EICMA 2014 FIRST LOOK: 2015 Ducati Panigale 1299

Try this one on for size: The new Panigale 1299 just revealed at EICMA puts out 205 horsepower!

With the official unveiling of the Panigale 1299 today at the EICMA show, Ducati has officially cracked the 200-horsepower mark. But before we get to this most extreme Superquadro engine ever, let's start from the beginning.

When Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali was asked about the internal geometry of the Panigale 1199 engine—with specific reference to the rod length of 110.1 mm in relation to its 60.8 mm stroke—he affirmed that he wanted the Panigale to be as compact and well balanced as possible. When I heard a larger-displacement Panigale was in the works, with the extra cubes coming from increased stroke (the bore already was a record-setting 112 mm), I wondered if Domenicali was ready to compromise with even shorter rods to compensate for the extra stroke.

Ah, dead wrong! Domenicali went for an even bigger bore: 116 mm! Together with an unaltered stroke of 60.8 mm, that makes for an actual displacement of 1285 cubic centimeters. That's the way, Claudio, well done! A 116 mm bore is Chevrolet Big Block territory, reminiscent of those Reynolds Aluminum V-8s that powered the legendary Can-Am racers of the 1970s. That memory alone makes my blood churn.

The new Panigale 1299 sets new standards in the superbike fraternity, with a claimed 205 hp at 10,500 rpm and a terrific 106.7 pound-feet of torque at 8,750 rpm. Simply put, there is nothing like that on two wheels, with the possible exception of the new supercharged special from Japan. Valve size is the same as that used in the 1199: 46.8 mm titanium intakes, 38.2 mm steel exhausts. By keeping the same valve and port size of the 1199, Ducati engineers have created a more flexible and torquey powerplant. The higher speed of the intake charge helps disprove the old notion that extremely oversquare engines have poor torque curves.

For more agile steering response, Ducati has given the new Panigale 1299 24 degrees of steering rake, which is a half-degree less than the 1199. Trail is consequently down from 100 to 96 mm. Even more meaningful: The swingarm pivot has been lowered 4 mm, for better geometry to the front sprocket and superior traction. Also, as before, there is a Panigale 1299 and a Panigale 1299 S. The former is fitted with an inverted 50mm Marzocchi fork, a gas-charged unit made of aluminum. The S bumps up the hardware quotient with Öhlins electronically managed semi-active suspension featuring an inverted 43 mm fork. Brakes on both bikes are by Brembo, with M50 calipers acting upon a pair of 330mm front discs. To tame all that power and torque, the electronics suite is the most complete in production today, and the headlights are full LED units.

For the record, the Panigale in its original 1199 displacement remains only as a race version—the Panigale 1199 R. This machine, with technical solutions extracted from the limited-edition 1199 Superleggera, features titanium valves and connecting rods, and its ultra compact crankshaft is a polished piece featuring tungsten inserts for perfect balance. The clamed dry weight of this race Panigale 1199 R is down to 357 pounds. Both the new Panigale 1199 R and 1299 are fitted with Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP tires, size 120/70ZR-17 front and 200/55ZR-17 rear. The Panigale model line is completed by the 899, which is basically unchanged for 2015.

