Ducati Panigale

 

The new Ducati superbike looks like it has seen BMW’s S 1000 RR and raised the stakes in the high-performance motorcycle game.

Despite the carefully staged releases of information prior to the unveiling of its new superbike, Ducati managed to pull off quite a coup with the dramatic release of the new 1199 Panigale, the latest in a long line of hypersport machinery and, at the same time, the start of a new chapter in the company’s history. Make no mistake; this is a turning point for Ducati.

Kicking off with the engine, the oversquare Super Quadro has a bore and stroke of 112 x 60.8mm and an output of 195bhp (145.4kW) at 10,750rpm with torque figures of 133Nm at 9000rpm. Valve sizes are 46.8mm for the inlet (up from the 1198’s 43.5mm) and 38.2mm (up from 34.5mm) and the valves are made of titanium, the lightness of which contributes to allowing such large valves in the4 first place.

Operating large valves at high rpm is a problem offset by the use of the desmodromic valve control. Relying on a rocker arm instead of springs to close the valve allows steep cam profiles, radical cam timings and high operating speeds. The cams are now driven by a chain and gear arrangement as opposed to the belt drive of previous models. The camshafts have +/- position adjustment for precise calibration, while the exhaust cams have a flyweight which retracts at speeds below idle and offers enough cam lift to act as a decompressor to make starting easier, thus allowing a smaller and lighter battery and starter motor assembly. A new six-speed gearbox with a wet, slipper clutch is fitted.