Later this week, Ducati will debut its Desmosedici Stradale engine, the new 90° V4 engine that will power Ducati’s next superbike (amongst other models). To see Ducati’s next superbike though, we’ll have to wait until November’s EICMA show in Milan, Italy…or will we?
This photo is going around the internet, purporting to show the new “Panigale V4” superbike. The photo looks legit, and looks very similar to the spy photos that we have seen of the Ducati’s new superbike machine.
The bodywork on the Ducati Panigale V4 mimics very closely the previous generation Panigale (the v-twin model), though there are some obvious changes. It looks like the headlight recesses also channel air around the body, likely to aid in cooling the V4 engine.
We can also see the “frameless” chassis design continues, with the aluminum black frame spar going from the rear cycling bank, attaching to the front cylinder bank (hidden under the fairing), and protruding forward to make the headstock/airbox.
The exhaust on the Panigale V4 also looks similar to the v-twin model, though it appears that there is a twin-pipe loop under the rider’s seat, rather than the single-pipe on the previous edition.
The engine case is also different from before, and placed in a slightly different position on the motorcycle.
While there are subtle differences between the Ducati Panigale V4 and the Ducati 1299 Panigale range, what is perhaps more interesting is the similarities between the two bikes.
It looks like Ducati will have an interesting presentation in Milano, in two months’ time.
Photo: Into the Red
