All Tests – Test Ducati 1199 Panigale S: the red diamond of Bologna – Ducati 1199 Panigale: the Ultra-bike!

Posted on by admin

Ducati 1199 Panigale S test: the red diamond of Bologna

All Tests - Test Ducati 1199 Panigale S: the red diamond of Bologna - Ducati 1199 Panigale: the Ultra-bike!

First, its lines combining purity and aggressiveness are bewitching … Then its performance as a racing motorcycle takes your breath away … Carved with genius by Italian jewelers, the Ducati 1199 Panigale is the new jewel in the crown of Bologna. Test !

Ducati 1199 Panigale: the Ultra-bike !

Three laps with Troy Bayliss as "opener" on the: this is how Ducati chose to introduce us to its new hypersportive flagship, the 1199 Panigale (pronounced "Pa-ni-ga-le", named after the Bologna district where it is located Ducati) !

The tone is set, especially since the presence of the charismatic three-time Superbike world champion (2001, 2006 and 2008) owes nothing to chance: the Australian has closely participated in the development of the most powerful and sophisticated sports bike ever designed. by the Italian manufacturer.

Naturally, after just a few bends, the minimalist and deliciously tapered rear shell of the 1199 Panigale driven by the famous n ° 21 is no more than a point which continues to shrink … The guy has lost nothing his talent and uses his perfect knowledge of the bike and the circuit to impress us !

Curved gliding, wheeling outings: Troy amazes the gallery as we take our bearings on the handlebars of the most powerful standard twin in the world. With 195 hp, the L-twin Ducati indeed enjoys the luxury of playing on a par with the "beefiest" of the four-cylinder sports (read the box "The competitors of the Panigale" on the following pages).

Admittedly, its 100% new engine called "Superquadro" (read) has the advantage of displacement: 1198 cc against 999 cc maximum for its 4-cylinder rivals. But the performance is nonetheless exceptional and pushes back – by far! – the structural and technical limits to which a twin engine seemed subject until then.

To achieve this, the Reds have not hesitated to rethink their engine from A to Z, even if it means abandoning certain mechanical signatures characteristic of the production of Bologna. If the angle of 90 ° and the desmodromic distribution are preserved, the transmission by belt and the dry clutch are on the other hand sacrificed on the altar of the efficiency..

But the list of the specifics of this "Superquadro" is so extensive that we rather invite you to savor it in detail in our "Technical point" on the following pages. !

No compromise

Ultra-compact, this supersquare engine (112 mm bore x 60.8 mm stroke) takes place in a … aluminum monocoque chassis. Yes, you read that correctly: Bologna’s coat of arms turns its back on one of its most famous trademarks, the tubular steel trellis frame. !

The risk of shocking the "pure and hard" Ducatists is real, but perfectly assumed: the 1199 Panigale aims for absolute benchmark status, which leaves no room for compromise. However, the monocoque is actually lighter and less bulky than an interlacing of tubes welded together. And as these are particularly decisive assets for a Hypersport, the mass was said for this good "old" – but elegant – trellis…

Made with maniacal care, this piece of goldsmith’s work is actually made up of two distinct parts only connected by the v-twin which therefore plays a supporting role: here again, MNC advises all technical enthusiasts to read our detailed presentation of the part of the 1199 Panigale on the following pages to discover all its secrets !

Almost invisible at the level of its front structure, the monohull also allows to highlight the incredible compactness of the twin: front view, the 1199 Panigale is a finesse capable of spinning Kate Moss complexes !

Smaller than an Aprilia RVS4 yet svelte, the 1199 Panigale has the size of a 600 cc … but a wickedly sharp 600 cc: with only 164 kg dry in the "standard" version and in the "S" version without ABS, the Italian Superbike is on par with the lightest Supersport !

Obviously, to arrive at such measurements, Ducati had to cut corners on the ergonomics of its Hypersport: the saddle / handlebar distance was shortened by 30 mm compared to an 1198 and the footrests seem to be directly fixed under the buttocks. !

Result: the pilots of more than 1.80m are not really at the party and struggle to fit their legs around the tank of a confusing finesse in the crotch. This narrowness also directly serves the cause of accessibility: despite a saddle perched 825 mm from the ground, the boots of a pilot of 1.75 m touch the ground perfectly when stationary..

But this flat seat and as thin as a slice of carpaccio – much less tender! – offers only limited space towards the rear. A parameter that the older ones will have to deal with when adopting a speed-seeking position.

Radical and restrictive, the reception reserved by the 1199 Panigale is not necessarily so from all points of view: the handlebars have been raised by 10 mm and widened by 32 mm, which means that the bracelets fall more naturally under the hands and generate less downforce than on the 1198.

Appreciable because less restrictive, this data is added to the shorter tank to drastically modify the driving position. Where an 1198 required to lie forward to grab the straps located very low, the upper body is less strained on the 1199 Panigale and is located closer to the front wheel axle. All for the benefit of piloting approval.

No mistake, however: the ergonomics remain very sporty and the rider is more than ever encrusted "in" the bike! In addition, the weak protection offered by the tiny bubble imperatively obliges to wedge his chin on the tank so as not to have his head torn off when the "red missile" goes up the straight line of 1.173 m of the route of Abu Dhabi..

A straight line which also allows you to mount the fifth to the switch (11,500 rpm) at 285 km / h before engaging the sixth to exceed 290 km / h! If some of you read this test only to find out if the additional 25 hp of the 1199 Panigale were there, here is a first part of the answer … For others, see the following pages !

Related articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *