2022 Ducati Panigale V4

While not a complete wholesale change for 2022, the nips and tucks on the Ducati Panigale V4 are still quite thorough, and the most significant update since the model was first introduced in 2018.

Ducati claim lap-time improvements at Vallelunga of a full-second, while new suspension on the S model promises slightly better manners on the street. Best of both worlds then…?

The V4 S scores new Öhlins NPX 25/30 electronically controlled pressurised forks that now have 5 mm more travel than before on slightly softer springs (From 10 to 9.5 N/mm). These match up with an electronic TTX36 shock and Öhlins steering damper, all of which work in concert with the event based control system smarts.

The Panigale V4 standard version features 43 mm fully-adjustable Showa Big Piston Forks (BPF), Sachs steering damper and Sachs monoshock, also fully adjustable.

The pivot of the single-sided aluminium swingarm on both bikes is positioned 4 mm higher than that of the 2021 model for better anti-squat performance under power.

The seat is flatter in shape and wears a different coating to allow easier movement. Compared to the 2021 version, the tank has a new shape in the rear portion to allow the rider to better anchor when braking and allowing him to drive faster and longer. While not mentioned specifically in the supplied press blurb, it also appears the seat is 15 mm higher than before with the seat height now quoted at 850 mm.

Ducati engineers have changed the fairing, which now integrates more compact and thinner double-profile design wings with increased efficiency: this update guarantees the same vertical load, up to 37 kg at 300 km/h. Furthermore, the lower part of the fairing features redesigned extraction sockets to improve the cooling system and, as a consequence, the performance of the engine, in particular during racetrack days.

The heart of the bike is represented by 1,103 cc Desmosedici Stradale MotoGP-derived, which has undergone a series of updates. Updates in the lubrication circuit along with a new oil pump that reduces losses. The increased diameter of the silencer outlets allows to reduce the exhaust back pressure and, consequently, to increase the engine performance.

Thanks to these interventions and new mapping, the Desmosedici Stradale – Euro 5-compliant – delivers 215.5 hp at 13,000 rpm, with a power increase of 1.5 hp compared to the previous version, which rises to 2.5 hp over the peak of maximum power at 14,500 rpm. The engine also delivers 123.6 Nm (12.6 kgm) of torque at 9,500 rpm. Already by 6,000 rpm 80% of the maximum torque is available.

The gearbox now has longer first, second and sixth gears. This new SBK gear ratio is therefore more “racing-oriented”, more suitable for use on track. The first gear has been lengthened by 11.6%, the second by 5.6%. The tightest corners can now be taken in first gear and the smaller jump between the first two ratios allows the DQS, equipped with new calibration, to work more effectively. Lastly, sixth gear has been lengthened by 1.8% allowing, in combination with the increase in engine power, a top speed of 5 km/h higher than the Panigale V4 2021.

Power Modes on the Panigale V4 2022 which provides for 4 engine configurations: Full, High, Medium, Low. The Full and Low configurations are newly designed while the High and Medium configurations use a new strategy. Power Mode Full is the sportiest ever adopted by a Panigale V4 and allows the engine to express its full potential with torque curves without electronic filters, except for first gear.

New maps have been developed for the High and Medium Power Modes; now dedicated to each of the six gears, which guarantees the rider the possibility of always having the optimal thrust when opening the throttle. The Power Mode Low, on the other hand, has been conceived to make road riding a smoother affair, limiting the maximum power of the bike to 150 hp and offering a particularly manageable throttle response. 

In order to offer everyone the opportunity to ride with a full racing exhaust even on circuits with tighter noise limits, an optional new exhaust system is available, completely in titanium, developed in collaboration with Akrapovič, which falls within the 105 dB noise limit (102 dB with the dB killer fitted). The new exhaust is equipped with high silencers alongside the tail and ensures a power increase of 12.5 hp, bringing the maximum value to 228 hp, while the maximum torque value rises to 131 Nm, along with an overall weight reduction of 5 kg. This new exhaust is added to the more compact full racing version already available in the catalogue, that extends under the engine and is also made entirely from titanium by Akrapovič, which at the same performance levels reduces weight by 6kg and has a noise level of 109 dB which drops to 107 dB when the dB-killer is installed. 

An improved display features a new “Track Evo” option added to the existing Road and Track settings. In the “Track Evo” screen, the tachometer moves on a horizontal scale positioned in the highest part of the instrument, which is the most visible, and the indication of the gear engaged is in the center of the screen. On the right area there are four sectors of different colours, each dedicated to an electronic control (DTC, DWC, DSC, EBC). These sectors light up individually when the electronics are working on a certain parameter, remaining on for the time necessary for the rider to identify which indicator is activated. This signaling mode facilitates the user’s task in understanding the control that has actually worked to allow him to intervene more precisely and punctually on the choice of the optimal level and to obtain better performance more quickly. The left sector completes the information with the stopwatch, the number of laps completed and the speed. To make the gear change indication clearer, a green LED positioned on the left side of the dashboard, has been introduced.

The Panigale V4 features a latest-generation electronics package based on a six-axis inertial platform which instantly detects the bike’s roll, yaw and pitch angles. The electronics package oversees every aspect of the ride: some controls supervise start, acceleration and braking, others govern traction and others again lend a helping hand on corners and out-of-the-corner stretches.

• ABS Cornering EVO
• Ducati Traction Control (DTC) EVO 3
• Ducati Slide Control (DSC)
• Ducati Wheelie Control (DWC) EVO
• Ducati Power Launch (DPL)
• Ducati Quick Shift up/down (DQS) EVO 2
• Engine Brake Control (EBC) EVO
• Ducati Electronic Suspension (DES) EVO

The Panigale V4 will be available in Australia and New Zealand from February 2022. The Suggested Ride Away Price in Australia will be $34,000 whilst in New Zealand the Recommended Retail Price will be $35,495

The Panigale V4 S will be available in Australia and New Zealand from February 2022. The Suggested Ride Away Price in Australia will be $43,600 whilst in New Zealand the Recommended Retail Price will be $45,495.

2022 Ducati Panigale V4 Technical Specifications

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Source: MCNews.com.au