Steetfighter V4 and Panigale V2 models introduced for the new year.
Image: Supplied.
Ducati has unveiled a selection of all-new models at its 2020 World Premiere event, including the introduction of a Steetfighter V4 and Panigale V2.
The first of the all-new Ducati bikes for 2020 was the Panigale V2. The twin-cylinder Panigale has a completely new look, as well as sophisticated Inertial Platform-based electronics and, thanks also to a comfortable seat and its suspension set-up, it offers better yet safer sports performance while making road riding more enjoyable and user-friendly than ever.
It is powered by a 995cc Superquadro engine with a maximum power of 155hp at 10,750rpm, and a maximum torque of 104Nm at 9,000rpm.
Built around the monocoque frame, the chassis set-up is embraced by a new, sports-style design. The extensive fairing hugs the mechanics, highlighting the compactness of the Superquadro twin-cylinder engine to create a bike that is visually compact.
Other key Panigale V2 features include the single-sided swingarm and an exhaust with extremely compact under-engine silencer and single-side tail pipe. The clean lines typical of Ducati superbikes are enhanced by the traditional Ducati Red livery and black wheels.
Another major EICMA 2019 preview took the form of the Panigale V4. A series of refinements for 2020 make for a more user-friendly, less fatiguing ride while simultaneously making the bike faster not just on individual laps but over entire timed sessions.
Ducati and Ducati Corse engineers have crunched the feedback and data numbers from customers all over the world and Superbike World Championship events. Their analysis has led to a series of aerodynamic, chassis, electronic control and Ride by Wire mapping changes: designed to increase stability and turn-in speed, these changes make it easier to close corners and ensure riders enjoy more confident throttle control.
The Panigale V4 is now equipped with content taken from the V4 R, starting with the aero pack: aerofoils, Plexiglas screen, nose fairing and larger lateral fairings, more efficient side vents for radiator through-air. This provides better airflow protection and improves overall vehicle stability, enhancing confidence.
Completing the update is the front frame, with modified stiffness to give better front-end ‘feel’ at extreme lean angles. Thanks to a new ‘predictive’ control strategy, Ducati Traction Control (DTC) EVO 2 significantly improves out-of-the-corner power control – Ducati Quick Shift up/down (DQS) EVO 2, instead, shortens up-shift times, allowing sportier high-rev gear shifts (over 10,000rpm) and boosting shift stability during aggressive acceleration and cornering.
The bike also features specially-developed Ride by Wire system mappings with several different torque delivery control logics. Powering the Panigale V4 is the 1,103 cm3 Desmosedici Stradale – a MotoGP-derived 90-degree V4 with Desmodromic timing, a one-of-a-kind engine with a counter-rotating crankshaft and Twin Pulse firing order.
Another star of the Ducati World Premiere 2020 was the new Streetfighter V4, the super-naked long-awaited by enthusiasts worldwide.
The foundation of the Steetfighter V4 is a Panigale V4 stripped of its fairings and equipped with high, wide handlebars. Weighing 178kg, it is powered by a 1103cc Desmosedici Stradale engine, its 208hp kept under control by biplane aerofoils and a latest-generation electronics package – a combination of factors and modifications that Ducati calls the ‘Fight Formula’.
The result is an over-the-top naked Ducati, modern and technological, with an assertively eye-catching design. A bike that does nothing to hide its segment-leading performance, but which also ensures practicality and full-on fun during everyday rides.
The minimalist full-LED headlight with its V-shaped DRL captures the spirit of the Streetfighter V4 perfectly.
On the one hand, it recalls the front of the Panigale V4 and, on the other, evokes the crazy grin of the Joker (the comic strip character from which the Ducati Style Center drew inspiration for this new Bologna-built naked). On the Streetfighter V4, the front frame and Desmosedici Stradale engine take centre-stage. Only partially screened by superstructures that have been cut to a bare minimum, their sharp lines create a clean, essential whole.
For 2020, there are new colours for the Diavel and Ducati Scrambler, the special Grand Tour version for the Multistrada 1260 S and three absolute novelties. First among these is the Panigale V2, our super-sporty twin powered by the 955cc Superquadro engine, the middle-weight superbike new both in its aesthetics and its performance.
