We live in a world that the most practically minded people would not have thought possible just a few years ago - the very idea of a 200 horsepower motorcycle was simply ludicrous back in the day.
Today, we are spoiled for choice. Anyone with enough money can go out and buy one of these mythical 200 horsepower beasts, but not all are made equal. Over the years, Ducati has evolved from an Italian outlier into one of the motorcycle giants of the world, its bikes are some of the most innovative machines on the road today.
The Panigale V4 is the company's flagship, and boy does it do that term justice. The price of admission is steep, but in our opinion, it's well worth it. The one criticism that has been leveled at it is that it might be a little too focused for most sportbike riders, but we believe it has a lot more to offer than most people think.
10 916 Roots
You can’t really talk about a Ducati sportbike without starting with the 916. Although it certainly isn’t the first sportbike they made, it is the one that ushered them into the 21st century.
It was also far from perfect, but as the years went on, Ducati continued to refine and build upon the foundation set in 1994. On track, it would go on to win six Superbike Championships (modern SBK) in eighth years (two as the 996) and as a result became a household name. Over that period, the company went from a ramshackle Italian outlier into a multinational superpower.
9 Abandoning The Twins
Over the years, the company has always been very intentional. The new machine has to be better than the predecessor in every aspect, and when they hit a brick wall in terms of performance with their famous L-twin, they chose power over heritage.
The outgoing 1299 (above) was already making over 200 horsepower, but it was peaky and desperately unreliable as a race machine, it was no match for the rivals. Their only option for more power was to switch over to the V4 and since then, it has gone from strength to strength.
8 Designed To Win
We understand using the same chassis for the SBK races. It is a purpose built race machine, there is no denying that, but racing tech offers us so much more than just speed on track.
Everything is as light as it can be, everything is as advanced as it can be, and everything contributes to an unrivaled experience.
7 Incredible Design
Needing to be better than the 916 in terms of design was no easy feat, the 999 tried and unfortunately failed miserably. However, in every other aspects, that bike was better.
With the modern Panigale, everything is purposeful, yet, elegant and incredibly well finished. It is a gorgeous bike and most would agree that it is right up there with the most beautiful Ducatis ever made.
6 Advanced Technology
On the latest Panigale, you will literally be able to set the bike up from the convenience of the TFT dash.
From suspension settings, to how aggressive you want the traction and wheelie control, everything is right at your fingertips. If that isn’t enough, you can also sync your smartphone to the bike and add a whole bunch of convenience features too.
5 Extreme Adjustability
Having everything at your fingertips will actually take some getting used to, and you need to approach with a degree of caution.
There are several adjustments you will need to make as the bike will come from the factory ready for a lean Italian (unless you are a lean Italian). Once dialed in, it becomes a precision instrument that will challenge even the most experienced riders. Change the settings to a more sedate level, and it becomes significantly more manageable, and you will be able to guide it through windy roads without any fear.
4 Addictive Power
Nobody needs a 207 horsepower motorcycle, but it is certainly fun to have it and if that somehow still isn’t enough, the Akra pipe elevates that to 225 horsepower.
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It has several electronic aids to tame that incredible power, but with a weight of only 438 pounds wet, this is a bike that will demand all of your focus, all of the time, no matter where you are riding.
3 Advanced Aero
Although this might seem like something that is only really going to be useful on track, they are at least functional.
Unfortunately, the caveat to that is that they are only really functional at speeds that are in no way highway legal, so there is that.
2 Best Suspension
Ducati did not skimp on the suspension. For their flagship, they opted for a top of the line semi-active unit from suspension specialists Öhlins.
Unfortunately, with a system like this that is just so very easy to adjust, there will always be a temptation to “fiddle” with it. Being able to customize something is one thing, but being able to get that customization right is an entirely different prospect, and any settings that work on track won’t work on the road and vice versa.
1 Lives Up To The Hype
If you are looking for value for money, well, this just isn’t it, this is something of an engineering marvel, and you will be expected to pay for that.
Technically, this isn’t even the fastest bike you can buy, there are several bikes that will actually show it a clean pair of heels out on track, but none of them offer this kind of experience.