Is the Panigale V2 better than the V4?
The V2 is arguably a better bike than any of the four-cylinder 'Supermegahyperbikes'
The Panigale V2 is a belter of a bike. It’s not perfect as it makes very few concessions and I think it could still be improved upon – but the Panigale V2 could well be my pick of the dedicated sportsbikes that I’ve spent time with recently.
Spec highlights
Specs wise, the basics are as follows: 955 cc Superquadro engine that produces 155 horses at 10,750 rpm along with 104 Nm of torque at 9000 rpm wrapped in a monocoque frame. Big Piston Showa 53 mm forks and a Sachs rear shock – both fully adjustable.
Electronics out the wazoo
Six-axis Inertial Measurement Unit (6D IMU): ABS Cornering; Ducati Traction Control (DTC); Ducati Wheelie Control (DWC); Ducati Quick Shift up/down (DQS); Engine Brake Control (EBC). Three Riding Modes that are fully adjustable as well (Race, Sport, Street). All wrapped up in one of the prettiest packages available as it’s now adopted the full Panigale styling.
The systems are so good you have to focus to be able to feel them assisting. They come in nice and gently and just quietly help you on your way if you overstep things. Think of it as your clever Italian fairy god mother watching over you. I ran it in sport mode most of the time (out of Street, Sport and Race). There you still get the full 155 hp on tap, but I found the delivery to be slightly smoother with no down side.
It's absolutely gorgeous
It really is a stunner, the updated bodywork looking amazing from all angles. Everywhere I stopped people would come up and look and chat or want to take pics. That new single swinger sets it off nicely too (the 959 that this replaces had a conventional swingarm and a much fussier exhaust design). I don’t really care if the single sided swingarm is any better – they look gorgeous.
It feels amazing to ride
Climb aboard and you immediately notice how compact and nose down the ride position is. You do get used to it, but it’s certainly no lounge chair. But that nose down position is there for a reason, and translates into a wickedly good front end and other-worldly stability. It is absolutely bolted to the tarmac like having a giant invisible force pushing it into the deck.
Handling wise it’s very, very good when on the attack. As good as any bike I’ve ridden. Better? Maybe. Just so smooth – and the change of direction is phenomenal. How they’ve managed to combine the levels of stability and agility is a little mind bending. Both the front and back are very firm, but they do manage to soak up smaller road bumps and holes reasonably well. ‘Below average’ roads are a bit of a struggle. But then, this is not really a bike for below average roads.
Fortunately – and this is its ace card – it’s a remarkably easy, unintimidating bike to ride fast. This is one bike I’d like to have in the shed to get really familiar with over a few months. I think it would continue to just get better and better as your confidence with it grew. After a couple of thousand kay’s I was only just starting to tap the potential.
Every time you twist the throttle your ears are rewarded with a sublime intake growl emanating from under the tank as the 90-degree twin sucks in volumes of atmosphere and transforms it into an equally sublime exhaust bark. The sound engineers have done well at both ends. Even the stock pipes with that updated underslung muffler sound great blipping at idle. However, I’m sure a little slip on couldn’t hurt.
So where does it leave us?
Well, part way through my first big ride I texted my mates wondering if I’d found the perfect sportsbike for mortals. Other times after sitting in the saddle for a few hours on the highway the ride position was tiring and downright painful. All up though, I still think it’s as close to perfect as you’re likely to find for what it’s designed for, with a caveat being that the V2 is not designed for dawdling. That nose down ride position and bbq under your nether regions really are for carving corners at speed.
This is a bike for riders who want to stretch their own boundaries. It’s one of the best handling, seriously focussed bikes available and needs to be ridden as such. A properly rewarding bike that instead of being intimidating, actively encourages you to explore its limits.
In fact… I’m calling it. The Panigale V2 is arguably a better bike than any of the four-cylinder litre plus Supermegahyperbikes on the market for the right rider. If you’re looking for a seriously focussed, dedicated sportsbike to punt hard and do some track days on as well, and you don’t need to do many long highway hauls – this should be near the top of your list.