Ducati Panigale V4S: art that becomes motorcycle [ROAD TEST VIDEO]

Ducati Panigale V4S MY2018 – Should we introduce her to you? It is a motorbike that you will all recognize at first glance, it is indeed it, the spectacular Panigale V4, in this case in S trim. For months it has been the most discussed and admired motorbike, even if in fact, for almost everyone it remains only a dream to be admired, which few have the possibilities, financial or otherwise, to put it in the garage. A motorbike with three souls, in our opinion, one linked to its charm, both aesthetic and technical, one to its effectiveness on the track, also combined with the innate propensity to draw commas with the rear wheel between one bend and another and finally that that it can be used, contrary to what one might think, even on the road. In this context it is easier and rides better than the 1299 it replaces, offering unique emotions and sensations, even without the obligation to take it on the track.

Obviously it has potential and characteristics that make everything limiting, to the point that not even on the track you can finish the day thinking you have exploited it, if not 100%, at least enough to give a complete opinion on it. There are many parameters to set, but above all she is able to do things that even an expert pilot finds hard to convince himself he can do, trusting her to the point of giving full throttle. It plays with the limits of physics, not only with electronic aids, but also with a technical base that exploits the best in every sector, from the chassis to the brakes, passing through an absolutely exclusive tire to date and, needless to say, the result of experience in competition. Let's try to tell you a part of her and her magic, trying to share with you the sensations that an object so close to art is able to give to those who sit on her saddle.

Aesthetics and finishes:

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A unique style evolves, combining elegance and sportiness as only Italians can do

The first of the three souls that, in our opinion, characterize the latest superbike from Borgo Panigale, is the one linked to its charm. A charm that begins with a unique look, but continues in technical solutions that cannot leave a two-wheel lover indifferent, whether he is a Ducatista or not. No other bike can compete with it in this regard. This is our personal opinion, but shared by many, we believe. Perhaps only MV Agusta can come close, but we should open an infinite parenthesis to make a comparison between two Italian myths, one of which is characterized by ups and downs linked to financial difficulties that Ducati has now largely forgotten. Indeed, thanks also to German ownership, the Bolognese company has prospects and a breadth of vision in its business that allow it to dare like never before. The V4 itself is the result of Italian genius, but supported by the technique and capital of an elite automotive industry.

Returning to the aesthetics of the Panigale V4, some might even go completely crazy and buy it just for the sake of admiring it. Elegantly sporty, nothing else like her is so close to being a work of art. So beautiful that it hasn't been aesthetically revolutionized even with the new engine, but only evolved, with more modern touches and innovations. The innovative TFT dashboard is new, richer in information and now readable in all light conditions, while in its look the V4 is angular and aggressive in the nose, defined by the LEDs in the headlight. However, the Panigale V4 is also soft and sinuous, extremely compact and leaves very little room for possible criticism of its design choices. In the side view we can glimpse some concepts linked to what is found under its skin, where it manages to amaze even more than in its aesthetics. We find the new front frame (think it only weighs 4 kg!), which together with the supporting motor allows the total value on the scale to be kept at just 195 kg, even 174 dry. Its gems, which we could talk about for hours while sipping a drink and admiring it alone or in company, are countless, from the rear tire designed just for it, the new Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP in size 200/60, or the equally exclusive calipers Brembo Stylema brake, lighter and more performing than the M50, previously at the top of the Bergamo company's range.

Engine and performance:

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The help of extra cubic capacity, combined with the magic borrowed from MotoGP

The real star of this bike is the Desmosedici Stradale. An engine which, in addition to being one of the few to have its own name, marks the epochal transition from V2 to V4 and which borrows many technical solutions from MotoGP. Let's mention, for example, the 81 mm bore value, but with a longer stroke, to increase torque at low and medium speeds. In this way the displacement rises beyond the one-litre threshold, up to 1.103 cc. Nothing new, if we think that the 1299 also took the license to go beyond the 1.200 cc required by the SBK regulations for the twin-cylinders, rising to 1285 for the road version. We then find the counter-rotating crankshaft, the benefits of which can be seen first-hand in terms of gyroscopic effect and inertia. The V4, thanks to this measure, is extraordinarily easy to handle, agile and with less tendency to wheelies. The firing order is “twin pulse”, simulating the sound and character of a V2. The result, just to give some numbers, is 214 HP of maximum power, at 13.000 rpm, with the limiter above 14.500, but it goes up to 226, only by fitting the racing exhaust. Weighing less than 65 kg, the Desmosedici Stradale rises by just over 2 compared to the twin-cylinder, allowing the Panigale V4 to reach a ratio of 1,1 HP/kg.

