Latest Posts:
Asphalt & Rubber
Tag

Panigale V4 R

Browsing
A&R Pro

Rev Limits & 16,350 Reasons Why the Ducati Can Sing in WorldSBK

By No Comments

“There’s no replacement for displacement” in racing but what about power? In particular what about peak power and where a bike reaches it?

For WorldSBK purposes, the peak power of an engine is defined as the rev limit on the production machine, plus 3%.

Calculating this takes a little bit more math, as it requires you to average the rev limit from both the third and fourth gears, and then once this has been established, the FIM typically add an extra 3% to that RPM figure.

The rev limits are defined at the start of the championship season, but they aren’t set in stone for the duration of the championship. They can be changed at the discretion of organisers as the year progresses.

Having been introduced to much fanfare 12 months ago, the new limits are of interest again in 2019 because we have new bikes on the grid. The most newsworthy new machine is the headline grabbing Ducati Panigale V4 R, but it should be noted that  Kawasaki, BMW and Honda also have newly homologated bikes, and thus also new rev limits.

Keep Reading
By
WSBK

Come See the Ducati Panigale V4 R All Dressed Up for WorldSBK

By No Comments

“We’ll be working with only one aim in mind: to win.” Those are the words of Gigi Dall’Igna while talking about Ducati Corse’s WorldSBK program, which made its public debut today.

Officially the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Superbike team, the rider duo of Chaz Davies and Alvaro Bautista have a lot of weight on their shoulders. After all, the Italian marque made an historic switch from a v-twin to a V4 all in the name of winning the World Superbike Championship title.

Usually though, the expectations for a team with a brand new bike are reserved, as it can take a season to extract the full potential of the machine on the race track, but with Ducati, it seems that the grading curve is a bit steeper.

Keep Reading
By
Bikes

Mega Gallery: Ducati Panigale V4 R

By No Comments

Arguably the biggest superbike announcement for the 2019 model year, the Ducati Panigale V4 R is getting no shortage of press, and it is easy to see why.

With 217hp (162 kW) on tap, removable winglets, a WorldSBK title to win, dry clutch, and a $40,000 price tag, there are no shortage of things to talk about when it comes to the Panigale V4 R.

The Ducati looks great in race trim, and it doesn’t take much to boost the machine’s peak horsepower figure to 231 hp (172 kW).

In its racing trim, the Ducati Panigale V4 RS19 will climb to over 17,000 rpm – that is, at least until the WorldSBK performance-balancing rules get ahold of it.

Keep Reading
By
Bikes

Bologna Brings Back the Rattle – The Ducati Panigale V4 R Will Now Come Fitted with a Dry Clutch

By No Comments

In our inbox today was an interesting email from Ducati, telling us that an updated press kit for the Panigale V4 R superbike was now available on the press site.

Why was there a need to modify the available information? Well, it seems a key technical component on the 998cc machine was changed…more specifically, the 2019 Ducati Panigale V4 R now comes with a dry clutch from the factory.

Keep Reading
By
Rumors

Ducati Panigale V4 R Priced at $40,000 for the USA

By No Comments

If you happen to find yourself desiring the Ducati Panigale V4 R superbike (we can hardly blame you for such thoughts), then you better start figuring out which kidney you like the least, as the 998cc V4 rocket machine will cost quite the pretty penny in the United States.

This is because the Ducati Panigale V4 R is priced at $40,000 MSRP for the 2019 model year, in the pricing details that our Bothan spies have passed along to us.

That figure for the Ducati Panigale V4 R mimics the €39,900 price tag in Europe, which comes right up to the limit of the WorldSBK homologation requirements, which cap bikes at €40,000. In the UK, this pre-Brexit price on the Panigale V4 R will be £34,995.

Keep Reading
By
A&R Pro

EICMA Debrief: Ducati’s Debut, Delight, & Dismay

By No Comments

Done and dusted, the EICMA show in Milan is the biggest trade event in the motorcycle industry, and each year we see dozens and dozens of machines debut in Italy, with much fanfare.

