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 P52 S P E C I F I C A T I O N S ENGINE: .................... Superquadro L-twin, 4 valves per cylinder, Desmodromic, liquid cooled DISPLACEMENT: .............................. 955cc BORE X STROKE: .............. 100 x 60.8mm EXHAUST: .......2-1-2 system with catalytic converter and 2 lambda probes. Stain- less steel pre-silencer, underbody muffler HORSEPOWER: .......157 hp @ 10,500 rpm (claimed) TORQUE: ............... 79.2 lb-ft @ 9000 rpm (claimed) COMPRESSION RATIO: ..................... 12.5:1 TRANSMISSION: ... Six-speed with Ducati Quick Shift, slipper clutch CHASSIS: ............. Aluminum monocoque FRONT SUSPENSION: ............. 43mm fully adjustable Showa BPF fork REAR SUSPENSION: Single Sachs shock absorber, fully adjustable FRONT BRAKE: ......... Twin 320mm discs, Brembo M4.32 four-piston Monobloc calipers, ABS REAR BRAKE: ........... Single 245mm disc, Brembo twin-piston caliper, ABS FRONT TIRE: ..Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa 120/70 ZR17 REAR TIRE: .....Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa 180/60 ZR17 RAKE: ..................................................... 24° TRAIL: ............................................... 3.7 in. WHEELBASE: ..................................56.3 in. SEAT HEIGHT: ................................32.4 in. OVERALL HEIGHT: ............................ 43.9in OVERALL LENGTH: ...........................80.9in FUEL CAPACITY: ............................. 4.5 gal WEIGHT: ............. 440 lbs. (wet, claimed) COLOR: ......Ducati Red/Arctic White Silk MSRP: ...................................................TBA ing you maximize drive in search of your next corner victim. The 959 doesn't have the same braking power as the truck-stopping M50 Brem- bos found on the 1299, but the slightly lower-spec M4.32 four-piston front calipers do a sufficient job of hauling you up from speed. Our first session had us riding around in Sport mode which had the ABS on near full intervention on the front and rear, and it was far from a pleasant experience over the braking bumps into turn one as the ABS system got confused, pulsated badly and the brak- ing pressure was momentarily released. That meant no brakes for a split second (not a nice feeling), but switching to Race mode gave less intervention on the front and none at all on the rear, meaning normal brake service resumed. A hint at this machine's road- bike designation can be found in the fact it's not the easiest bike to change traction control and ABS settings on. The 1299 has the handy on-the-fly paddle shift on the left bar to change traction control, but to change the desired level on the 959 you have to manually enter the dash and program it at standstill, which is not ideal if you're racing or track riding. I suppose the 1299 has spoiled us somewhat. But that's essentially what the 959 does, only in a differ- ent way. The smaller of the two Panigales is your friend, and it wants you to ride faster and come away from the experience knowing you got pretty close to your riding limits and lived to tell the tale. Don't get me wrong, I looove the 1299, all that power corrupts me in a way unprint- able here, but the 959 gives different, friendlier vibes that encourage you to brake deeper and accelerate harder than you did on the previous lap. It's a bike you'll want to ride again and again, and that's one of the best compliments I can pay it. CN Throwing the 959 on its side feels like moto-dancing. Better than real dancing, we reckon.