Earlier this year, I rode the newly revised Yamaha MT-09, which had some seemingly minor updates that amounted to much greater improvements than you'd expect.
But that, compared to what Ducati has done to the latest iteration of the Panigale V4, feels like taping a peashooter to a bike versus strapping one to a nuke and sending it to space.
Ducati just unveiled the seventh generation superbike bearing the Panigale badge, and improvements have seemingly been made across the board. You are witness to the needle moving.
This is what it looks like.
Turns Better, Stops Better
Let's hit the elephant in the room—this is the first Ducati superbike since the 999 to have a double-sided swingarm. And this, out of all the wild updates, will undoubtedly be the most divisive. It's no secret that a single-sided swingarm isn't the best option for performance—if it was, all MotoGP bikes would use it.
Panigales have always been able to stick with or dominate the competition, and a single-sided swingarm is one of the coolest-looking features on any bike, so consumers never questioned it.
But if Ducati's figures are anything to go off, the new model will be a league ahead of the current.
The shell-cast aluminum double-sided swingarm with its huge cutouts reduces lateral stiffness by 37%. Reducing stiffness isn't normally something we associate with progression, but in this case, it is. Pirelli's latest tires have so much more grip when on their sides that a swingarm with greater flex will give riders more feel as they get on the gas coming out of a corner.
About those tires, this model glued to the road are Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP V4s, which wrap forged aluminum rims. The new swingarm, along with the suspension and rear wheel assembly, reduce the weight of the back end by a claimed 8.3 lbs.
Of course, with all that flex, the new V4 needs serious dampening power, and it gets it in the form of Öhlins latest electronic units. It'll feature a set of NPX-30 forks and a TTX 36 shock absorber, and both feature new hydraulic spool valves, which should offer a greater range of adjustment between road and track riding modes. The bike will also come with a steering damper as standard.
Every area of performance gets an upgrade, and that includes the brakes.
Out with Brembo's supremely capable Stylemas and in with the brand's latest flagship four-pot Hypure calipers, which bite into 330mm discs and reduce the bike's unsprung weight by 60g when compared to the Stylemas.
Even More Power
Look, the last thing the V4 needed was more power, and that's why Ducati's engineers focused so much on lightening and improving the feel of its chassis. But, what the hell, it still has more power.
Producing a Euro5+ engine that's more powerful than the previous one is no mean feat, but Ducati managed to increase the new 1103cc Desmosedici Stradale V4's power output to 210.5 horsepower in the US, an increase of 0.5 hp over the outgoing model, and 216 hp for the European version.
And when you consider the weight on the whole is down by 4.4 lbs, it's an even more impressive accomplishment.
You can further amp up the output to 228 hp by fitting the V4 with an Akrapovič track-only racing exhaust. That's more than a bloody Subaru BRZ. Once on, the Akrapovič system reduces the bike's weight by a whopping 14.5 lbs.
Although the capacity is the same as the current V4, the new model will have a counter-rotating crankshaft to reduce inertia and reach its peak power at 13,500 rpm, which is 500 rpm higher in the rev range. And Ducati has managed to do all this while making the engine 2.2 lbs lighter. One sacrifice owners of the new machine will have to make is torque, as the 2025 US-bound model produces 89.5 lb-ft compared to the 92.1 lb-ft the 2024 model has.
But something needs to keep all those horses in check.
Electronic Suite
Ducati is always known for its top-notch electronics, but the brand has taken things a step further with the upcoming V4 and its 70-plus sensors.
By far, the most interesting piece of tech to me is the use of Bosch's Race electronic Combined Braking System (eCBS). The track-use-only feature links the front and rear brakes in a way that mimics the way top-level racers apply them together. It can even continue to apply up to 15.5% of the rear brake after the front has been released to assist riders upon corner turn-in.
Of course, all the regulars are there, like traction control, wheelie control, slide control, launch control, an up/down quickshifter, etc. And they're backed by a new six-axis IMU. In the theme of more, more, more, the full-color TFT dash is now a massive 6.9 inches.
Design and Aero
From a purely aesthetic point of view, a double-sided swingarm will probably never be nicer than a single-sided for me, but if you compare this swingarm to other double-sided swingarms, I think it's a belter.
In the same vein as the new swingarm, form follows function for the rest of the design changes, and they're all made to make the new V4 faster and more easily adaptable for track use.
The new winglets at the front are built into the fairing rather than stuck on, and combined with the redesigned tail unit, drag is down by 4%. But when I look at the bike head-on, I find it hard to see anything but Zoidberg from Futurama.
At the same time, I see a huge resemblance to the old, beautiful Desmosedici RR, thanks to the redesigned headlights. I'm hoping the front grows on me a bit more because, overall, it's still a drop-dead gorgeous machine.
The side fairings and tank have also had a nice redesign, and the mirrors are now mounted on the handlebars instead of the front fairing. The benefit of the new mirror mounts is that when riders take the V4 on track, they won't have bare mirror mounts sticking out of the front fairing. A pretty simple design feature that should make a lot of riders happy.
There's a lot to take in but apparently, this model is a second faster around Ducati's test track than the updated V4 that launched in 2022 and easier to ride. But we'll have to wait until the new models arrive in dealerships in September to see how true that is.
The V4 will be priced at $25,995, while the V4 S will come in at $33,895.
The question is, does the new model do it for you? Will you be waltzing into a Ducati dealership this September with a smile on your face and checkbook in hand? Or do you prefer the balance of style and performance that the 2024 V4 provides? Let us know in the comments.
