First Look: 2014 Ducati 899 Panigale

Cycle News Staff | September 9, 2013

The brand-new Ducati 899 Panigale was unveiled today at the VW Group Night in Frankfurt, Germany, on the eve of the IAA International Motor Show. Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali presented the bike in what was a preview of its 2014 model range.

The newest Ducati is described as a “Supermid” version of the 1199 Panigale, designed to “provide the thrill of the new generation flagship model with the refined character of an every day streetbike.”

The 899 features a brand new Superquadro engine with a revised bore and stroke and Ducati claims the new powerplant produces 148 horsepower with 73 froot pounds of torque. The engine package is a fully stressed member of the Panigale monocoque construction and the bike has a dry weight of 372.5 pounds, according to Ducati.

The 899 looks like the 1199 to keep the family DNA and it gets all the goodies that its bigger sibling uses: Ducati Quick Shift (DQS) and the fully integrated riding mode technologies of Ride-by-Wire, triple stage ABS, Ducati Traction Control (DTC) and Engine Brake Control (EBC).

The 899 Panigale will be available in late October in traditional Ducati red with black wheels or arctic white with red wheels. MSRP is listed as $14,995 for the red and $15,295 for the white.