Ducati Panigale V4 R: the 'small' arrives at the World Premiere [Photos]

We're finally here, Ducati launches the new Panigale V4 R, a racing motorcycle approved for road use.

The journey to get to this point was very long. Last year, on the occasion of the MotoGP Misano Grand Prix, the first V4 engine made in Borgo Panigale was presented to the press for the first time. A few months later, the Ducati Panigale V2017 was officially launched at EICMA 4, equipped with a 1103 cc engine. Now comes the small version, the one that officially sends the Panigale from the SBK world championship into retirement.

“What is a Ducati Super Bike? It's a combination of design and technology, love for performance.” Caludio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati, says during the presentation. Then he adds: “We are proud of this bike. It's very different aesthetically. It is wider, to cover the rider, and has carbon fins. There is also a lot of work on the engine. The SBK version will come from here."

The technical characteristics are mind-boggling. The engine, compared to that of the Desmosedici Stradale (the road version of the MotoGP), has a more extreme character. The engine intake is specifically designed to rev faster and guarantee greater acceleration, this translates into 221 HP (162 kW) delivered at 15.250 rpm and 112 nm of torque at 10.000 rpm. In case the cavalry isn't enough, just fit the full-racing exhaust developed by Akrapovič to reach 234 HP.

So much power that is also managed thanks to the electronic package as in the 1100 version. Furthermore, it is possible to find other tools dedicated to those who go on the track, such as: the pit limiter and the Lap Time EVO.

The search for performance also shifts to the aerodynamics of the motorbike. The Panigale V4 R boasts a slightly larger windshield and side fairings to 'protect' from the air and larger side extractors, but the real 'gem' are the aerodynamic fins that come directly from the MotoGP Desmosedici GP16. It has been estimated that the load generated between the fins and the fairing is around 30 kg at 270 km/h, useful to avoid making the front 'float' during acceleration.

The suspension department. The Panigale V4 R is equipped with the new 25 mm Öhlins NPX 30/43 pressurized fork, and the Öhlins TTX36 shock absorber at the rear, both with mechanical adjustment. The chassis equipment is completed by Marchesini forged aluminum rims in the "total black" color.