Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1209558
2020 DUC ATI PANIG ALE V4 S R I D E R E V I E W P82 bikes that Ducati Corse boss Gigi Dall'Igna said was to "cool the rear tire," rather than add downforce, Reiss simply said, "travel at 40 mph in a car, and stick your hand flat out the win- dow. Now turn your hand so it's 45° to the ground. There's your downforce." For the V4 S rider, there's now a claimed potential 81 pounds of downforce at 186 mph thanks to the two side winglets. On the sliding scale, at a more legal 62 mph, you'll get 8.8 pounds of downforce pushing down on the front wheel, helping that tire stay in contact with the road and stay partially loaded for when you hit the brakes. At a sadly soaking wet Bahrain International Circuit, where the average rainfall for the region is about 2.8 inches, we got about two inches in one day. No one could believe it. But the drenched track conditions put even more of an emphasis on the Ducati's stability, especially given the indicated 185 mph speeds reached down a front straight that even maxes out Formula One cars. The wings offer two distinct advantages. The first and most obvious is the increased down- force at high speed makes for greater stability, especially when you hit the brakes. Having weight on the front tire means one part of the braking phase is essentially done for you, allow- ing you to further set yourself up for the approaching corner, and hit that apex easier. The second and less obvious benefit is as the speed increases, electronic intervention in the form of wheelie control is reduced, thus allowing you to keep on the gas for longer without the ignition cutting and you losing drive. It's a win-win. The new V4 S looks physically beefier than the old model, which is mainly due to the V4 R-derived front fairing being 15mm wider each side, and the side fairings wider by a substantial 38mm left and right. Pair these changes with the same screen as the V4 R, one that's taller by 34mm, and the V4 S becomes a much easier bike to tuck in on, especially if you're above six feet tall. SOFT IS GOOD Moving onto the chassis, Ducati further improved the V4 S by run- ning softer front springs (we don't know exactly what rate), while increasing the stiffness of the V4 R-derived front frame. The reasoning behind is simple. On the street, you need compli- ance, read: softer suspension. If you've ever ridden a racebike on the road, it's (usually) a terrible experi- ence. Compliance from the suspen- sion means you don't get bashed around every time you hit a crack (Left) Aerodynamic winglets add significant downforce and give street cred other bikes would die for. (Right) Ohlins suspension is essentially unchanged as far as the electronics are concerned, but the springs are softer.