News – Why did I fall for the Ducati 1199 Panigale! – Used DUCATI

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Why I fell for the Ducati 1199 Panigale !

News - Why did I fall for the Ducati 1199 Panigale! - Used DUCATI

Pascal is a happy biker: this loyal Site reader is the future owner of a Ducati 1199 Panigale! Before our test this week, we wanted to know his expectations from the sculptural Italian Hypersport. Interview.

On Wednesday, on the Abu Dhabi circuit (United Arab Emirates), Site will have the pleasure of trying one of the most awaited 2012 novelties: the Ducati 1199 Panigale (read in particular our).

We will then know if the "beast" of Bologna will be able to settle at the top of the hierarchy of sports motorcycles, as suggested by its hallucinating technical sheet (195 hp, 164 kg dry, ABS, traction control, electronic management engine brake, selectable injection maps, shifter, etc.).

Among the most eager to read our essay is probably Pascal, whom many of you know better under the nickname "P6x".

Reader of the Journal moto du Net for many years, this French biker expatriated in the United States fell in love with the 1199 Panigale, of which he ordered a "standard" copy equipped with the ABS option (read box below).

P6x, from the Blue to the Panigale…

Originally from the Paris region, Pascal "P6x" experienced his first emotions on two wheels with a Motobecane AV 88 (the fourth and last generation of the famous "Bleue") before moving up a gear on a Gitane Testi Champion Super.

At 16, once the license was in his pocket, he set his sights on a Suzuki T350 with which he drove summer and winter. On the handlebars of his Suz ‘, Pascal crisscrosses the small roads, occasionally grates his leather on the circuit and takes part with his band of biker friends in numerous gatherings (Vikings, Charade, Trophee du Million, etc.).

In 1980, he emigrated and bought a Harley-Davidson Sportster 883 a few years later. Transferred to Nigeria in 1992, "P6x" sold his Harley and decided to rent motorcycles for practical reasons. Passionate about mechanics – a kid, he wanted to become a mechanic on steam locomotives! -, this motorcycle enthusiast has 39 years of license on the clock and admits a clear penchant for 2-stroke, Kawasaki H2 in the lead. The Japanese six-cylinder motorcycles of the 1970s (Honda CBX1000 and Z1300) and the cult CB750 also marked him for life.

More recently, he almost fell for a KTM Superduke or an MV Agusta Brutale, but was more "reasonably" eyeing a BMW R1200GS or a Ducati Multistrada 1200. "And then the Panigale appeared. And there, crush: amore a prima vista (love at first sight in Italian, Editor’s note)! ", explains Pascal who is now living in Texas (United States).

Curious to know his motivations and his expectations, Site contacted this authentic enthusiast who claims a real purchase "100% passion": interview with Pascal, alias "P6x".

Site: for what reasons did you fall for the Ducati 1199 Panigale? Its performance? Its design? Its technological content ?
P6x : I had wanted to own a Ducati for a long time and I was looking for the most suitable model. The big problem is that I have chronic tendonitis in my left hand, for having driven too much in town for too long. I therefore needed a motorcycle with a clutch requiring a measured effort. The clutch of the Panigale, without being a model of softness, will finally allow me to fulfill my desire (like the 848 before it, the 1199 abandons the dry clutch in favor of a hydraulically operated oil bath device). The shifter will also make it easier for me. I could have fallen for a Monster with APTC (Adler Power Torque Plate Clutch, the Ducati device allowing to reduce the force to be exerted on the clutch lever and which also serves as anti-dribble, Editor’s note). But I fell in love with the Panigale. Everything about her seduced me: its purity, its lines and its technology! But above all, I had to reward Ducati for daring to "lay" a Panigale in a difficult moment. This is exactly what we need to forget the gray of life. I can already imagine myself driving it and I know it’s going to be permanent happy moments. Like when I was 16: I took the handlebars and forgot everything! Nothing could touch me anymore, I was in seventh heaven and nothing mattered anymore. The performances interest me only moderately. I am no longer physically sharp enough to be able to push it to its limits. I am flexible and sunk: I let myself be transported.

Availability and prices of the Panigale

  • Availability: late March / early April 2012

  • Ducati 1199 Panigale: € 18,990 (ABS + € 1,000)

  • Ducati 1199 Panigale S: € 23,990 (ABS + € 1,000)

  • Ducati 1199 Panigale Tricolore: € 28,990 (standard ABS)

    • M-.N.C. : Which model did you order: standard, S or Tricolore ?
    P6x : A standard model with ABS option and several accessories such as a comfort saddle, a tank bag and another to attach to the rear, a "Racing" silencer, a tarpaulin to cover it and a stand crutch (amount of the bill: $ 3,354.50 excluding installation and excluding taxes, or about € 2,543, Editor’s note).

