Is This a Legit 228mph Run on a Ducati Panigale V4S?
A video published a while back claims to show a Ducati Panigale topping 228mph - but is it legit?
Okay, so it’s a fairly old video, but new to us, and we want you to tell us whether or not you think this is a legitimate video of a Ducati Panigale hitting 228mph.
The Bikers World YouTube channel posted the video, and it shows a Ducati Panigale V4S hitting an ‘indicated’ 367kph or 228mph on what we assume is an autobahn.
Ducati Panigale V4S 200mph+ top speed run
Pulling onto the road, the rider makes a steady start, short-shifting at 8,000rpm from first to second, and then running the V4 to the redline in second gear before shifting to third at an indicated 220kph (136mph). Fourth gear is ticked off at around 260kph (161mph), fifth at 299kph (185mph) and sixth at around 331kph (205mph). The rider then holds sixth gear to the redline and the indicated maximum of 228mph.
When Visordown tested a Panigale V4R we couldn't manage more than about 190mph - even on the Bruntingthorpe runway!
Okay, so it’s obviously quick, but hard to gauge whether or not that’s a genuine 220mph+ run on such a wide expanse of road devoid of any other traffic. We also have some questions about the bike. It sounds very fruity, possibly pointing towards some exotic exhaust, intake and ECU modifications. On that note, the dash of the bike continues to display the speed above 186mph, pointing to an ECU upgrade being fitted to the machine, although it might need more than simply that to reach this higher-than-normal top speed - some spicy front and rear sprocket sizes would also likely be required. We tested both the Panigale V4S and Panigale V4R, including performance testing both at Bruntingthorpe. On both of those machines, we managed to exceed the indicated 186mph (both machines stopped reading the speed but continued to accelerate) although we didn’t get anywhere near the 220mph mark, and the weather on both days was pretty much perfect.
So, is this a legitimate 228mph run? Or is the bike highly modified, has the speedo been hacked, or all of the above?
Let us know on the Visordown social media channels!
Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
