Ducati 1199 Panigale R review

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Test: Ducati 1199 Panigale R

Dream motorcycle and super athlete

The Ducati 1199 Panigale is on the wave of success. The second best-selling super sports car on the market hit the nerve of the fans. Now Ducati is igniting the next level with the Ducati 1199 Panigale R, which has been trimmed even more for racing.

Technology and equipment of the Ducati Panigale 1199 R

In fourth gear, full throttle over a blind knoll, brake, bend, straighten up. Then a kilometer full shower, big ears – everything that works. The speedometer climbs to 290, 291, 292 – look up, your eyes frantically search for the 200 plate, drop anchor. Madness. The Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin / Texas, venue of the US GP, is awesome. And an appropriate stage for them D.ucati 1199 Panigale R. A 5.5-kilometer, ultra-modern route. Wide, with a 40 meter difference in altitude and a completely wrinkle-free surface. Fast, tricky, hard braking corners and flowing curve passages that demand the highest precision. An extreme place, for sure.

Test: Ducati 1199 Panigale R

Dream motorcycle and super athlete

1199 Panigale R is also an extreme iron. A production superbike has never been lighter: Ducati promises 165 kilograms dry weight. A production twin has never been more powerful and revs higher: 12,000 rpm and thus another 500 more than the Panigale S. Titanium connecting rods save 630 grams of oscillating mass and primarily enable the brilliant top speed. The rocker arms got a hard DLC (Diamond-like Carbon) coating. The flywheel lost a full 700 grams. Good for spontaneous revs. And because the Ducati 1199 Panigale R turns higher, the technicians reduced the gear ratio by two teeth (15/41 instead of 15/39). Good for the draft.

Goal "R" means "Racing", best performance on the racetrack. Ergo it has the light forged wheels and the electronics that already characterize the Ducati 1199 Panigale S: ABS, eight-stage traction control, three engine mappings, adjustable engine brake. And of course the electronically adjustable Ohlins spring elements. Plus has GPS-supported recording. In addition, every Ducati 1199 Panigale R is also supplied with a Termignoni racing exhaust system with matching mapping and a higher racing windshield. The test machines were also equipped with these parts.

Carbon covers over the strut and intake ducts save a few grams and look chic. But much more important for racers: the pivot point can be adjusted in 2 mm steps from two millimeters higher to four millimeters lower in order to find the optimal setup. The surcharge for the Ducati 1199 Panigale S is steep at 7000 euros. And what’s the point? Wait.

This is how the Ducati Panigale 1199 R drives

Manufacturer

Trimmed for racing: Ducati 1199 Panigale R.

Get out on the track. End of the start / finish, where it goes up a huge slope, hairpin – and then the route plunges down again. The Ducati Panigale 1199 R roars full-bodied from the open Termignonis, depends very much on the gas. The coordination of ride-by-wire now ensures more spontaneous, more energetic opening of the throttle valve. A shorter gear ratio, new mapping and an open exhaust make the Ducati 1199 Panigale R appear particularly powerful and free in the middle area. Still cautious below 7000 rpm, the twin tears over it powerfully and regularly puts the Panigale on the rear wheel in second gear.

The way the 90-degree V2 engine of the Ducati 1199 Panigale R gets down to business in the second half of the speed, how hard it marches forward, aggressively loosing up from the middle. Pushing it up to the limiter does not help much, however, because the performance peak seems to be exceeded from 11,000 rpm. But the engine now offers welcome speed reserves to save one or the other gear change before the curve.

Otherwise, it is enough to push in the next gear via the sensitive automatic gearshift just past 11,000 rpm. The higher windshield provides considerable wind protection up to top speed regions. And the monoblock tongs catch the Ducati 1199 Panigale R with ease even at speeds above 290 km / h. The seat cushion, which is provided with a special cover, also offers excellent support when changing lean angles quickly. However, it cannot hide a noticeable nervousness when walking straight ahead at high speeds.

So turn briefly into the box, turn the swing arm to the lowest position and at the same time put a little more pressure on the fork. And out again. It’s amazing what a four millimeter difference can do on the swing arm. The Ducati 1199 Panigale R demands a little more emphasis in the fast chicanes. But now the rear tire grabs the asphalt even more mercilessly, the rear still remains quieter when accelerating. Above all, however, it now burns much more stable, full and clean over the long full-throttle straight. Ambitious racers in particular will enjoy the features, with which the success story of the Ducati 1199 Panigale R should continue.

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Technical data Ducati 1199 Panigale R

Ducati

A feast for the eyes and ears: Racing Evo system from Termignoni.

engine
Water-cooled two-cylinder four-stroke 90-degree V-engine, two overhead, chain-driven camshafts, four valves per cylinder, desmodromic actuation, wet sump lubrication, injection, Ø 68 mm, regulated catalytic converter, 440 W alternator, 12 V / 6 Ah battery, Hydraulically operated multi-disc oil bath clutch (anti-hopping), six-speed gearbox, O-ring chain, secondary ratio 41:15.
Bore x stroke 112.0 x 60.8 mm
Cubic capacity 1198 cm³
Compression ratio 12.5: 1
Rated output 144.0 kW (196 hp) at 10750 rpm
Max. Torque 135 Nm at 9000 rpm

landing gear
Monocoque made of aluminum, upside-down fork, Ø 43 mm, mechanically adjustable spring base, electronically adjustable rebound and compression damping, hydraulic, single-sided swing arm made of aluminum, central spring strut, lying, with lever system, electronically adjustable spring base, rebound and compression damping, double disc brake at the forehead , Ø 330 mm, four-piston fixed calipers, rear disc brake, Ø 245 mm, two-piston fixed calipers, ABS, traction control.
Cast aluminum wheels 3.50 x 17; 6.00 x 17
Tires 120/70 ZR 17; 200/55 ZR 17

Dimensions + weight
Wheelbase 1437 mm, steering head angle 65.5 degrees, caster 100 mm, spring travel f / r 120/130 mm, seat height * 825 mm, dry weight * 165 kg, tank capacity 17.0 liters.
Two year guarantee
Red color
Price 31,690 euros
Additional costs 305 euros

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