Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/609129
2016 DUCATI 959 PANIGALE FIRST RIDE P50 Or maybe I wouldn't, be- cause even though the engine has a claimed 157 horsepower at the crank, its application is velvety smooth. The initial throttle opening is predictable, not intimidating, and to ride this thing fast you need to get on the throttle early to keep it driv- ing, because it simply doesn't have the power required to square off a corner and rear wheel steer it like a superbike. It's definitely a supersport riding technique that gets the best from the 959; high entry and midcorner speed that means all those years I spent riding little bikes actually paid off in pro- ducing a respectable lap time. Even though the engine is less revvy than before, you still need to keep it spinning north of 7000 rpm to get good racetrack drive. Let it drop below this level and the Superquadratto motor will take time to deliver meaning- ful forward motion, by which stage you'll be working the gear- box frantically to get it back in its happy zone. This will be less important on the road, which is where the machine is primarily aimed, as there's no discernable racing class for the 959. On the track you have to be careful not to hit the soft-action rev limiter, which is an easy thing to do because there's still decent drive right at the point of power cut-out at just after 12,000 rpm and the third red shift light flash- es across the top of the digital dash. The gearbox is equipped with a single direction (upshift) quickshifter, not the bi-directional unit found on the 1299. It can be deactivated if desired. Not having the two-way quickshifter is not really an is- sue, for me at least, because this is the first midsized Ducati sportbike to come with a proper slipper clutch, which helps to keep the machine extremely stable under hard, high-speed braking. You can jump down three, even four gears at a time if you like, dump the clutch like your ex and the slipper takes care of the rest, giving you more time to set up for the approaching corner that is fast crowding your primal thought process. It's all a combined act between the slipper clutch, the ABS (in Race mode, there are also Rain and Sport modes) and the chassis, which in itself is an absolute gem of aluminum monocoque thinking. This is a machine that hunts corners like a sniper, identifying, engaging and disposing of them before searching for its next target. The often recalcitrant ways of the 1299, a machine that takes a certain vigor and style to ride to The balance of the 959 means you can get lean angles like this all day (as long as the rubber you have is good!).