Racer Ride
RACER RIDE
IGNITION
FIRST RIDE
Chaz Davies’ Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale R
Blake Conner
I don't know who's in charge over at Ducati, but letting a bunch of journalists ride Chaz Davies’ factory Superbikes at Imola, barely a third of the way into the World Superbike season, seems crazy.
World Superbike rules mandated strict limitations on modifications to the production bikes the Superbikes are based on. Most of the engine’s internals (including pistons) must remain stock, while minimal work can be done to the cylinder heads. Chassis modifications include a slightly longer swingarm, an Öhlins RSP40 shock, and 42mm RSP25 fork, while lighter forged-aluminum wheels and Brembo racing brakes are used.
With Chaz’s suggested gears for each corner in my head, I started my first flying lap. It didn’t take but a few seconds for things to get exciting. I heeded his advice and wound the engine out to the shift lights in the first four gears as I headed to the turn-one kink. Holy crap!
If that wasn’t exhilarating enough, a huge power-induced high-speed weave certainly was, flapping the bars as I headed forthe first esses and causing me to go deeper into the braking zone than I had gone all day. A few smooth squeezes of the front brake lever had the reartire leaving the tarmac and my heart jumping out of my chest as I committed to the corner deep and off line. (It’s on slicks. What could go wrong?) Sure enough, the tires bit and the bike glided through as if taunting me: Is this all you’ve got?
I was blown away by the bike’s sheer power and how composed the electronics made the delivery. Despite the instantaneous throttle response, the racebike was much easierto control with the throttle than I predicted-the wheelie control surely keeping things settled overthe track’s blind rises.
One of the fastest sections at Imola starts at the exit of Variante Alta as you head downhill into Rivazza. Chaz instructed me to carry fifth gearthough here, which I tried, only to scare the crap out of myself again as the bike bucked and weaved under power. He later told methat he had to set the bike up very steep with a shorter wheelbase to get through Imola’s chicanes, knowing that he would deal with the instability. Not so easy forthis desk jockey.
The Panigale R Superbike definitely isn’t lacking horsepower, but I can’t begin to imagine how Chaz is able to wrestle with his machine over race distance.
But, as Chaz demonstrated earlier in the season at Aragon, the Ducati Panigale R I just had the pleasure of riding is a proven race winner now and will surely get back on the top step of the box again soon.
