BRUCE LONGTERMER DUCATI PANIGALE V4 SP2
TIME ON TEST: A FEW WEEKS
ODOMETER MILES
BHP: 213 GAIN: 0
NEXT AIM: CRANK UP THE MILES
I'm old enough to know not to wish my time away, but this winter I've had good reason to. Tucked inside my garage, wrapped up warm and chained to within an inch of its life, has lived perhaps the most stunning production bike of now - Ducati's Panigale V4 SP2. Technically,make the very most of this loan, with big miles, trackdays and plenty of trick bits being bolted to it. For perspective, and to help justify why I'm frothing like a hungry lad in a pie factory, this particular Panigale, in my opinion, is the finest of them all. It's something of a hybrid, blurring the lines between the V4S, V4R and Superleggera. It's the kind of formula you think up down the pub with your mates, cherry-picking the best bits and crafting something theoretically brilliant. Loads of power, loads of shiny parts, loads of tech and loads of awesome features to blab on about until last orders… this bike's got it all. To be a bit more precise, it’s powered by the latest version of Ducati's 1103cc V4S motor, which claims a whopping 213bhp and packs 123Nm of torque. On the scales, it's far from lardy, weighing just 194kg, but even if it were a little chunky, just one look at the thing would make you forgive its every sin. For the hardcore Ducatista out there, the subtle matt black paintwork might not be everything you ever dreamed of, but I love the look of this thing, despite knowing first-hand what an arse it is to clean and polish. The brakes are the same as on the Superlegerra, Brembo's Styiema Rs, and so too are the five-spoke BST carbon fibre wheels. The tank and wings are from the V4R and the tech on this model is Ducati's best work yet. On paper, there's nothing this bike lacks, but I am excited to put that theory to the test and see if there are ways to improve it..
