Ducati Panigale V2
The Panigale V2 takes the place of the 959 in Ducati’s line-up as the “sensible” sport bike for those who realise that 200 hp-plus rockets aren’t meant for ordinary mortals
This drop-dead gorgeous Italian middleweight is equally stunning to ride
THE MIDDLEWEIGHT SPORT BIKE CRAZE that swept through the world in the early 2000s seemed to pass us by. When foreign manufacturers did finally set up shop here they were eager to sell us their litre-class flagships, but bringing the more manageable 600-cc class to market was deemed unprofitable. Triumph changed all that with the now discontinued Daytona 675, a machine that has earned a cult following in India, and now Kawasaki bear the 600-cc supersport torch with the excellent ZX-6R.
While the mainstream Japanese manufacturers may have ignored enthusiasts in search of their first sport bike, Ducati have, over the last decade, consistently offered us their middleweight supersport machinery, starting with the 848 Evo, then the 899 Panigale, followed by the extremely popular 959 Panigale. Reasonably priced, these bikes were ideal for enthusiasts who wanted to own and ride a sharply designed piece of Italian technology, but didn’t want to have to take on the firebreathing superbikes Ducati are known for. This role now falls to the new Panigale V2, which refines the already competent 959 Panigale package with a new look, a state-of-the-art electronics package, and
several other small tweaks that collectively have a big impact on the overall riding experience.
While the 959 had its own visual identity, the V2 takes styling cues from its larger and more powerful sibling, the Panigale V4. The front end is dominated by those frowning LED DRLs with the projector-style headlights lurking within the bodywork, while the sharp tail section and those narrow, integrated tail-lamps are stunning works of art.
Now, while the Panigale V2 gets a whole new look, under the skin it is mechanically extremely similar to its predecessor, retaining the same monocoque chassis and engine architecture with the aluminium front frame, swing-arm and subframe bolted directly to the 955-cc Superquadro V-twin motor. The motor, while unchanged in capacity, is now BS6-compliant, resulting in a loss of 3.4 Nm in peak torque and two horsepower up top; figures now stand at 155 hp at 10,750 rpm and 104 Nm at 9,000 rpm — still plenty to get you in serious trouble very quickly. The good part is that Ducati have traded the 959’s ungainly double-barrel exhaust for a much nicer stubby unit which, combined with the new single-sided swing-arm, gives us an uninterrupted view of the rear wheel.
I never enjoy riding sport bikes around town and the Panigale V2 is no different. The 840-millimetre seat height is a stretch for my 5’ 5” frame, the reach to the low clip-ons is quite aggressive, the limited steering lock makes tight manoeuvres nearly impossible, and it only takes a couple of minutes of slow-moving traffic for the heat from the motor to start cooking your left calf before radiating up through the seat to make matters even worse.
Of course, there are those who enjoy a relaxed ride to the nearest coffee shop on their Italian steeds and the Panigale V2 will gladly oblige, puttering along smoothly at 4,000 to 5,000 rpm and not feeling one bit intimidating. It’s only beyond 7,000 rpm that the motor really starts singing, breathing in deeply, and letting out that addictive V-twin symphony as the numbers on the speedo rise extremely quickly. 200 km/h comes up pretty effortlessly and the bike will go on to a top speed in excess of 260 km/h. However, I didn’t have a racetrack at my disposal, so, instead, I headed out to my favourite bit of twisty tarmac to put the V2’s handling to the test; after all, that’s where Ducati have made some serious improvements.
While the peg-to-bars-to-seat relationship has remained mostly unchanged, the V2 gets a two-mm longer shock at the rear, raising the rear
Braking performance, needless to say, is excellent and a firm two-finger squeeze is all it takes to have the rear wheel hovering off the ground,
ride height by five mm and effectively rotating the rider triangle forward. The result is quicker steering with less effort than on the 959, with improved front-end feel when attacking apexes. Ducati claim a 52/48 per cent forward weight bias and, while I can’t confirm these figures, I will say that the bike always felt extremely poised and well-balanced front-to-back, whether riding straight up, entering a corner on the brakes or powering out with a handful of throttle. The suspension components, a Showa Big Piston Fork up front and side-mounted Sachs monoshock at the rear, feel taut and sportily set up, but did a fine job of maintaining contact with the road even over bad patches, without sending unexpected forces up to the triple
clamp. Both ends are fully adjustable, so you can tune the ride and handling to your liking and riding style.
With the current COVID-19 situation it has been a while since I hit the twisties, and the Panigale V2 was extremely patient as I settled in and found my rhythm, never feeling intimidating or unpredictable. Once I got into the groove and started upping the pace, the motorcycle faithfully went exactly where pointed, surprising me with how aggressively it dived into corners, while still feeling perfectly planted and secure. Small bumps and undulations at lean are dispatched without fuss, the chassis is extremely communicative about what’s happening under the excellent Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa II tyres, and the fuelling is sublime. Even in Race mode with the most aggressive throttle map, there was no snatchiness when rolling on from a closed throttle, just the creamy wave of torque followed by the exciting rush to red-line.
Both levers feature reach adjustability, the hydraulically actuated clutch is light and smooth, although the two-way quickshiter means you don’t use it once on the move, while the brake lever and radially mounted Brembo master cylinder actuate Brembo M4.32 monoblocs that grip a pair of 320mm discs. I just wish the brake fluid reservoir didn’t seem so flimsily mounted; its constant quivering is the only issue with the otherwise neat and contemporary cockpit. Braking performance, needless to say, is excellent and a firm two-finger squeeze is all it takes to have the rear wheel hovering off the ground, even with the three-mode ABS that can’t be completely switched off.
One of the biggest upgrades with the Panigale V2 is to the electronics package, which is now on a par with its V4 sibling. The three riding modes — Street, Sport, and Race — are fully customizable, allowing the rider to set up throttle response, ABS, wheelie control, traction control, adjust the quickshifter, and reduce engine braking, and all this is held together by a six-axis IMU that takes into account lean, pitch, yaw, throttle position, rpm, wheel speed, and several other parameters. Menus are accessed via the turn indicator switch, a slider on the left-hand switchgear and the full-colour 4.3inch TFT rider interface that sits just above the Sachs steering damper. The dash, a scaled down version of the 6.5-inch display on the Panigale V4, is similarly sharp and easy to read at a glance, and is packed with information.
With the once vaunted 600-cc class slowly going extinct, Ducati’s middleweight sport bike has managed to stay relevant by moving and growing with the times. Its 955-cc displacement and 155-hp peak power output seem dangerously close to the big bikes of just a few years ago, but the fact that the superbike class has grown to include bikes with over 1,100 cc and 200 horsepower on tap puts things back into perspective.
Priced at Rs 17.49 lakh (ex-showroom), the Panigale V2 does seem expensive when compared to standard middleweight supersport fare, but remember that it is loaded with kit to rival some flagships from other brands and packs about 20 extra horses to boot. And don’t forget about the telepathic handling and the drop-dead-gorgeous design. If you value a good deal above all else you could buy the 203-hp ZX-10R for similar money, but if you prefer finesse, passion, and emotion to raw power, I’d steer you towards Ducati’s latest middleweight sport bike.