Cycle Canada editor Neil Graham is in Abu Dhabi this week to ride Ducati’s new flagship, the 1199 Panigale. Graham, wide-eyed, flushed and sweating, will send us his first ride impression and you will see it here on cyclecanadaweb.com next week.
Named for the neighbourhood of Bologna where it is built, the Panigale represents an evolution for Ducati. Gone are the camshaft belt-drive, underseat exhaust, and trellis frame, replaced by chains, a muffler under the engine and a carbon-fibre bracket. Desmodromic valves, V-Twin engine and signature red paint remain.
If Ducati’s claims are accurate, the oversquare Superquadrata engine puts out 195 hp at 9,000 rpm. This gives it a power-to-weight ratio better than a Formula 1 car. The animation below demonstrates how floating parts come together, as if pulled by Italian gravity, to form an engine.
The 1199 Panigale represents changes to many traditional aspects of a Ducati motorcycle. Will this bike be a class leader? Is it set to unseat the BMW S1000RR in the litrebike class? Read the First Ride here and find out.
