R I D E R E V I E W
P102
2020 DUCATI PANIGALE V2
with some premium and desirable Italian
engineering.
On the face of it, most of the "Baby
Panigale" is a pimped 959, though dig a
little deeper, and the changes are wide-
ranging. New styling matches the Pani-
gale V4; there's a double-layer fairing,
new side panels and a redesigned tail, as
well as LED headlights tucked into exaggerated air
intakes that are now synonymous to the range.
You can't help but notice the single-sided swing-
arm that shows off the rear wheel—and is sure to
divide opinion. Styling-wise, the stubby exhaust
helps, as it's a vast improvement compared to the
over-and-under design from the 959.
Power is up five horsepower to 155 at 10,750
rpm, while torque rises by about 1.5 lb-ft to 76.7 at
9000 rpm. It's not as eye-shudderingly ferocious
as a Panigale V4, but of course, it's down some
50 Italian horses, although that makes it plenty
more manageable out of the final corner at Jerez,
ABSOLUTELY NOT A V4
The Desmosedici Stradale motors
from the Panigale V4 are big, boom-
ing humdingers designed to defy wind
resistance and propel its operator at
silly speeds both in a straight line, and
courtesy of the overwhelmingly brilliant
electronics package, around the twisty
bits, too. The Superquadro 90-degree V-twin also
comes complete with a swath of its own sensory
snippets to emphasize that you're still dealing
(Above) You could
never accuse the
V2 of being the ugly
stepsister to the V4
now, could you?
(Below) The V2 office.
You can see all the
settings in the right
corner of the dash.