In addition to the "cold" numbers, the impressions related to this new 4° V90 engine (no longer "L" shaped, as per Ducati tradition) with Desmodromic distribution are all positive, right from its start-up, with an undoubtedly familiar voice. This is thanks to the explosions with a sequence that makes the sound similar to that of the twin-cylinder, as well as filling the delivery curve, starting from very low revs. If on the one hand the thrust becomes impressive only starting from 7-8 thousand rpm upwards, with an acceleration that is not easy to bring up to around 14.700 of the limiter even on the track, on the other hand on the road you can resume in sixth gear shortly more than 1.000 spins, without any uncertainty. An engine that always has it and that has unexpected qualities, such as an elasticity that forgives a wrong gear without paying much in terms of stopwatch, if you are on the track. Without taking a look at the rev counter you always end up shifting sooner than you can, because the acceleration is truly almost infinite and "embarrassing". On the road you forget to use it 100% (not only due to the highway code, but above all because it would be impossible to do so safely), but it still manages to provide intense emotions which push us to say that it would be a shame to relegate the Panigale V4 for use on the track. It does not vibrate, precisely due to the naturally balanced V4 architecture, without the need for balancing countershafts, while it obviously warms up and you can feel it when you are stopped at the traffic lights or proceeding at reduced speeds in this torrid summer. We took it to the San Marco Pass and enjoyed it quite a bit. We chose these roads above all for the choreographic curves without parapets and guard rails, but roads with wider radius curves would have allowed us to be more daring and exploit a few more percentage points of the V4S' potential. However, it must be said that, especially when using the Street Riding Mode, which maintains full power but sets all the parameters optimally for road riding, from the engine electronics to the suspension, this bike inspires much less fear than it seems. can imagine. The electronic bridles raise the safety bar, without detracting from the adrenaline, making the experience accessible to a wider audience, but above all lowering the minimum level of attention necessary to use a 214 horsepower and 124 Nm motorbike of torque (at 10 thousand rpm).

On the track, all attention is focused on the lap time and it is often not possible to enjoy aspects of a bike that, in places like these, even without stopping at pace, the Panigale V4 is able to offer. An extreme motorcycle that manages to be easy, docile and safe, if ridden with a pinch of common sense. His sound and his delivery are something very close to poetry, but we cannot deny that the desire to hear him scream at speeds that can only be achieved on the track has come to us.

We therefore couldn't avoid it and we chose the Brescia circuit of Franciacorta to do it, partly because we had come here to test the "old" 1299, partly also because, despite being a rather tortuous circuit, it allowed us to discover a lot about the technical qualities of this motorbike. Of course, Mugello or a faster circuit is the best habitat for the V4, which has the ability to make any straight short, thanks to its potential. Here, however, we were able to partially release the reins to the four-cylinder, which is starting to make its characteristics similar to the Desmosedici that races in the MotoGP World Championship be felt. Moving on to the Sport and Race Riding Modes, everything begins to feel in an excitingly less filtered way, that Ducati style that we had known in the past emerges, with a more reactive bike, even if the V4 is less physical to ride, perhaps even within the reach of slightly less skilled pilots. The Quickshift adapts the speed of the shifts based on the position of the bike, softer if you are leaning so as not to upset the set-up, practically instantaneous when you go up or down a gear on the straight. Even the ABS, when switched to Race mode, lets the rear slide on entry and, lap after lap, you almost naturally start to get used to the crossbars. Of course, especially when exiting corners, forcing the mind, which continues to make us hesitate with the throttle, to keep it open while letting the rear widen, is anything but easy. Slide Control (DSC) is just one piece of an unrivaled electronics package. Many parameters, which can be set simply both with the pre-set and customizable Riding Modes and by acting on the individual items, even without having to stop the bike. At the center is the "brain" which uses the 6-axis inertial platform (6D IMU) and which manages the Bosch EVO Cornering ABS, the Ducati Traction Control EVO (DTC EVO), the Ducati Slide Control (DSC), the Ducati Wheelie Control EVO (DWC EVO), the Ducati Ducati Quick Shift up/down EVO (DQS EVO) and the Engine Brake Control EVO (EBC EVO). On the Panigale V4S (and on the special), we then find the button for Power Launch (DPL), in the lower part of the right-hand block. It allows incredible starts from a standstill, being able to choose three levels of "control", with the electronics becoming less invasive and exploiting all the potential of an incredible engine.

As we have mentioned, it is a motorbike whose potential should be explored with many days on the track available, perhaps on several tracks, both for electronics to be discovered, but above all because, if on the one hand the V4 is easier and less physically demanding than the V2, to exploit it 100% requires a lot of confidence and the skill of a professional driver.

