VOL. 56 ISSUE 1 JANUARY 8, 2019 P117
mutually exclusive traits, agility
and stability—and that's what the
similar-format Ducati V4 R also
encompasses, but in a much
more powerful package. Despite
the long wheelbase, the V4 R
was easier to change direction
on than any desmo V-twin Su-
perbike I've yet ridden.
The new Ducati hugged a line
really well even under hard ac-
celeration, and although without
any chicanes (hooray!) Jerez
isn't an ideal circuit to test a
bike's ability to switch from side
to side very quickly except at
turns two and three, it seemed
both agile and quickly respon-
sive to steering input. I suspect
the reason it steers so well isn't
so hard to figure out—the com-
pact build of the 90° V4 engine
centralizes the mass of the bike,
and having that right-angle cyl-
inder layout means that it's got
a lower center of gravity as well.
That's because there's room to
sink the throttle bodies down
between the cylinders in a way
that couldn't be done on Max
Biaggi's and Sylvain Guintoli's
taller, three-time world cham-
pion tighter-angle 65º V4 Aprilia,
which the new Ducati, however,
reminds me of in terms of power
delivery characteristics, with that
broad spread of torque.
The V4 R's lower build was
surely another reason besides
the super well set-up Ohlins sus-
pension that it rode the bumps
so well on a Jerez circuit closed
for complete resurfacing two
days after my ride there.
With a slightly softer front
and a stiffer spring at the rear
than on the V4 S, the R-model's
Ohlins suspension package
delivers impressive stability and
outstanding feedback. There's
a huge sense of response from
the front which gives you extra
confidence in keeping up turn
speed, and thanks also to the
54/46 percent forward weight
bias this indeed applies under
hard braking, where the large
330mm twin front discs and the
lighter, more sculpted, latest
spec four-piston Brembo Sty-
lema one-piece radial calipers,
exclusively developed for the
V4 R, do a phenomenal job of
stopping the bike hard from high
speed, but with great sensitivity
and no hint of grabbing.
DUCATI GIVES
YOU WINGS
There's also a nice degree of
engine braking still left dialed
into the settings for the STM
ramp-style slipper clutch. All this
means you have heaps of confi-
dence in keeping up turn speed
in a corner like the off-camber
third-gear sweeping right-hander
named after Sito Pons, which
leads onto the back straight at
Jerez. You can feel via your fin-
gertips how well the front Pirelli
is gripping the tarmac—a confi-
dence that may perhaps be de-
rived from the winglets fitted to
the bike. These are the first ever
featured on a customer Ducati
street bike, and are derived from
the 2016 type used by Ducati in
MotoGP before the regulations
were changed to make them
less intrusive visually—albeit ap-
parently less functional.
However, the ones on the V4
R don't suffer from that handi-
cap, and in delivering greater
Ducati is putting all its eggs in
one basket with the V4 R, it's
only objective being to win the
WorldSBK Championship.
