2018 Ducati Panigale V4S

You sure you don't want to wait a year for the R? Is this bike even legal at 1103cc?

 

Ducati will whine and moan until it is.

 

Yep. Just like how my 1299S is legal. As long as it is OEM displacement, it is legal. They even allow the 1299 in Australian Superbike. Mike Jones raced one before going to WSTK.

But with that being said, I do want to see what the R is like. I wonder when they will release specs for it.

 

That weight is dry. They didn’t list any wet weights. Just a heads up.

 

That's with the "race kit."

 

So I guess WSBK/BSB/MA is gonna re-write the rulebook for this thing? Or is the R gonna be actual liter bike.

 

They didn't make (didn't need to) any concession for the Aprilia. I figure the R will be 1000cc and have a conventional swingarm.

 

I haven’t seen anything about it.

Does the race kit include race bodywork, or does it still have headlights and shit?

Is that with a race-only (no CAT) exhaust?
Lightweight battery?
Ti bolts?
520 chain/sprockets?
Lightweight sprocket carrier (the affarmarket sprocket carrier and 520 setup dropped like 6lbs or some shit off my 1299).

 

Why would it have/need a convention swingarm?

 

So that it works correctly.

 

The SSS has won hundreds of races worldwide, over many years, on multiple different bikes (and not just with Ducati). Nothing wrong with it.

 

why is the reflector so big and looks attached to the fork leg

 

Bruh, pretty sure even you said you had setup issues and had to run certain gearing to keep the chassis happy.

 

p.s. That thing is the tits.

 

And I also was very successful on it and set a PB at Talladega (I went faster on the Duc at Tally than I have ever gone on the insane R6).

I never said it wasn’t finicky with setup. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t work.

Davies, Melandri, Checa, Bayliss, and countless others over the years have proven a SSS can work just fine.

As far as the Panigale, some of the setup difficulties might be contributed to the lack of a frame and the ridiculously light weight. The main problem we had was that it is so light and doesn’t transfer weight to the rear very well. It’s hard to keep the rear loaded up. I’m several spring rates rear on it than I have ever been on anything.

 

Differences between standard V4, V4 S, and V4 Speciale:





Source:
http://www.motorcycle.com/manufactu...-2018-ducati-panigale-v4-v4s-v4-speciale.html

 

I see nothing on the “Special” version that actually makes it special. Aside from the exhaust (that you’ll be able to get directly from Akra), it’s just a bunch of overpriced trinkets and shit.

They took a page out Suzuki’s book with throwing an exhaust, different gas cap, bar ends, and random bolt-on shit at it, then jacking the price up several thousand.

I was hoping the Special would be like the R and be more “racy”.

The paint job is ugly as fuck, I don’t care about that.

I’ll see what the R is like, then decide between the S and R.

 

Step right up folks!

Get your orders in!

Panigales for everyone!!