Ducati 1299 Panigale R Final Edition in the test

Ducati 1299 Panigale R Final Edition in the test

The last V2 Panigale

Four valves, water cooling, injection. In this way, Ducati put itself and the V2 back on the road to success at the end of the 80s. What followed were 14 World Superbike titles. The crowning glory of this glamorous era: the Ducati 1299 Panigale R Final Edition.

It seemed an inseparable alliance, Ducati-Superbike and V2. Since Bologna presented the Desmoquattro belong in the 851 Tricolore in 1988, it has simplyed together in racing like a champagne shower and a podium. But nothing is as constant as change. So out, over, past. After almost three decades, the performance race has pushed the L-Twin to its limits. Especially when it comes to the sensitive size of the individual cubic capacities, the power output and drivability. The last World Cup title in 2011 was also a long time ago. From now on, even more power and drivability is only possible with a V4. So it’s time for the replacement. But not without a worthy finish, without lighting a powerful V2 beacon again. And that means after the extremely expensive and limited carbon racer Superleggera D.ucati 1299 Panigale R Final Edition.

Ducati 1299 Panigale R Final Edition in the test

The last V2 Panigale

209 hp meet 192 kilos with a full tank

The Ducati 1299 Panigale R Final Edition is fired by the infernal Superleggera engine (see MOTORRAD 12/2017). That means titanium connecting rods and valves, light crankshafts with tungsten plugs, racing gears, two-ring pistons. Basically, it just has to do without the sand-cast housing, but exhales its hot exhaust gases in accordance with Euro 4 via an Akrapovic all-titanium superbike exhaust system. The chassis is equipped with Ohlins spring elements, forged wheels and some nice carbon details. 209 PS (factory specification) meet 192 kilos (MOTORCYCLE measurement) with a full tank. However, without license plate holders and mirrors, our test machine started the ride in Hockenheim without one. Almost 0.92 kilos per horsepower, that’s a house number. And that’s how the Final Edition works.

Twin turns up with a monkey tooth

The Ducati 1299 Panigale R Final Edition is snappy on the gas, attacks the Hockenheimer Parabolica like a stab. The twin turns up with a monkey tooth. The automatic gearshift zaps seamlessly and smoothly into one gear after the other. Shortly after halfway through the long left curve, the speedometer brushes the sails. His display extends to 299, above which he only shows "- – -", nevertheless the twin continues to turn in the sixth. With insane speed and a 40 degree incline, the Duc pounds towards the hairpin. The raised bubble pane of the cladding provides efficient wind protection.

From 5,000 rpm, the Final Edition snaps forward

The bite and controllability of the Brembo anchors are beyond any doubt. The Ohlins fork vehemently opposes the submergence of the front. Get out of the hairpin, from 5,000 rpm the FE snaps forward, between 8,000 and 9,000 rpm the power volcano breaks out. A finely intervening wheelie control ensures that the Ducati 1299 Panigale R Final Edition doesn’t constantly make males. The FE did not get the sophisticated electronics of the Superleggera with two six-axis IMUs. Lean ABS, Evo wheelie and traction control as well as the Ducati Data Analyzer with GPS and lean angle display are also on board.

851 cc and 102 hp became 1,299 cc and 209 hp

The engine is a grenade. In general, the development that the Desmoquattro has taken since its birth is breathtaking. From 851 cm³ and 102 hp in the original version from 1988 1,299 cm³ and 209 hp. 50 percent more displacement, but 100 percent more power, not to mention the lower weight. Any questions? Thanks to the superbike exhaust system, the power eruption does not lead to an exorbitant roar. The titanium system is also visually stunning. Elbows as thick as an arm spring out of the paneling in shimmering violet tones and wind under the bench. A feast for the eyes. In terms of chassis, too, the Ducati 1299 Panigale R Final Edition is much closer to a Superleggera than to a 1299 S..

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Like the first Desmoquattro Duc from 1988, the last of the line of ancestors also appears in the Italian national colors.

