. The rear shock is also softer (although it gets more preload), which changes the chain force angle, so there’s more anti-squat reaction. By keeping the front tyre loaded a little more mechanically, the electronics have less work to deal with.
Then, of course, there are the wings. This ‘regular’ Panigale V4 now has the same wing and fairing arrangement as the V4R. That means wings either side of the headlight – albeit plastic rather than carbon – that are capable of generating up to 37kg of force. But that’s flat out. The V4R’S wider fairing and 34mm taller screen have also made it onto the ‘base model’, as have the extra exhaust vents. All of which means if you’re one of Ducati’s loftier advocates you’ll be better protected from wind, and you won’t get as much of a roasting from the compact V4. The aerodynamic tweaks are, however, of questionable use to most of us in most situations.
The launch bikes were equipped with Pirelli slicks rather than the standard Supercorsa SPS so, on this side of things, full judgement will have to be reserved for another day.
The 1103cc V4 engine didn’t need, and hasn’t gained, any more power. When I give it a handful on a fifth-gear straight, the wheelie control gracefully manages lift as you power through the ratios from first. The reduced savagery gives it less to do – it’s simply a more effective way to move forward and means a drastic reduction in high-speed wobbles.
The V4 is certainly now easier to ride and enjoy. It’s less taxing and more forgiving, all of which makes it quicker and more confidence inspiring. But let’s be clear here, it’s no VFR – the V4 is still an intensely focused superbike. However – and this is crucial – for normal, reasonably experienced motorcyclists it’s easier to steer on the brakes, midcorner feedback is improved, and it gives you greater confidence to get on the power.