With the bevy of new model releases that occur though, it is easy to lose sight of the forest for the trees. So, we are going to break down the big headlines and moments from this new bike season for you, starting with one of our most talked about brands: Ducati.

Ducati traditionally starts off the EICMA festivities, hosting a pre-event somewhere in Milan days before EICMA. The day of this launch seems to get pushed back further and further each year, as other brands have jockeyed for position, and so this year’s pre-event event was held on the Sunday before EICMA.

To its credit, Ducati does EICMA right, and the Italian company has honed to perfection the balance between of hosting a live event for gathered press and VIPs that is also suitable and entertaining enough to be broadcast live on Italian TV and across the internet.

The EICMA show unveiling might be geared now for mainstream consumption, but for those in the industry there are still some valuable inferences to learn from what is said…and what isn’t said.

Keep Reading
By
Bikes

Ducati Panigale V4 R Debuts with 217hp, Wings, & More

By No Comments

The big reveal at Ducati’s live stream event for EICMA 2018 is surely the Italian brand’s new homologation racing machine, the Ducati Panigale V4 R. A 998cc version of its potent street bike, the 2019 Ducati Panigale V4 R takes full advantage of the homologation rules for the WorldSBK Championship.

As such, the Ducati Panigale V4 R will surely hit the top limit of the World Superbike pricing cap, which is €40,000. For that price though, you get the pinnacle of Ducati’s superbike technology, including the company’s first use of winglets on a street-legal machine, which come straight from Ducati Corse’s MotoGP program.

Of course, the real show-stopper for the 2019 Ducati Panigale V4 R are the tech specs: 217hp (162 kW), with 83 lbs•ft (112 Nm) of peak torque, wrapped up in a 425 lbs (193kg) package, when fully fueled at the curb.

Keep Reading
By
News

Ducati Teases a Winglet On Its EICMA Live Stream Graphic

By No Comments

The EICMA festivities kick off tomorrow, with Ducati preempting the Milan trade show with its own media unveil event. The new model debuts will be live-streamed, of course, and we expect to see a bevy of new models from the Bologna brand.

Before we uncover even one bike though, Ducati is sending a clear message of what we can expect to see, teasing a winglet on its live stream promo photo. This aerodynamic aid surely belongs to the Ducati Panigale V4 R, which is expected to be the Italian brand’s big reveal for EICMA.

Keep Reading
By
Bikes

Ducati Panigale V4 R Racer Debuts, Makes Dry Clutches Great Again

By No Comments

One of the bikes we are most looking forward to seeing debut this new bike season is the Ducati Panigale V4 R. This weekend, we got part of that hope fulfilled, as the race version of the Panigale V4 R debut at the British Superbike round at Brands Hatch.

On the machine was Ducati MotoGP test rider, Michele Pirro, who undoubtedly has been helping hone the superbike for its true racing debut next season, in the World Superbike Championship.

Keep Reading
By
Rumors

Ducati CEO Tips Winglets for the Panigale V4 R

By No Comments

When the MotoGP rules moved to ban winglets in the premier class, it was clear that this cut deeper at Ducati than any other brand, and that this simply wasn’t just a loophole closed technical regulation. The Italian motorcycle manufacturer had invested heavily in aerodynamic aids on motorcycles, with an eye on bringing the technology to its production machines.

This led us here at Asphalt & Rubber to speculate for over a year now about the addition of winglets to Borgo Panigale’s upcoming homologation special, the Ducati Panigale V4 R.

Fueling the fire has been the World Superbike Championship’s allowance for winglets, so long as they come on the homologation bike, all but sealing the deal that we would see manufacturers following suit. As such, we have already seen Aprilia dabble in this arena, and now it seems Ducati is about to show its hand.

Keep Reading
By