2020 DUCATI PANIGALE V2
R I D E R E V I E W
P86
I first tested the 959 at Valencia, Spain,
in 2015 and came away absolutely raving.
"The 959 is agile, svelte, easier to
master than the 1299 and builds your
confidence like a lady," was a line from a
glowing review, and I meant every word of
it. That little white Panigale was the kind
of sport bike everyone should try, I re-
member thinking, simply because it didn't
scare the living crap out of the rider each
time they sat on it.
The 959 went unchanged until this
year, and although the changes are evolu-
tionary, Ducati has still shown their undy-
ing love of two-cylinder sport/superbikes.
This is the platform that made Ducati who
they are, so it's nice to see they haven't
abandoned it while the V4 rips various
holes in time and space around it.
The V2, as it is now known, gets
various updates, including new body-
work and lights that mimic the V4 range
(although there are no winglets), new
electronics and a new Euro5-compliant
motor via the new exhaust system that
houses two catalytic converters in the
