Ducati 1199 Panigale

[apessino]

It is official - and it will be amazing:

http://www.ducati.com/1199_panigale/index.do

Fun to see Troy developing it (and thank you Ducati for not calling it "Xtrreme" )

[D.T.]

That's it, I'm flying over to Italy for the show...

[apessino]

So, while we wait, here's what we know so far (Italian mag Motociclismo has had a couple of "exclusive looks" already):

Wet clutch (bye open clutch)
No frame (bye trellis)
Under engine exhaust
Completely revised, over square, incredibly compact twin engine (not an L!)
The short piston run should net scary HP
All kinds of wind tunnel optimizations
Tiny, tiny bike and very slim tail
Mix of chain and gear drive (bye belts)
LED all around
All new electronics (mystery buttons spotted on handlebar)
Developed by the Corse department with Bayliss as main tester
New rearsets are still not adjustable
All new triple, forks, etc. Damper now in front of clamp.
Rear shock mounted horizontally, Diavel style.

I think that's it for now... here's a scan of the Motociclismo article (in Italian, with pics): http://www.ducatinewstoday.com/2011/...erbike-photos/

Here's a reasonable guess of what the bike will look like (color scheme aside ):

[apessino]

One more thing: Lots of magnesium parts on the bike (cases, brackets, etc.)

[JJGeo]

Originally Posted by apessino

):

Wet clutch (bye open clutch)
No frame (bye trellis)
Completely revised, over square, incredibly compact twin engine (not an L!)

I can't wait to see it.

That'll suck if it doesn't have a dry clutch. I actually prefer wet clutches in street bikes, but this is a race bike...it should be dry. UNLESS it is a slipper from the factory, then all is good.

The no frame thing worries me based on how the GP bike is doing. SBK and GP bikes are different animals though.

It's still a 90* twin, just the horizontal cylinder isn't anymore...whole motor has been rotated backwards in the chassis.

[Turder]

Interesting to see how purists will or will not accept this bike. Ducati threw out almost all of their trademark technical and design bits with this bike. For me there is a lots of cons of the 1198 fixed (stuff that I didn't fancy on it) like the dry clutch or belts (more maintenance costs)... 1199 could be easy bike to live with compared to older Ducati superbikes.

Ducati won't enter 1199 Panigale into WSBK next year. Instead, they'll compete in Superstock in 2012 and then Superbike in 2013.

[fast4d]

Wet clutch

Mix of chain and gear drive

SOLD!!!

I bet it'll be lighter than any other RR currently in production.

[DesmoDog]

Originally Posted by Turder

Interesting to see how purists will or will not accept this bike. Ducati threw out almost all of their trademark technical and design bits with this bike. For me there is a lots of cons of the 1198 fixed (stuff that I didn't fancy on it) like the dry clutch or belts (more maintenance costs)... 1199 could be easy bike to live with compared to older Ducati superbikes.

+1, however anyone who knows the history of the brand going back further than the 916 realizes that none of the "trademark" bits, save the desmo system, were around when they first started making their name with twins... and even then not all Ducatis were desmos until what, 1980?

[JJGeo]

Originally Posted by DesmoDog

+1, however anyone who knows the history of the brand going back further than the 916 realizes that none of the "trademark" bits, save the desmo system, were around when they first started making their name with twins... and even then not all Ducatis were desmos until what, 1980?

Yep...people seem to forget (or never knew) that.

I'm a bit of a Ducati guy...even past preident of the local DOC. As long as it does the following things, in this order, I'll embrace it:

1. Performs well
2. Looks good
3. Sounds good

I may not buy it though, because all indications are it is going to be $$$$.

[OldPete]

'member, design changes can be made to meet noise regs.
HD went to belt drive for that reason... iirc.

[fullmonte]

Originally Posted by apessino

Tiny, tiny bike and very slim tail

By the looks of it, real men (anybody bigger than 5'7 and 140lbs)need not apply. The Big 4 can get away with it, but Ducati better watch out as their bikes are priced beyond the reach of adolescents males. The are alienating a big portion of their demographic, no pun intended. I wonder how many riders were put off by the diminutive size of the Aprilia RSV4 and bought a BMW S1000RR instead. How long will it take moto manufacturers to figure out that most men are not built like Pedrosa-bots? I have lost interest in sport bikes because they have gotten so damn small.

[wpbarlow]

Originally Posted by fullmonte

By the looks of it, real men (anybody bigger than 5'7 and 140lbs)need not apply. The Big 4 can get away with it, but Ducati better watch out as their bikes are priced beyond the reach of adolescents males. The are alienating a big portion of their demographic, no pun intended. I wonder how many riders were put off by the diminutive size of the Aprilia RSV4 and bought a BMW S1000RR instead. How long will it take moto manufacturers to figure out that most men are not built like Pedrosa-bots? I have lost interest in sport bikes because they have gotten so damn small.

Good point- and probably a reason Ducati came out with the Streetfighter and MS1200, and Aprilia the original and V4 Tuonos. Racing realities do much to dictate the size/dimensions of pure sportbikes; so the more standard/friendly offerings let the big (normal? ) folks still get the cachet and performance of the racebikes. So there isn't really much alienating of the demographic. Nothing wrong with that strategy.

[JamesG]

WTF is a "Panigale"?

[apessino]

Originally Posted by JamesG

WTF is a "Panigale"?

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Borgo+...src=0&t=m&z=14

[JamesG]

They named it after their own factory?

Seems a bit... presumptuous.