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/933834
2018 DUCATI PANIGALE V4S FULL TEST P70 be the fastest production machine ever created by Ducati—includ- ing the legendary Desmosedici D16RR of 2006. Compared to the outgoing twin- cylinder 1299 Panigale S, you're getting 17 horsepower more with the V4 for the tradeoff of a 9.9-pound vehicle weight gain, one that is hidden so beautifully in the new chassis it's impossible to tell. The Panigale V4S enjoys many things new, namely the com- pany's Front Frame design that weighs just 9.2 pounds. This is mated to a magnesium headlamp and mirror support, a cast alu- minum subframe and swingarm, and forged aluminum Marche- sini wheels. And there's a ton of incredible electronics with the Ducati Traction, Ducati Wheelie Control, Engine Brake Control and Ducati Slide Control getting new algorithms as well as new colleagues in the Ducati Slide- By-Brake system and new Ohlins Smart SE 2.0 electronic suspen- sion (which is a vast improvement over what was on the previous V- twin version). Plus, it's all accessed via the best dash Ducati has ever fitted to a production motorcycle, one that's easy to read and easy to use which is critical, considering the number of parameters you can JUST LIKE MOTOGP Ducati has been more than proud to say the Desmosedici Stradale's pistons slide up and down an 81mm bore—the same as Andrea Dovizioso and Co.'s MotoGP monsters. The pistons themselves contain box-in- box technology, which essentially helps reduce the inertial loads on the piston while helping it retain the required strength, stiffness and most importantly, light weight. The Panigale V4 also uses a sky-high compression ratio of 14:1, with the pistons working on forged steel conrods that have an eye-to-eye measurement of 101.8mm. SAME, BUT DIFFERENT The Desmosedici Stradale's crank is the first counter-rotating unit to be fitted to a production Ducati. Every team in MotoGP uses a counter-rotating crank, which first helps offset the gyroscopic effect of the turning wheels, which enables better handling and agility. Secondly, the counter-rotating crank produces inertia-linked torque, so when the bike wants to naturally wheelie under acceleration, the crank will help keep the front wheel lower to the ground so you can keep the throttle pinned. The same is true for braking, as when you slam hard on the brakes the back wheel will come off the ground, a phenomenon the crank direction also helps mitigate. To do so, the crankshaft requires a reversing jackshaft to transfer drive through the gearbox to the rear wheel, to make sure it turns the correct way. We don't want a 200-mph reverse bike now, do we? The dash is a truly exceptional piece of engineering and is a joy to use.