Bikes

This Ducati 1199 Panigale ST Concept Whets Our Appetite for a 200hp Sport-Tourer from Bologna

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Ducati has nine new models to showoff at the EICMA show later next month in Milan. We know one of them is the Monster 1200 R, and it seems very likely that we will see two more Ducati Scrambler models as well.

CARB filing documents point to a Ducati 959 Panigale, as well as a Ducati Hypermotard 939, which we expect to be mild updates to the current models, with obviously larger engine displacements.

All of this leaves another four models for us, though rumor suggests we could see some more variants of the Ducati Multistrada 1200 line come to market.

One of those variants is expected to be an off-road focused model, which will align better against the BMW R1200GS; while the other variant is thought to be a long-distance touring model, which will align better against the KTM 1290 Super Adventure.

One model were are unlikely to see is a revised sport-tourer, since the current Multistrada 1200 fills this niche quite well, but that doesn’t mean Ducatisti cannot dream of another ST model.

This concept model (shown above), which takes the Panigale and turns it into a more upright ride for the highway, is surely never going to be realized by Borgo Panigale, but it does bring up the desire for a proper sport-tourer from the Italian brand.

Perhaps even more importantly, it represents the hope that Ducati will begin using its Superquadro engine in other models outside of the Panigale line.

There is at least some precedent from Ducati in using its older generation superbike engines in new models, which could lead to some general speculation about bikes with the 1,199cc version of the Superquadro power plant.

So far nothing from Bologna seems to indicate such an application is coming down the pipe, at least not for the 2016 model year. We can still dream though.

Source: AcidMoto.ch

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