SPECIFICATIONS
2015 Ducati 1299 Panigale 2015 Ducati 1299 Panigale S
ENGINE TYPE Liquid-cooled V-twin, 4 valves per cylinder|Liquid-cooled V-twin, 4 valves per cylinder
DISPLACEMENT 1285cc|1285cc
BORE & STROKE 116 x 60.8 mm|116 x 60.8 mm
COMPRESSION RATIO 12.6:1|12.6:1
CLAIMED HORSEPOWER 205 hp @ 10,500 rpm|205 hp @ 10,500 rpm
CLAIMED TORQUE 106.7 lb-ft @ 8750 rpm|106.7 lb-ft @ 8750 rpm
FUEL INJECTION Mitsubishi EFI, elliptical throttle bodies|Mitsubishi EFI, elliptical throttle bodies
EXHAUST 2-1-2 with catalytic converter and 2 lambda probes|2-1-2 with catalytic converter and 2 lambda probes
GEARBOX Six-speed|Six-speed
RATIO 1=37/15 2=30/16 3=27/18 4=25/20 5=24/22 6=23/24|1=37/15 2=30/16 3=27/18 4=25/20 5=24/22 6=23/24
PRIMARY DRIVE Straight-cut gears; Ratio 1.77:1|Straight-cut gears; Ratio 1.77:1
FINAL DRIVE Chain; Front sprocket 15; Rear sprocket 39|Chain; Front sprocket 15; Rear sprocket 39
CLUTCH Wet, slipper|Wet, slipper
FRAME Aluminum monocoque|Aluminum monocoque
WHEELBASE 56.6 in.|56.6 in.
RAKE 24°|24°
TRAIL 3.8 in.|3.8 in.
STEERING LOCK (TOTAL) 48°|48°
FRONT SUSPENSION 50mm Marzoccchi fully adjustable inverted fork, fully adjustable|43mm Öhlins NIX30 inverted fork, electronically adjustable
FRONT WHEEL TRAVEL 4.7 in.|4.7 in.
FRONT WHEEL Tri-Y light alloy 3.50 in. x 17 in.|Forged alloy 3-spoke, 3.50 in. x 17 in.
FRONT TIRE Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP 120/70ZR-17|Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP 120/70ZR-17
REAR SUSPENSION Fully adjustable Sachs unit. Aluminum single-sided swingarm|Electronically adjustable Öhlins TTX36 unit. Aluminum single-sided swingarm
REAR WHEEL TRAVEL 6.7 in.|6.7 in.
REAR WHEEL Tri-Y light alloy 6.0 in. x 17 in.|Forged alloy 3-spoke, 6.0 in. x 17 in.
REAR TIRE Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP 200/55ZR-17|Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa 200/55ZR-17
FRONT BRAKE 2 x 330mm semi-floating discs, radially mounted Brembo monobloc Evo M50 4-piston calipers, cornering ABS|2 x 330mm semi-floating discs, radially mounted Brembo monobloc Evo M50 4-piston calipers, cornering ABS
REAR BRAKE 245mm disc, 2-piston caliper, with cornering ABS|245mm disc, 2-piston caliper, cornering ABS
FUEL TANK CAPACITY 4.5 gal.|4.5 gal.
CLAIMED DRY WEIGHT 367 lb.|367 lb.
CLAIMED WET WEIGHT 420 lb.|420 lb.
SEAT HEIGHT 32.7 in.|32.7 in.
INSTRUMENTATION TFT|TFT

Studio front 3/4 left-side view - 2015 Ducati 1299 Panigale

Front wheel - 2015 Ducati 1299 Panigale

Cockpit view - 2015 Ducati 1299 Panigale

Rear view mirror - 2015 Ducati 1299 Panigale

Seat - 2015 Ducati 1299 Panigale

Action shot #1 - 2015 Ducati 1299 Panigale S

Action shot #2 - 2015 Ducati 1299 Panigale S

Action shot #3 - 2015 Ducati 1299 Panigale S

Studio front 3/4 left-side view - 2015 Ducati 1299 Panigale S

Studio left-side view - 2015 Ducati 1299 Panigale S

Studio right-side view - 2015 Ducati 1299 Panigale S

Studio rear 3/4 left-side view - 2015 Ducati 1299 Panigale S

Left grip - 2015 Ducati 1299 Panigale S

Rear suspension - 2015 Ducati 1299 Panigale S

Studio right-side view - 2015 Ducati 1299 Panigale

Studio right-side view - 2015 Ducati 1299 Panigale S

Studio right-side view - 2015 Ducati Panigale R

Studio front 3/4 right-side view - 2015 Ducati Panigale R

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