The Ohlins suspension elements carefully scan the road surface, their tight basic set-up basically corresponds to the Superbike base Panigle R. Like the Superleggera, the Final Edition is also a bit of a diva when it is accelerated out of the corners with full force . When sprinting through the elongated Parabolica, it can be easily disturbed if handled roughly, and begins to commute. Harshly tackled in harassment when quickly knocking down, she sometimes twitches the handlebars. Push firmly into the notches and shift your weight forward helps to nip this in the bud. Opening the compression stage on the fork and shock absorber relatively wide also calms the racing diva. A standard Panigale is more forgiving. But also not nearly as agile as the Ducati 1299 Panigale R Final Edition. The low weight, but above all the light forged wheels, give the Signorina a much crisper, sharper handling.

A worthy end to a glamorous era

All of this moves you a good bit further in the direction of a racing motorcycle. What is only logical in the end, closes the circle again. Because that was exactly the goal around 30 years ago when Ducati let the water-cooled Desmoquattro loose on the opponents: It should be a force on the racetrack, at which the opponents would grind their teeth. In this respect, the Ducati 1299 Panigale R Final Edition marks a worthy end to the glamorous era of the Ducati Superbike Twins, which have left their formative stamp on racing for almost three decades. It may well be that the V4 that follows it will be able to do a lot better, but we will miss the hard, dry punch of the V2.

Conclusion on the Ducati 1299 Panigale R Final Edition

Even if the Panigale 959 remains in the range, the era of the superbike twins is over. However, with the Ducati 1299 Panigale R Final Edition as an impressive fanal. If you didn’t have the luck or the budget to get hold of a Superleggera: Here is another good opportunity to get the V2 in what is probably its most fascinating expansion stage. With street legal. Sure, just under 40,000 euros is not a stick-out, but an 888 SP IV cost a good 40,000 marks in 1992.

Technical specifications

Ducati 1299 Panigale R Final Edition

Engine:

Water-cooled two-cylinder four-stroke 90-degree V-engine, two overhead, toothed belt-driven camshafts, four valves per cylinder, rocker arm and rocker arm, operated desmodromically, wet sump lubrication, injection, 2 x Ø 68 mm , regulated catalytic converter, 440 W alternator, Battery 12 V / 6 Ah, hydraulically operated multi-disc oil bath clutch (anti-hopping), six-speed gearbox, X-ring chain, secondary gear ratio 2,600.

Bore x stroke: 116.0 x 60.8 mm
Displacement: 1,285 cm³
Compression ratio: 13.0: 1
Rated output: 153.6 kW (209 hp) at 11,000 rpm
Max. Torque: 142 Nm at 9,000 rpm

Landing gear:

Monocoque made of aluminum, upside-down fork, guide tube diameter, Ø 43 mm, hydraulic steering damper, adjustable spring base, rebound and compression damping, single-sided swing arm made of aluminum, central spring strut with lever system, adjustable spring base , rebound and compression damping, double disc brake at the front, Ø 330 mm, Four-piston fixed calipers, rear disc brake, Ø 245 mm, two-piston fixed calipers, traction control, ABS.

Forged aluminum wheels: 3.50 x 17; 6.00 x 17
Tires: 120/70 ZR 17; 200/55 ZR 17

Mass and weight:

Wheelbase 1,435 mm, steering head angle 66.0 degrees, caster 96 mm, suspension travel f / r 120/120 mm, seat height 830 mm, empty weight 168 kg, weight with a full tank 190 kg, tank capacity 17.0 liters.

Guarantee: two years

Colors: Red / white and green with red wheels

Price: 39,900 euros

Ducati 1299 Panigale R Final Edition on sale in Germany

1000PS marketplace app

A real beauty on the used market: the 1299 Panigale R Final Edition.

As a final edition, the Ducati 1299 Panigale R is a potential classic of the future and could therefore increase in value significantly. If the change fits and you’re in the market for a Ducati 1299 Panigale R, you should probably strike while you can still find some. Here is a current market overview: used Ducati 1299 Panigale R Final Edition in Germany.

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