Changing tacks
The biggest news, however, is without a doubt the chucking of the Italian firm’s cherished trellis frame. That’s right, the new Panigale is built on an aluminum chassis with a stressed engine, copied in part off that of the new 1,000 cc 2012 MotoGPs. The airbox is closed off by the new aluminum tank, the hind end has shed its exhaust pipes and is built off the rear cylinder and the swingarm bolts directly to the motor.

The new Panigale is built on an aluminum chassis with a stressed engine, copied in part off that of the new 1,000 cc 2012 MotoGPs. (Photo: Ducati)

On the suspension front, the 1199 uses new 50 mm Marzocchi forks with low-friction sliders and a Sachs shock. Mounted on the side, the rear suspension and its complex connecting rod setup was chosen in order to place the engine nearer the bike’s pivot point. The unusual location of the shock makes it very accessible for spring preload adjustment; it can be tweaked for either road or track applications. In addition, the new machine inherits radial monobloc Brembo callipers that are lighter than those used on the Superbike 1198R and thus help reduce the unsprung mass.

More electronics than ever
Technology-wise, the 1199 benefits from all that Ducati does best: a riding mode selector on the handlebars (Race, Sport or Rain), an electronic Ride-by-Wire throttle system and a display that changes the information readout according to the riding mode, just like the Kawasaki ZX-10R. In Race mode, the lap time appear front and centre, while the speedometer and clock become smaller and more discrete. The opposite is true in Sport mode.

But that’s not all. Ducati has equipped the Panigale with the Ducati Quick-Shift technology seen on the 1198 SP, DTC traction control, a data acquisition system, an electronically adjustable suspension derived from the Multistrada 1200S (available on the 1199 S) and an all-new feature dubbed Engine Brake Control that allows you to choose between three engine braking modes via the throttle opening mechanism. What’s more, the new beast can be outfitted with a race ABS system, a first for the sleek Italian superbike.

Ducati has equipped the Panigale with the Ducati Quick-Shift technology seen on the 1198 SP, DTC traction control and an all-new feature dubbed Engine Brake Control that allows you to choose between three engine braking modes via the throttle opening mechanism. (Photo: Ducati)