VOLUME 57 ISSUE 10 MARCH 10, 2020 P101
R
emember the Ducati 748 unveiled
way back in 1994? Worryingly
that's a quarter of a century ago.
As the smaller version of the 916, it
marked the foundation of the "super
mid" category, as labeled by the Italian
marque, and it was regarded as the bet-
ter bike to ride. The pattern continued
with the 750SS and 749 being easier to
get along with than the 900SS and 999,
respectively. The genetics of that 748 can
be traced to the Panigale V2, the mod-
ern-day incumbent of that title, a swift
and accomplished modern-day sport
bike inheriting 25 years of evolution.
The new $16,495 Panigale V2 is the
last remaining twin-cylinder superbike in
Ducati's ranks and replaces the outgoing
the 955cc "Panigale 959" with a raft of
updates to the engine, aerodynamics,
suspension and, perhaps most impor-
tantly, the electronics.
On behalf of both BikeSocial and
Cycle News, I've been putting the new
V2 through its paces at the MotoGP
circuit in Jerez, Spain.
Mr. Mann lays it on thick for the
camera. The V2 corners well, too.
TWIN-CYLINDER
RANKS, BUT
KNOWN AS THE
SPECIAL?
