DUCATI PANIGALE R F15
RACER TEST
P82
sweet-action powershifter was
happy to do, even if Chaz has
this set up noticeably stiffer than
on most other current Super-
bikes I've ridden lately. But best
of all when I got to the other end
of a straight and had to think
about braking and backshifting
for a turn, I could use the great
auto-blipper system that finally
appeared on a Ducati V-twin for
the first time at the Aragon round
last year. This works brilliantly
well, delivering a seamless back-
shift in every gear without your
having to touch the clutch lever
after leaving pit lane, and is now
included as standard on both the
1199 Panigale R streetbike and
its 1299 Panigale big sister.
That's always been the point
of Ducati going racing, as
a means of developing new
technology on its factory race-
bikes that will find its way in due
course to its customer models.
The new 2015 WSBK regula-
tions do indeed appear to suit
this corporate strategy, so it's
going to be interesting to see
what happens now that Ducati is
back in the winners' circle again
for the first time in three years.
Has the tide turned once again
towards the desmo V-twin mob?
We'll have to wait and see. CN
Don't be surprised
if Davies starts to
get on a roll now
that he's getting
the Panigale how
he wants. Two
wins at Laguna
look ominous for
the rest of the
WSBK paddock.
