2024 Ducati Panigale V4 Preview
With more power than before and a vastly revised chassis, the new Ducati Panigale V4 really is something to behold
The Ducati Panigale V4 has, since its inception, been regarded by us here at Visordown as the superbike to choose if you want to go fast out of the box on track.
And it’s set to get even easier to go fast this year, as Ducati has just unveiled a fresh new Panigale V4 to allow us mere mortals to go even closer, as the latest superbike from Borgo Panigale looks like the ultimate two-wheeled weapon.
Launched at the annual bash at World Ducati Week 2024, the latest generation Panigale boasts a completely new look, with wings that integrate into the fairing and smaller, more slim headlights and air-intakes that seem to increase the aggressive demeanour of the bike. This is much more than a visual refresh though, and as we are about to explain, the new Pani’ G has had much more than just a nip and tuck!
What’s new with the new Panigale V4
One element of change with the new bike that might not sit well with the purists is the swingarm. Panigale V4s have continued a trend that started with the iconic 916 (which was only paused for the 749 and 999 models) and always worn single-sided units. The new single sider isn’t a styling mission though, with Ducati claiming a 3.8kg weight saving over the previous V4’s single sider. It also says there’s a 37 per cent reduction in stiffness thanks to the change - something that should improve corner traction and feel at high lean angles.
One element of the update which probably will go down well is the styling, because this latest bike is quite possibly the best looking of the V4 era. When the first V4 Panigale landed in 2018, winglets were reserved for MotoGP bikes only, and it took until 2020 for the bike to gain the same downforce-creating aero. They were, though, an add-on to the original 2018 bike’s fairing, and this generation features much more incorporated into the fairing of the bike.
Neater looking they definitely are, and Ducati is also claiming some aero gains have been grabbed in the process, with an aerodynamic drag reduction of four per cent being claimed by the factory, going on to say the rider should be kept in a ‘sort of "bubble" of calm air’.
Onto the business end of the bike, the engine. It has since its launch been one of the most exciting pieces of petrol-powered engineering on two wheels, and that doesn’t look like changing for the new bike. Power gains aren’t huge, 216hp against the previous bike’s claimed 215.5hp, but it arrives 500rpm higher than before and the Desmosedici Stradale V4 unit is now a whole 1kg lighter than before. Should a measly 216 ponies not be enough for your novice group track day at Mallory Park, you could always opt for the track-only Akrapovic exhaust system. That’ll boost power to a claimed 225bhp - which should be enough to push you up into inters, or maybe the gravel trap!
Suspension for the new bike still comes from the best in the business, with Ohlins chucking its latest spec electronically adjusted NPX-30 forks and a TTX 36 rear shock at the bike (if you opt for the V4 S version), while Brembo has brought its much talked about Hypure calipers to the party, to help gobble up some of that corner speed.
The new Panigale comes in two varieties, a standard bike, and the more trick (with electronic suspension) S version. The stocker will demand £24,395 from your account, while the one you want, the S model, comes in at £29,995.
What this all means to the riding experience remains to be seen and, with a host of new electronics, the Panigale is looking like quite possibly the spiciest proposition from the Italian manufacturer yet.
Main Standard Equipment - V4 S
- Desmosedici Stradale engine, 1,103 cc
- Maximum power of 216 hp at 13,500 rpm (209 hp @ 12,750 rpm for the US market)
- Maximum torque of 12.3 kgm at 11,250 rpm (121,3 Nm @ 11250rpm for the US market)
- Curb weight without fuel: 187 kg
- “Front Frame” chassis
- 17-litre aluminium tank
- Ducati Electronic Suspension (DES) 3.0
- Öhlins NPX-30 fork with Öhlins Smart EC 3.0 control system
- Öhlins TTX 36 shock absorber with Öhlins Smart EC 3.0 control system
- Öhlins steering damper with Öhlins Smart EC 3.0 control system
- Forged aluminium rims
- Lithium battery
- Braking system with Brembo HypureTM monobloc callipers
- Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa V4 tyres with 200/60 rear
- Wings with biplane configuration and integrated design
- Latest generation electronic package with 6-axis Inertial Measurement Unit (6D IMU): Race eCBS with cornering functionality; Ducati Traction Control (DTC) DVO; Ducati Slide Control (DSC); Ducati Wheelie Control (DWC) DVO; Ducati Power Launch (DPL) DVO; Ducati Quick Shift (DQS) 2.0; Engine Brake Control (EBC), Ducati Vehicle Observer (DVO)
- Buttons for quickly changing levels
- New 6.9” full-TFT dashboard with 8:3 aspect ratio
- Riding Modes (Race A, Race B, Sport, Road, Wet)
- Full-LED headlights with DRL and turn signals integrated into the headlight*
- Single-seat configuration (passenger kit accessory)
- Ready for Ducati Data Logger (DDL) and Ducati Multimedia System (DMS)
Main Standard Equipment - V4
- Curb weight without fuel: 191 kg
- 43 mm Showa Big Piston Fork (BPF), fully adjustable
- Sachs mono-shock absorber, fully adjustable
- Sachs steering damper
- Five-spoke light alloy wheels
- Lead acid battery
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!
