Cycle News

2018 DUCATI PANIGALE V4S FULL TEST P78 the braking, mid-corner and ac- celeration phases independently. You can go further by switching to full manual mode, which takes away the continuous electronic adjustment and lets you go old school by setting your bike up in the pits the way you like. You will not, however, be doing the adjustment with a screw driver and a C-wrench, as it's all done via the five-inch TFT dash that is without a doubt the best dash Ducati has ever used. The instru- mentation is extremely easy to read and navigate via the left-hand switchblock, and a far, far cry from Ducatis of old (see sidebar). The Ducati Panigale V4S is one of those motorcycles that will force other manufacturers to rethink their approach to what a superbike can and should be. The argument for race specials and big-bore street bikes will surely rage harder than ever now, because the V4S's extra capacity, along with its exceptional running gear and class-leading electronics, are now sitting at the head of the sportbike table. The big thing to take away from my four 15-minute sessions on the Ducati Panigale V4S is that now the Panigale brand has gone from being a nemesis of fast lap times to an ally you can rely on. It's become easier to ride, and is now a bike that works with you, rather than against you. Ducati has really, truly, created a landmark motorcycle with the new Panigale V4S. CN 2018 DUCATI PANIGALE V4S ($27,495 - S VERSION TESTED) ENGINE: .................. Desmosedici Stradale 90° V4, rearward-rotating crankshaft, 4 Desmodromi- cally actuated valves per cylinder, liquid-cooled DISPLACEMENT: ...............................................1103cc BORE X STROKE: ...................................81 x 53.5mm FUEL INJECTION: ................Electronic fuel injection system, twin injectors per cylinder, full ride-by- wire elliptical throttle bodies, variable length intake system COMPRESSION RATIO: ....................................... 14.0:1 POWER:.................214 hp @ 13,000 rpm (claimed) TORQUE: ........... 91.5 lb-ft @ 10,000 rpm (claimed) EXHAUST: ............................................................4-2-1-2 TRANSMISSION: ............6-speed with Ducati Quick Shift (DQS) up/down EVO CLUTCH: ........ Hydraulically controlled slipper and self-servo wet multi-plate clutch CHASSIS: ................ Aluminum alloy "Front Frame" FRONT SUSPENSION: .....Ohlins NIX30 43mm fully adjustable fork with TiN treatment. Electronic compression and rebound damping adjustment with Ohlins Smart EC 2.0 event-based mode REAR SUSPENSION: ............Fully adjustable Ohlins TTX36 unit. Electronic compression and rebound damping adjustment with Ohlins Smart EC 2.0 event-based mode; aluminum single- sided swingarm FRONT BRAKE: ............. Dual 330mm semi-floating discs, radially mounted Brembo Monobloc Stylema (M4.30) 4-piston calipers with Bosch Cornering ABS EVO REAR BRAKE: ............245mm disc, 2-piston caliper with Bosch Cornering ABS EVO FRONT TIRE: ..................... Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP 120/70 ZR17 REAR TIRE: ........................ Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP 200/60 ZR17 RAKE: .....................................................................24.5° WHEELBASE: ..................................................... 57.8 in. SEAT HEIGHT: ................................................ 32.48 in. FUEL CAPACITY: ............................................. 4.23 gal WEIGHT: .............................. 430 lbs. (curb, claimed) S P E C I F I C A T I O N S THAT GLORIOUS DASH The dashboard is one of our favorite little pieces on the new Ducati Panigale V4S. It's so well designed and intuitive it makes you wonder why Ducati dashes were such a pain in the ass for so long. The dash is a five-inch TFT display and allows you to change from track to street settings easily via the left switchblock. On-the-fly changes are now much easier, as in the right corner you will get everything from the DTC to the EBC settings—simply select what you want to change, close the throttle, confirm the setting, and ride away. Easy. Track display allows for a focus on lap times in the top left corner, gear position, speed, as well as a digital rev counter designed to look like an analog tacho. Road setting shows the Ducati Multimedia System information and rpm, speed, gear, and trip information like trip time, fuel, average speed, air temp and all the various levels of the electronic modes like DWC, DTC, etc. Within the dash you'll get access to the Ducati Data Analyzer + GPS (DDA + GPS) system and the Ducati Lap Timer (DLT GPS), which an incredible took for allowing you to gauge just how quickly you're going around the track, where you can improve via the GPS locator and how much faster you are than your buddy! The muffler is surprisingly quiet in standard trim, but if you fit the full Akrapovic titanium exhaust, you better cover your ears!

• Cover