Beat the self-isolation blues with this Lego Ducati Panigale V4 R

If your hands are getting a little bit idle in self-isolation, Ducati may have just launch the perfect little quarantine exercise for you with the launch of a Lego Technic rendition of its Panigale V4 R.

The range-topping Superbike is the latest motorcycle to get the Lego treatment, making it the closest most of us will get to owning the £34,995 machine!

Available via Lego’s more intricate ‘Technic’ range - targeted at advanced children and adults with steady hands that have the patience to fiddle with the tiny parts – the model comes in 646 pieces.

There are some nifty little details, such as the twin projector lights, and even an impressive amount of complexity that has gone into the working functions of the model. With a motor driving to the rear wheels via a 2-speed gearbox and chain final drive, this is the first Lego Technic offering to have a working gearbox. Impressive.

Visually, there is some cute finishing on the tiny instrument cluster and also a spruce of blue on the front forks in homage to the real thing.

It’s perhaps a shame then that, despite going to that much detail above, there are a few things seemingly lacking in the final effort.

Initially, we thought this to be a Panigale V4, rather than the ‘R’ which is best distinguished by its distinctive wings. Instead here they instead look like a bit of an afterthought, while the front-end isn’t quite as beefy as it should be. Still if you prefer the standard Panigale V4, you could just remove them and pretend you have two different bikes.

But hey, we’re quibbling a bit – it’s always welcome to see manufacturers transcend to different audiences with something a little fun and challenging, especially while we’re in self-isolation. That said, I think we prefer this life-size Britten V1000 model we featured last week…

As for prices, though it’s quite a lot cheaper than the real thing, at £54.99 it’s not the cheapest toy (sorry, model) on the market either!