Ride and handling:

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Sliding toy: slipping into control like Stoner, without being one

Everything is designed to make this bike the best possible basis for Superbike, we discovered that it manages to raise the bar and change many references in track riding quite a bit, but at the same time to be largely exploitable even without being a rider . The merits, in addition to the chassis and engine, go to the excellent electronics, which manage the gear changes differently depending on the angle of inclination of the bike, the same goes for the traction control and the ABS. The latter, in addition to being of the Cornering type, can be configured to allow the rear to lock, so as to insert the motorbike sideways when cornering. Similarly, when exiting, you can take advantage of the Slide Control and perform controlled drifts. We then find a new generation of electronic suspension control, managed by the Öhlins Smart EC 2.0, standard on the V4 S and Speciale. A control unit that acts on the Öhlins NIX-30 fork and the Öhlins TTX 36 rear shock absorber, which are completed by the steering damper, also Öhlins. On the standard V4 we find the 43 mm Showa Big Piston Fork (BPF) at the front, which is fully adjustable, as is the Sachs mono-shock at the rear. Same supply also for the steering damper. The V4S also has forged aluminum rims, which on the Speciale can even become magnesium (optional costing 4 thousand euros!).

The Panigale V4S amazes when entering corners, with a 10/600 front end that is precise, while the bike, despite being a maxi, is as agile as a "2" and immediately puts you in perfect harmony with it, in a natural way. One of the recurring words when describing it to someone is fluidity, both in the behavior between one curve and another, and in the engine's output, which has improved significantly compared to the previous V1299 XNUMX.

If on the road the Panigale V4 is easier to ride and manages to digest the imperfections of the asphalt without major problems, as we were able to discover in our test, on the track it is so revolutionary and with such refined electronics and capable of doing things never seen before, that even an expert pilot, before trusting and exploiting all its potential, takes quite a long time, so much so that in the comparisons it ended up behind some direct rivals, which are inferior to it on paper, but also in fact , if you think that the V4 test rider, Alessandro Valia, lapped in 1.36 in Valencia, about 5 seconds from the MotoGP Pole!
We rode it first on the road and then on the track, but we also admired it when it was stationary, remaining increasingly convinced that the Panigale V4 represents one of the best Italian excellences. The competition may be very fierce, but a motorcycle so fascinating from all points of view is an unparalleled reference.

Price and consumption:

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Obviously important prices, especially for the V4S and the very exclusive Speciale

We close as usual with the price, even if speaking of art it seems almost ugly. The Panigale V4 starts at 22.590 euros, slightly more than the 1299 it replaces (it was around 850 euros less). In addition to being the "entry level", it is the only one to be supplied with the passenger kit, which can still be optionally fitted on the V4S. The prestigious Öhlins suspensions, with Smart EC 2.0 system, as well as forged rims and a lighter lithium battery, bring the price for this V27.890S to 4 euros. If you are looking for something even more exotic and exclusive, you can find the V4 Speciale on the price list, produced in a limited edition of 1500 units and priced at 39.900 euros, which becomes 43.900 with the magnesium racing wheels. The V4 Speciale obviously offers everything that is expected for the V4S and is then characterized by a dedicated livery, carbon details, Alcantara saddle, dedicated grips, adjustable footrest kit, articulated brake and clutch levers and a lever guard for the front brake , with the absolute gem of the steering head machined from solid, with identifying numbering.

Being the most exclusive version, but also specifically designed for use on the track, it is supplied with a rich package of equipment, consisting of the Ducati Performance racing exhaust by Akrapovič in titanium (alone it allows it to rise to 226 horsepower, with an additional 11 Nm of torque), from the racing windshield, license plate holder removal kit, replacement caps for the aluminum mirrors machined from solid, motorcycle cover and racing fuel cap. There is no shortage of the Ducati Data Analyzer with GPS (DDA+ GPS), available optionally for the other versions (such as for the Ducati Multimedia System - DMS) and with which to benefit from a real telemetry system.
Not that this is particularly important on a bike like this, but from the 6.9 liters per 100 km of the declared figure, we detected a much more contained 5.2 (therefore over 19 km/l), in the road part of our test. A lot of technology also leads to better efficiency, therefore a detail that is far from irrelevant.

PROS AND CONS
We like it:
It raises the performance bar, from all points of view: chassis, engine and electronics, with an unparalleled outfit and becoming easier and less physical to ride, both on the road and on the track
We do not like it:
Price not for everyone, difficult to use it 100%

Ducati Panigale V4S: the Motorionline Report Card

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Gianluca Cuttitta collaborated, also testing the bike on the road, but above all dealing with the track test and the impressions you find in this article

We thank the Franciacorta circuit for its hospitality and, for the photos on the track, we thank Racebooking.

Tester clothing:
On the road: Spidi gloves, jacket and trousers
On the track: Spidi Track Wind Pro leather suit and Carbo 3 gloves
Boots: Stylmartin Stealth
Helmet: Suomy SR Sport Dovizioso GP Replica