2015 Ducati Panigale R

Ignition

CHAZ DAVIES' FACTORY SUPERBIKE -> SYNTHETIC FUELS -> RIDE CRAFT → BIKE LIFE

THE RIDE STARTS HERE

2015 DUCATI PANIGALE R

SUPERBII(E? With WSBICs current rules, superbikes have never been more like the streetbikes they are based on.

BY THE NUMBERS

3 YEARS: Drought Ducati endured between Carlos Checa’s last win on the 1098R and Chaz Davies' first win at Aragon in 2015.

1972 IMOLA 200 VICTORY: Paul Smart and Ducati’s surprising victory aboard the CT750 V-twin arguably put Ducati on the map and made it a brand to be reckoned with on circuits around the world to this very day.

CW FIRST RIDE

The most extreme V-twin superbike gets even more singularly focused

Blake Conner

Never before have superbikes been closer to the streetbikes they are based on than right now. As worldwide racing rules, such as those in the FIM Superbike World Championship, attempt to keep big-budget manufacturers in check, the very bikes that these Superbikes are based on have been taken to a completely new level of sophistication. Ducati’s brandnew 2015 Panigale R is the perfect example. The path to a full-blown racebike has never been so short.

For many of the Ducati faithful, the Panigale concept robbed the average street rider of the torquey V-twin power delivery that they desired. The new big-bore 1299 Panigale should clearly address those concerns, while this new Panigale R was unchained and allowed to pursue revs and top-end performance for the sake of racetrack performance.

Key to the R’s engine is its new internals. A lightened crankshaft, Pankl connecting rods, and new tworing pistons with SBK crowns are used. Bore and stroke remain 112.0 x 60.8mm for an actual 1,198a:. The engine’s compression ratio has been increased to 13.2:1 (from 12.5), while titanium intake and exhaust valves are employed and utilize new cam profiles and timing. Redline has been increased to 12,500 rpm (from 12,000), with peak crankshaft horsepower is now a claimed 205 at 11,500 (up 10), while almost every bit of its 100.5 pound-feet of peak torque is available from 8,500 to 10,500 rpm. Downstream is an all-new Akrapovic exhaust system with 60mm titanium header pipes and pair of Ti mufflers capped with carbonfiber end caps.

Equally important is the new chassis, which uses fully mechanical suspension, including an Öhlins NIX30 fork and TTX36 shock. Unique to the R is its four-position-adjustable swingarm pivot and 5mm-longer wheelbase; head angle is set at 24 degrees with 3.8 inches of trail. Lightweight forged-aluminum wheels come standard with Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP rubber.

Electronics are the key to making the modern superbike rideable. New to the Panigale R are three ride modes, including Race, Sport, and Rain. Also new is Ducati Wheelie Control (DWC), Engine-Braking Control (EBC), and the Ducati Quick Shifter (DQS) that now allows clutchless shifts both up and down. Eight-level traction control and lean-sensing ABS complete the package.

THE NEW ENGINE REVS LIKE NOV-TWIN EVER BEFORE.

I was invited to a dream day of riding the Panigale R around the Imola circuit nestled in the city of the same name. Imola is a complex circuit to learn and handful to ride, but the R was up to the task. I appreciated the bike’s stability through the sixth-gear kink at the end of the straight. But perhaps the bike’s strongest suit is its composure entering corners: The combination of a great fork, well-set-up slipper clutch, EBS, and ultrapowerful Brembo monoblock EVO M50 brakes allowed late braking followed by a smooth transition down to the apex. With ABS set to Level 1,1 never felt any intervention at all.

Hard acceleration required a bit of chassis fine-tuning to get the bike settled on the rear suspension. Almost all of the “straights” are taken with the bike slightly leaned over, which got the rear end pumping under power, but a rebound adjustment to the shock ultimately solved my issues. The new engine revs like no V-twin ever before.

I literally had to ready my left foot to tap the quickshifter in time, as those last couple thousand rpm sweep by in an instant with the shift lights screaming now! The R’s wheelie control plays a huge role in using the V-twin’s power too. Climbing out of Aeque Minerali toward the Variante Alta chicane, I found the front tire would float about a foot above the tarmac all the way up the hill with the bike completely composed and allowing wide-open throttle.

Imola requires a very compromised setup, as you really want stability for the fast bends, but the esses and two chicanes demand a quick-flicking chassis. The Panigale R did a good job of splitting the difference. It doesn’t hurt a bit that the bike is incredibly light. Ducati’s claimed dry weight for the R is an astounding 357 pounds dry, which is 7 pounds lighter than the previous 1199 R and 10 pounds lighter than the new 1299 S.

If your pockets are sewn by Armani, the R’s $33,995 price tag isn’t that big of a deal. But those same buyers must understand that this machine is far happier on racetracks than in mall parking lots. A poseur it is not. Sampled in its ideal environment, a place like Imola, there is little to fault.

It is seriously one of the most potent, technologically amazing, wonderful machines I’ve ever ridden on a track.

It’s as close to a real Superbike as any company has ever built.

2015 DUCATI PANIGALE R

ENGINR TYPE liquid-cooled L-twin, 4 valves per cyl., desmodromic

DISPLACEMENT 1198cc

SEAT HEIGHT 32.7 in.

FUEL CAPACITY 4.5 gal.

CLAIMED WET WEIGHT 406 lb.

PRICE $33,995