VOLUME 57 ISSUE 32 AUGUST 11, 2020 P85
California mountain roads were meant for a V2.
EVERYONE,KIND OF.
W
hen you consider the relent-
less onslaught of the Ducati
Panigale V4 range of late, it's
easy to forget there's another, smaller
Panigale in the range.
After all, the past three years have
seen the arrival of the V4 and V4 S, the
V4 R, and lately, the Superleggera V4.
However, for this year, Ducati has given
its little Panigale 959 a name change and
a mechanical touch up to keep it at the
front of a class that doesn't really exist.
The 959, all sparkly and fresh with its
new name as the V2, competes against
bike like the Triumph Daytona 765 Moto2
edition, Suzuki GSX-R750, and MV
Agusta F3 800—oddball sportbikes that
don't really fit into any category but ones
that, ironically, offer the almost ideal mix
of power, weight and deft handling.
