2018 Ducati Panigale V4S First Impressions
Rennie Scaysbrook | January 21, 2018
2018 Ducati Panigale V4S First Impressions—It’s been a long time coming, and there’s a huge amount riding on the new machine for the most famous Italian motorcycle manufacturer.
Has the new Ducati V4S lived up to expectations? In short, it hasn’t just lived up to them, it’s decimated them.
We will have a full wrap of this incredible machine coming very soon in Cycle News, but these are our first impressions after a day at the MotoGP circuit of Valencia, Spain.
Ducati’s Panigale V4S is one stellar motorcycle.
- The engine is nothing short of a beast: This is one of the biggest four-cylinder superbike motors on sale today at 1103cc, which makes it illegal for superbike racing (until the 999cc version comes later this year). But if superbike racing is of no concern to you, you’ll be very happy with this new V4. It’s got an incredible claimed power output of 212 hp that gets bumped up to 226 hp with the titanium Akrapovic exhaust, but it’s how easy the motor is to use that is surprising. It’s eye wateringly fast, but should also make for a great streetbike engine because the throttle response is lovely and smooth—it’s just when you get in the high rpm ranges that you better hold on. Tight.
- Electronics are next level: The V4S has new algorithms for everything from traction control to wheelie control, Ducati Quick Shift, Engine Brake Control and now Ducati’s Slide by Brake control, which allows you to back the bike in like Andrea if you’re game enough. Suffice to say, this is the most complete bike Ducati has made for sportbike riders in that every system works so well, it’s easy to forget they are there as you get on with the job of not crashing into the wall that’s fast, fast approaching at the end of the front straight.
The rate of turn and mid-corner stability is excellent.
- It still feels like a Ducati: Sounds odd to say, but the feel of the bike on track is not too different to the 1299 Panigale. The chassis is still tall overall and gives the rider plenty of room to move about, and it fair hammers into corners with a turn rate that equal to the old twin-cylinder machine. It also looks not too dissimilar to the old bike but it’s more muscular everywhere, especially the “shoulders”, where the tank panels meet the top of the fairing. And it looks better in the metal than in pictures.
- Pirelli has made special rubber for it: Pirelli has designed a new Supercorsa SP that’s slightly taller than the version fitted to the 1299, which allows for the chassis to really show off that incredible rate of turn. A set of tires not going to last you more than one track day, but show me a tire that can cope with that level of horsepower for more than one day and I’ll buy you a beer.
- There are three bikes, with a fourth one coming: Ducati currently has three versions of the V4 for sale, and we rode the V4S for most the day with one session on the 226 hp version with the exhaust. Currently, there’s the V4, the V4S, and the divine Speciale, but next year there will also be a V4 R that will be the tool Chaz Davies and Co. will be using in WorldSBK with the required 999cc, rather than the 1103cc of the production V4 range.
Stay tuned to Cycle News in the coming days as we will do our best to give you every detail possible on this amazing motorcycle.
