Cycle News

VOL. 52 ISSUE 23 JUNE 9, 2015 P63 forged two-ring pistons for reduced friction and higher revs whose SBK- spec crowns help deliver a 13.2:1 compression ratio (up from 12.5:1). The 46.8mm paired inlet valves and 38.2mm exhausts are now all tita- nium (the exhausts were previously steel, for cost reasons), all operated via DLC-coated rocker-arms by new camshafts with increased lift and revised timing. Those large intake valves are fed by Marelli elliptical-choke throttle bodies measur- ing an effective 67.5mm circular diameter, and individually controlled via separate stepper mo- tors by the direct-action ride-by-wire/RBW digital throttle. Dual Mitsubishi injectors are fitted, one positioned directly above the inlet trumpets (which are still fixed, with no variable length intake system as on so many of the Ducati's four-cylinder rivals yet), the other beneath the butterfly. Maximum power of 205 bhp/150.8 kW is de- livered at 11,500rpm in streetlegal guise with a Euro 3-compliant catalyst exhaust, with peak torque of 136.2Nm/100.5lb-ft at 10,250rpm. Ducati has made a major change in exhaust supplier for 2015, ditch- ing its long-time partner Termignoni in favor of those Slovenian sultans of sound, Akrapovic. The resultant 2-1-2 exhaust employs meaty 60mm titanium pipes leading to dual titanium silencers with carbon end caps positioned beneath the motor. And for the first time on a Ducati, the new exhaust has an electronic valve fitted similar to that used on the factory Ka- wasaki Superbike for the past two years, in order to counter the only real downside of the lighter crankshaft now fitted for a more aggressive pickup out of a turn, and hence increased acceleration. This reduces the amount of engine braking avail- able, traditionally one of the Ducati's strengths when managed properly via the ECU and slipper clutch. So while the new engine with the lighter crankshaft helps the riders accelerate harder off the bend, Ducati now assists them on the way into the turn via the exhaust valve. When you close the throttle, this stays open, as the ECU calculates front and rear wheel speeds. Then if the rear starts to rotate faster than the front, the exhaust valve is closed via the ECU, thus giving more engine braking by increasing the back-pres- sure of the exhaust, in the same way as on a diesel truck. The Super- quadro motor acts as an inte- gral component of the Panigale R's chassis, which consists of a diecast hollow aluminium semi- monocoque bolted to it. This incorporates the same geometry changes as on the 1299, but is still made from aluminium, rather than magnesium as on the 500-off limited edition (and uber-costly) Superleggera. This alumi- num structure weighs 9.3lb and doubles as the airbox containing the air filter and throttle bodies. It also incorporates the steering head holding the fully adjustable 43mm Öhlins NIX30 fork, set at a half-degree tighter 24º rake with 96mm of trail (was 100mm). Note that the Swedish company's electronic suspension featured on the 1299 Panigale S is not em- ployed here, though the TTX36 twin-tube shock is as always fully adjustable for damping and length (and so ride height). It's mounted horizontally on the left side of the bike for optimum accessibility, and operated by a single- sided swingarm set in the four-point adjust- able pivot carried over from the previous 1199 Panigale R, the first time this was ever fitted to a Ducati V-twin streetbike and aimed at delivering varying set-up levels of pro or anti-squat to opti- mise traction on corner exit. The setting can be altered via two eccentric adjusters that offer a choice of four pivot posi- tions at +2mm higher, -2mm lower and -4mm lower than the standard default position. The two lower settings increase squat for better grip, while the higher setting Ducati has severed ties with their longtime exhaust partners, Termignoni, in favor of those Slovenian sultans of sound, Akrapovic. continued on next page

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