BARNI DUCATI 1199 PANIGALE R SUPERSTOCK
RACER TEST
P72
transmission. The Barni Ducati
has obviously benefited from
some tender loving care in refin-
ing that setup. But there's still no
auto-blipper to obviate use of the
clutch lever yet fitted on the cus-
tomer Panigales, although the
Chaz Davies Superbike I was rid-
ing that day did at last have it—the
first desmo V-twin ever to feature
such a device.
So the Barni Ducati is fast yet
forgiving, a rare combo for a race-
bike, to which you must also add
the fact that it changes direction
more easily than the old L-twins
did, presumably thanks to the re-
duced gyroscopic effect of the
lighter crankshaft assembly, and
especially the downsized rotating
mass of the flywheel. Whereas
the L-twins up to and including
the 1098R and 1198SP needed
you to be pretty physical in lift-
ing them up and over from side
to side in successive turns, the
Panigale R was much more bid-
dable, with tighter steering ge-
ometry which makes it less tiring
to ride hard than its predecessor.
The Ducati flicked from side to
side very positively in the quar-
tet of Mugello chicanes, making
the Panigale R everything you'd
expect a V-twin to be in terms
of agility compared to a four-
cylinder Superbike. However,
the improved acceleration and
increased torque now makes the
Mercado's
Superstock
machine
stands
alongside Chaz
Davie's FR14
Superbike.
