Rennie Scaysbrook | July 25, 2024
Ducati has landed the first punch of the 2025 model season by debuting a vastly altered Panigale V4 and V4 S, with a claimed 216 horsepower and 91 lb-ft of torque on tap from the 1103cc V4, completely new front-end bodywork, and drum roll, please… a hollowed-out double sided shell-cast aluminum swingarm replacing the trademark single-sided unit.
That swingarm is by far the biggest talking point of the new Panigale, which has always had a single-sided unit, be it in V/L-twin or V4 format. Ducati claims the new ’arm reduces lateral stiffness by a hefty 37 percent, helping deliver more feel to the rider while exiting a turn under power.
The swingarm is linked to a new rear suspension design coming from MotoGP. The single rod keeps the same progressive ratio as before but reduces the shock length, plus it’s lighter than in 2024.
The bones of the Panigale are largely unchanged in the Front Frame chassis that debuted back in 2018 with the original Panigale V4. If you’re going to grab a V4 S, you’ll get some shiny electronic Ohlins NPX-30 forks, TTX 36 shock and steering damper, whereas the base model retains the 43 mm Showa Big Piston Fork (BPF) and Sachs shock, both fully adjustable. You also get a Sachs steering damper. The show rolls on forged aluminum wheels wrapped in Pirelli Supercorsa V4 SP rubber.
Stopping power now comes from the all-new Brembo Hypure calipers. These clamp onto 330 mm discs and are 30g lighter on either side than Brembo’s Stylema calipers that were their previous benchmark.
The styling is going to firmly divide opinions, with Ducati raiding its greatest hits catalog to bring headlights that have more than a hint of the Desmosedici D16RR about them. The front-end is 25mm higher than before, has the mirrors mounted inside the top fairing and uses winglets that look a lot like the Ducati MotoGP bike Andrea Iannone and Andrea Dovizioso rode in 2016.
Some will love the new styling, others will hate it, but everyone’s talking about it.
The 2025 Ducati Panigale V4 S has the usual electronic gizmos such as an IMU, traction control, wheelie control, slide control, launch control, and an up/down quickshifter, among other technologies. It also includes a sophisticated new ‘Race eCBS’ combined braking system. This system designed to encourage you to use the rear brake more, comes from Bosch offers seven levels of intervention. You can also switch the feature off and just go old school manual rear brake if you want. Up to 15.5 percent rear brake pressure can be applied, with the system adjusting its response based on the intensity of the front brake application. All of this can be adjusted via the all-new 6.5-inch TFT which is a huge step-up from before.
Ducati will also be offering an Akrapovic track/race exhaust system that knocks off a claimed 14.5 lb and will boost power to a claimed 225 hp.
Expect to see units in U.S. dealer showrooms this November.
The new double-sided swingarm reduces lateral stiffness by a claimed 37 percent.
2025 Ducati Panigale V4 S Standard Equipment
- Color: Ducati Red with Urban Grey frame, black rims and matt black front mudguard
- Desmosedici Stradale engine, 1,103 cc
- Maximum power of 216 hp at 13,500 rpm (209 hp @ 12,750 rpm for the US market)
- Maximum torque of 12.3 kgm at 11,250 rpm (121,3 Nm @ 11250rpm for the US market)
- Curb weight without fuel: 187 kg
- “Front Frame” chassis
- 17-litre aluminum tank
- Ducati Electronic Suspension (DES) 3.0
- Öhlins NPX-30 fork with Öhlins Smart EC 3.0 control system
- Öhlins TTX 36 shock absorber with Öhlins Smart EC 3.0 control system
- Öhlins steering damper with Öhlins Smart EC 3.0 control system
- Forged aluminum rims
- Lithium battery
- Braking system with Brembo HypureTM monobloc calipers
- Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa V4 tires with 200/60 rear
- Wings with biplane configuration and integrated design
- Latest generation electronic package with 6-axis Inertial Measurement Unit (6D IMU): Race eCBS with cornering functionality; Ducati Traction Control (DTC) DVO; Ducati Slide Control (DSC); Ducati Wheelie Control (DWC) DVO; Ducati Power Launch (DPL) DVO; Ducati Quick Shift (DQS) 2.0;
- Engine
- Brake Control (EBC), Ducati Vehicle Observer (DVO)
- Buttons for quickly changing levels
- New 6.9” full-TFT dashboard with 8:3 aspect ratio
- Riding Modes (Race A, Race B, Sport, Road, Wet)
- Full-LED headlights with DRL and turn signals integrated into the headlight*
- Single-seat configuration (passenger kit accessory)
- Ready for Ducati Data Logger (DDL) and Ducati Multimedia System (DMS)
The new 6.5-inch dash is very BMW-like in its size.
Panigale V4 Standard Equipment
- Color: Ducati Red with Urban Grey frame and black rims
- Ducati Red with Urban Grey frame and black rims
- Standard equipment like Panigale V4 S except for:
- Curb weight without fuel: 191 kg
- 43 mm Showa Big Piston Fork (BPF), fully adjustable
- Sachs mono-shock absorber, fully adjustable
- Sachs steering damper
- Five-spoke light alloy wheels
- Lead acid battery
2025 Ducati Panigale V4 S Specifications
| Engine: |
Desmosedici Stradale 90° V4, counter-rotating crankshaft, Desmodromic timing, four valves per cylinder, liquid-cooled |
| Fueling: |
EFI |
| Displacement: |
1103cc |
| Bore x stroke: |
81 x 53.3 mm |
| Power: |
209 hp @ 12,750 rpm (claimed) |
| Torque: |
89.5 lb-ft @ 11,250 pm (claimed) |
| Electronics: |
Three Riding Modes, Power Modes, Cornering ABS EVO, Ducati Traction Control (DTC) EVO 2, Ducati Wheelie Control (DWC) EVO, Ducati Slide Control (DSC), Engine Brake Control (EBC) EVO, auto tire calibration, Ducati Power Launch (DPL), Ducati Quick Shift (DQS) up/down EVO 2, Full LED lighting with Daytime Running Light (DRL), Ducati Electronic Suspension (DES) EVO with Ohlins suspension and steering damper, Quick adjustment buttons, Auto-off indicators, Race-eCBS |
| Transmission: |
Six-speed |
| Clutch: |
Wet multi-disc |
| Chassis: |
Aluminum alloy “Front Frame” |
| Front suspension: |
Öhlins NIX30 43 mm fully adjustable fork with TiN treatment. Electronic compression and rebound damping adjustment with Öhlins Smart EC 3.0 event-based mode |
| Rear suspension: |
Fully adjustable Ohlins TTX36 unit. Electronic compression and rebound damping adjustment with Öhlins Smart EC 3.0 event-based mode. Aluminum double-sided swingarm |
| Front wheel travel: |
4.9 in. |
| Rear wheel travel: |
5.1 in. |
| Front brake: |
Dual 330 mm semi-floating discs, radially mounted Brembo Monobloc Hypure four-piston calipers with Cornering ABS EVO, Race e-CBS |
| Rear brake: |
245 mm disc, twin-piston caliper with Cornering ABS EVO Last generation digital unit with five-inch TFT color display, Race e-CBS |
| Front tire: |
Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP V4 120/70 ZR17 |
| Rear tire: |
Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP V4 200/60 ZR17 |
| Seat height: |
33.5 in. |
| Wheelbase: |
58.5 in. |
| Rake: |
24° |
| Fuel capacity: |
4.49 gal. |
| Weight (wet, claimed): |
412 lb |
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