You're fairly sure you're getting the pinnacle of superbike performance whenever Ducati announces its latest Panigale V4 R. But the seventh iteration of this bike doesn't just sound like the pinnacle of superbike performance—I'd argue that this is the closest we'll get to MotoGP performance in a current, production, road-legal motorcycle.
There are a couple of features that make this take undeniable. First and foremost, it's engine.
The Panigale V4 R has always set itself apart with straight-up power figures. While the 998 cc Desmosedici Stradale R engine still produces the same peak 208.4 HP output as the outgoing US V4 model, Ducati has eeked out an average gain of 2.6 HP from 4,000 rpm to maximum power, which is achieved at 13,250 rpm, although the bike still retains the same 16,000 rpm redline as before. But with a few tweaks, the V4 R's power reaches the type of insanity that's reserved for, well, V4 Rs.
