A lot of people would agree that the Ducati Panigale—regardless of whether it’s the V4 or V2—is one of the best-looking sportbikes currently available. Indeed, the championship-winning sportbike isn’t just a pretty face, and certainly has the goods to back it up. The Panigale V2, in particular, is a favorite among both casual and serious track aficionados, and can be setup in many ways to unleash its race-focused potential.
Italian exhaust specialist Zard recently gave the Ducati Panigale V2 a race-inspired touch with a new exhaust system. The racing exhaust system replaces the bike’s entire stock exhaust, and even comes with an ECU and race fairing. It gives the Panigale V2 a striking, sporty appearance, as evidenced by the twin undertail exhaust pipes with a triangle shape.
As for the exhaust itself, it’s made out of stainless steel headers, while the silencers have a titanium body and carbon fiber end caps. The routing of the exhaust is different from the stock setup, too, with the headers running underneath the engine, and the silencers mounted to the tail of the sportbike. This gives the bike a slimmer, sportier aesthetic, while at the same time altering the center of gravity slightly. This higher center of gravity should, in theory, make the bike more eager to tip into corners.
Zard’s racing kit for the Panigale V2 isn’t just an exhaust system. There’s also an ECU upgrade called Impulso. The map on the ECU is meant to complement the full exhaust perfectly, and Zard claims that it increases power by six percent, while at the same time improving throttle response. Oh yeah, installing the full exhaust system also sheds a total of 5.1 kilograms versus the stock system.
Last but not least, Zard also made a fairing to complement the exhaust system’s rerouted pipes. It’s made out of a kevlar-carbon fiber composite, and can be ordered either in gloss or satin finishes. Now, Zard doesn’t disclose the pricing of the new racing kit, stating that it’s available upon request. That said, judging on how Zard’s products have always been designed with such attention to detail, expect this racing kit to be made-to-order, and to command quite a premium.
Gallery: Check Out Zard’s Fancy New Race Kit For The Ducati Panigale V2