    M-.N.C. : What use do you plan to make ?
    P6x : I plan to go to work with every day! Then I will participate in the outings organized by the Ducati store. There is a brotherhood here that is somewhat similar to the one I knew when I started riding motorcycles in France. There is of course a part of business, but Ducati Store Austin, Texas, organizes barbecues and outings. It’s the opportunity to meet a lot of people and I find it pretty cool !

    M-.N.C. : The repression leaves less and less space to use this kind of motorcycle on the road (not to mention that in France, the clamping will cut by almost half the power of the twin!). Under these conditions, does the purchase of such a motorcycle still make sense? ?
    P6x : This does not apply to Texas. Here we are free not to wear a helmet and to have free exhausts. I’m not saying I’m going to ride without a helmet or break the laws, but I certainly feel freer here than in France! However, accidents are numerous in Houston and calling or texting is not prohibited in Texas … You must therefore be very careful. But at least there are no speed cameras and the police will only stop you if you are really driving over the speed limit..

    M-.N.C. : Ducati shows a lot of daring by investing heavily in a category that is losing momentum commercially. What does this strategy inspire you??
    P6x : A lot of respect! They understood perfectly that today, we gain more by giving the tendency to follow rather than sitting and waiting for others to innovate. I remember Ducati when I first started riding. I had a friend who had a 350 Desmo single cylinder. He had to change the big end bearings regularly if he didn’t want to break down. The turning point for Ducati was the Mostro. They finally started to understand that we had to change strategy and it paid off. They create motorcycles that make you want and daring, it works: the Desmosedici was a triumph, the Multistrada, the Streetfighter and above all the Diavel. But Ducati’s business is still speed. Racing bikes are their showcase and the Panigale confirms their genius. I’m convinced she’ll be a hit !

    M-.N.C. : Displayed at 18,990 euros in France, the 1199 is a rather expensive motorcycle. Does this amount appear to you to be justified in view of the announced performances? ?
    P6x : As far as I’m concerned, it wasn’t a brake. I don’t think the price is entirely due to the advertised performance, but rather to the number of motorcycles Ducati is planning to market. I think it’s going to remain a niche market and therefore the cost price is higher. Then you have to pay for the components, it’s getting more and more expensive. And then there is the margin. As it is a motorcycle intended for a certain category of customers, I think we do not hesitate to take 30%.

    M-.N.C. : The Panigale is the first Ducati to adopt a monocoque type chassis. However, this solution has just been abandoned on the MotoGP Ducati, under pressure from Valentino Rossi. How do you interpret this choice? Do you think that this decision could have a negative influence on the commercial success of Panigale ?
    P6x : The needs of a competition motorcycle have nothing to do with a motorcycle, certainly sporty, but intended for the general public. The monocoque chassis is an excellent solution, it offers a big saving in weight and space. Unfortunately, the L-engine was problematic in limiting the range of settings in competition. It’s a shame that Ducati waited for Rossi to notice it … When you’ve tried several riders and only one of them is able to go fast, you have to question yourself. .. Rossi must have sounded the alarm. Finally, better late than never! So I have no a priori vis-à-vis the monocoque chassis with carrier engine. It’s all good !

    M-.N.C. : The Panigale is richly equipped in terms of electronic assistance (ABS, injection maps, engine brake management, traction control, shifter, piloted suspensions, etc.). In your opinion, will these technologies become essential in hypersports? What other audiences would you like to see Floor Builders on? ?
    P6x : I don’t know if these technologies are going to be essential in Hypersports, but for me anything that can improve safety should be offered. In particular the shifter, the ABS, the traction control. Personally, I would see a Porsche "Tiptronic" automatic transmission. No need for a clutch !

    M-.N.C. : What questions would you like to ask the engineers responsible for the development of the Panigale that we will meet on Wednesday? ?
    P6x : I would like to ask them what reliability tests they did to make sure the electronics are not going to fail, and what was the total tuning time of the bike. I would also like to know why they do not offer an option with a clutch that can be manipulated with two fingers, and what is the theoretical life of the engine..

    Full test of the Ducati 1199 Panigale to follow this week on Site: stay tuned !

    Interview by Alexandre BARDIN

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