Photo: autoevolution.com
Back in mid-September, one Ducati dealer in Portland, OR made a small mistake and revealed a photo displaying a detail of a Panigale bike. The pic showed the 1299 figure, instead of the current 899 and 1199 models. This photo had spilled the beans, and even though it was soon removed from MotoCorsa Ducati’s Facebook page, the “damage” was done.
A fortnight ahead of the 2014 EICMA show in Milan, rumors have started circulating, indicating that Ducati is indeed planning an update of the bigger of the two Panigale machines. While the whole extent of the upgrades the (current) 1199 Panigale is still a matter of secrecy, some were eager to speculate that the bike will receive the lighter engine of the Superleggera, according to A&R.
The most recent whispers in the industry say there’s no chance to see a Superleggera engine inside the 2015 Panigale, and that the engine upgrades will not be present in the R-spec machine, which also serves as the base for World Superbike racing hardware. This means that even though Ducati’s top superbike will retain the 1299R badge, it will still use the under 1,200cc displacement engine to comply with the regulations of the WSBK.
At 10,500 rpm, Ducati 1199 Panigale is 5 hp short of the “magic” 200 horsepower mark, so we might get to see the 1299 performing better in this, while the 132 Nm (98.1 lb-ft) @ 9,000 rpm figure will also make it more desirable.
Even more, this seems to be a good business model for Ducati, as it will use the street bike platform for delivering race-grade motorcycles. This appears to be a growing trend in the industry, with Yamaha also rumored to be working on two new versions of their flagship R1 machine, and Kawasaki’s all-new Ninja H2 and H2R being only the most recent additions to the segment, even though we sort of doubt the latter will be accepted in the WSBK.
More info on the new Ducati machines, including the variable valve timing Multistrada will become available soon, as the EICMA draws nearer.
The most recent whispers in the industry say there’s no chance to see a Superleggera engine inside the 2015 Panigale, and that the engine upgrades will not be present in the R-spec machine, which also serves as the base for World Superbike racing hardware. This means that even though Ducati’s top superbike will retain the 1299R badge, it will still use the under 1,200cc displacement engine to comply with the regulations of the WSBK.
Bigger street Panigales
Therefore we could see three new Panigale bikes at the EICMA, most likely the 1299, 1299S and 1299R. The same rumors say that the 1299 and 1299S will indeed receive an 100cc displacement boost, with the corresponding increase in the max power and torque. The current 1199 engine will be stroked out. With an 112mm (4.4”) bore and 60.8mm (2.4”) stroke, the current 1199 Superquadro will become a tad less over-square, but this might make it feel smoother and more powerful even in the slightly lower revs.At 10,500 rpm, Ducati 1199 Panigale is 5 hp short of the “magic” 200 horsepower mark, so we might get to see the 1299 performing better in this, while the 132 Nm (98.1 lb-ft) @ 9,000 rpm figure will also make it more desirable.
Even more, this seems to be a good business model for Ducati, as it will use the street bike platform for delivering race-grade motorcycles. This appears to be a growing trend in the industry, with Yamaha also rumored to be working on two new versions of their flagship R1 machine, and Kawasaki’s all-new Ninja H2 and H2R being only the most recent additions to the segment, even though we sort of doubt the latter will be accepted in the WSBK.
More info on the new Ducati machines, including the variable valve timing Multistrada will become available soon, as the EICMA draws nearer.
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