The EICMA Milan motorcycle show will open its doors in just a day, but Ducati invited all the press to a very special press conference where the Italian brand showed the last batch of new motorcycles for 2019.
Among the new models, one specific bike was expected by everyone: the Panigale V4 R.
This R variant is the version that Ducati will homologate for race duties at the World Superbike championship next season onwards, with Chaz Davies and Alvaro Bautista at its helm. It’s a special homologation model, and so Ducati had to build something truly special.
The engine, the V4 Desmosedici Stradale, had to be completely retouched by Ducati Corse, and that means really everything! The displacement has gone down from the known 1103 cc to just 998 cc, thanks to the use of pistons that show the same bore (81 mm) but now run a little less stroke (48,4 mm) thanks to a new crankshaft made in forged steel which moves the new connecting rods in titanium. These connecting rods allowed Ducati to decrease the weight in 100 gr each!
The new counter-rotating crankshaft allows for a weight reduction of over 1 kg compared to the regular Panigale V4, and Ducati claims that the engine configuration allows the four-cylinder engine to feature a firing order just like in a twin-cylinder engine, what Ducati calls Twin Pulse.
And how much power does the 998 cc Desmosedici Stradale engine makes?
According to Ducati, the smaller version of the V4 engine produces 221 hp at 15.250 rpm, while the massive 112 Nm of torque will arrive a bit earlier at 11.500 rpm. But if this isn’t enough for you, Ducati Corse has a little special thing that will make your heart beat a little faster: with the race-only Akrapovic exhaust system installed, the V4 will pump out an outstanding 234 hp of peak power!
The design of the new Panigale V4 R doesn’t change much from the versions we already got used to seeing on the road and track, but being the special homologation version, the R variant gets a new aerodynamic package dubbed Aero Pack by Ducati.
Developed on a wind tunnel and with the help of computerized systems to calculate its benefits, the Aero Pack features a bigger and taller windscreen, a wider front fairing, bigger side panels with new gills for improved engine cooling and MotoGP inspired wings.
Made in carbon fibre, the Panigale V4 R wings can generate a 30 kg of pressure to the front wheel at 270 km/h. This helps to keep the front wheel down in acceleration, and, according to Ducati, will also help the bike feel more stable during hard braking.
But if the engine gets a complete overhaul, then, Ducati also had to change the chassis. And so they did!
The Ducati Front Frame has been completely developed by Ducati Corse, not only to be lighter, but also to become even more resistant to torsional forces. The one-sided swingarm also features adjustability, with the rider able to choose the height of the pivot point in four fixed positions, something that will help to adjust bike behaviour depending on rider tastes and track demands.
A year ago when the Panigale V4 was shown, it was the first road bike to give use to the then new Brembo Style callipers. Now, other bikes, like the new Aprilia RSV4 1100 Factory, are using those components, so Ducati tried to get ahead of the competition with something else: suspension.
Ducati spoke to Öhlins, and the Swedish specialists worked on a new front fork for the Panigale V4 R. Called NPX 25/30, the front fork is pressurized and derives from the same ones Öhlins uses in World Superbike. Fully adjustable, the right leg of the fork has extension duties and uses a 30 mm piston, while the left leg of the fork features a 25 mm piston and does the compression function.
To allow the bike to reach a weight of just 165 kg (in race trim), Ducati went to the World Superbike parts bin and decided to install on the V4 R the same race wheels as seen on race bikes, made in forged aluminium.
To help the rider controlling the beastly power and torque of the Panigale V4 R, Ducati installed its most evolved electronics package, which includes: Bosch Cornering ABS EVO, Ducati Traction Control EVO, Ducati Slide Control, Ducati Wheelie Control EVO, Ducati Power Launch, Ducati Quickshift EVO, Ducati Engine Brake Control EVO, besides the usual riding modes.
Price isn’t known yet, but expect Ducati to ask for a little more than the current V4 S Speciale.