A New King Cometh!

Ducati President Gabriele Del Torchio and Ducati Motor Holding General Manager Claudio Domenicali revealed the New Ducati Superbike the 1199 Panigale at the EICMA motorcycle show. Also present at the launch were Superbike Champ Carlos Checa & 1000 FIM Cup Champion David Guigliano helping reveal the bike that they will have to wait till 2013 to ride in anger.

The design & engineering team has managed to hold true to their target: a bike that is 10kg lighter and has 25PS more. The claimed figures are 195PS with a dry weight of 164kg! The Engine, dubbed the 'Superquadro' has two massive 112mm pistons running 90° apart in traditional L format. The Engine is all-new with only the 90° twin and 'desmodromic' valve control philosophy being retained. Also new for Ducati is the monocoque frame/airbox, which uses the engine as a stressed member and connects it to the front end. The swing arm is 39mm longer and is also bolted directly to the engine.

A Break from tradition is the naming of the flagship model. 'Panigale' is a direct reference to the Borgo Panigale area of Bolognia where their factory resides. Another first is the lack of under seat exhausts, a trait of the flagship model since their introduction in 1994 on the legendary 916. The bike sports a sharper front fairing with similarities to the 1198, but then as your gaze drifts rearwards you are greeted with tasty little hors d'oeurves of detail; the horizontally mounted shock on the left, the header from the forward cylinder as it snakes back to its canister under the bike, the shiny black Marchesini wheels and the sexy rear tail section sporting dual LED stop lights. Overall the new 1199 Panigale looks more compact and more purposeful than its predecessor, though still staying true in design to its lineage.

Three versions were revealed at the launch - the 1199 Panigale, the 1199 Panigale S and the 1199 Panigale S Tricolore in Proud Italian red, white and green. They are expected to be available early 2012. Will the 1199 Panigale continue Ducatis's dominance on the racetracks? With the credentials it boasts it certainly should, but we do know it continues its wining ways in the looks department.