IN
THE
WIND
P32
DUCATI PANIGALE R BREAKS COVER
D
ucati is continuing its history
of race replica machines for
the road with the arrival of the
2015 Ducati Panigale R. Based
around the machine that Chaz
Davies and Davide Giugliano
have been campaigning in the
World Superbike Championship,
the Panigale R is Ducati's latest
racebike-with-lights special,
aimed primarily at national and
world level Superstock and
Superbike racers.
The biggest difference be-
tween this and the 1299 Pani-
gale is the fact the Panigale R
still comes out with an 1198cc
Superquadro engine to keep it
within the rules for Superbike
and Superstock racing. The
Panigale R's engine boasts
titanium exhaust valves to match
the already present titanium
intake valves and conrods,
two-ring pistons and a lighter
crankshaft than the previous
generation Panigale R. The
engine is fitted with a homolo-
gated Akrapovic full titanium
exhaust designed specifically for
racing, with Ducati claiming the
end result is a substantial 205hp
at 11,500 rpm and 100 ft-lbs of
torque at 10,250 rpm.
The Panigale R still utilizes the
monocoque design of Panigale's
past but unlike the 1299, the
Öhlins NIX30 43mm fork and
TTX36 rear shock is not elec-
tronically adjustable. However,
the Panigale R does come with
an adjustable swingarm pivot
that is changeable up to four
different positions. Lightweight
forged aluminum wheels keep
this piece of art rolling.
As you'd expect for a machine
of this caliber, there's almost
every top-level form of electronic
control currently available to a
production superbike crammed
The Ducati Panigale R
closely replicated on
Chaz Davies (7) and
Davide Giugliano's
(34) World Superbike
weapons.
