For the longest time, a sports bike meant a fast, uncompromising race bike with lights that sacrificed everything, especially your back, at the altar of speed. They got more power, less weight, and competed in race series all over the world. “Race on Sunday, sell on Monday” was the mantra they followed. Over time, though, manufacturers realized that customers who bought these machines couldn’t really take them regularly for track days, and so slowly but surely, they fell out of favor with all but the most hardcore enthusiasts.
Today’s Sports Bike Is Quick, But A Lot More Forgiving
The market today has evolved with an eye on practicality. Not the premium liter missiles; they remain uncompromising world beaters. The middleweight segment is a mixture of the old school and new school, where the old guards still offer that raw, thrilling experience that few other sports bikes can offer. Meanwhile, the new-age middleweights manage to be practical on the weekday while still retaining the fun factor over the weekend. And thus, it is here that we will find the sports bike that balances speed, precision, and everyday comfort.
The CBR650R Is A Prime Example
The CBR650R E-Clutch is Honda’s answer to the new-age midweight segment. But while the world goes the parallel-twin way, this has an inline-four engine. This is a sports bike made for the daily commute with a smooth, torquey engine rather than a high-revving powerhouse. Honda equips all CBR650Rs in the US market with the E-Clutch semi-automatic gearbox, meaning you don’t have to use the clutch lever if you don’t want to. It can be turned off for a more raw experience.
The YZF-R9 And RS 660 Bring A Sporty Edge
If the track is your thing, the Yamaha YZF-R9 and the Aprilia RS660 both offer a mix of daily usability and track-day performance. The Yamaha does it with a torquey crossplane inline-three engine that can make decent power, whereas the RS660 does it with weight reduction and a high-revving parallel-twin engine. They also both have a full electronics suite that can be tuned to the rider’s preference, thus making them usable in a variety of conditions.
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The Ducati Panigale V2 S Balances Speed, Precision, And Everyday Comfort
Buying a middleweight bike can often seem like a compromise, but a middleweight bike makes more sense because you can utilize most of the potential on the road and all the potential on your friendly neighborhood racetrack. For everything else, there’s always a bike for hire. And who better than Ducati to offer a middleweight motorcycle that doesn’t feel like you settled for a consolation prize?
The Panigale V2 does not directly replace the old twin-cylinder Panigale but instead slots into a segment below the old one by being more reliable and less aggressive. It does this with a friendlier engine and less weight. The V2 S, in particular, offers all the electronics that you would expect from a premium Ducati motorcycle, including electronic suspension. You do have to pay a bit of a premium for it, but for those who want the best, it is the ultimate no-compromise middleweight sports bike.
A Premium Price For A Premium Product
The Panigale V2 range starts at $16,995. But Ducati asks for $3,000 more for the electronic suspension on the Panigale V2 S. Now, five dollars short of $20,000 is the price of a liter-class Japanese supersport, but what the Panigale V2 S offers is a much broader range of capabilities. You can enjoy more of it, more of the time. There are also special editions related to MotoGP and the factory team riders that command a steep premium.
New V2 Engine Is The Friendliest Ducati Engine In A While
This is a 90-degree V-twin or L-twin engine, as people are fond of calling it. It is also a short-stroke design, but that is where the similarities with the old Superquadro engine end. This new V2 engine runs conventional valve springs with variable valve timing on the intake valves. It has a compression ratio of 13.1:1 and generates 120 horsepower at 10,750 RPM and 69 pound-feet at 8,250 RPM.
The interesting figures include the fact that this new engine is 20 pounds lighter than the old V2, and 70 percent of peak torque is available from 3,000 RPM onward. A six-speed manual transmission with a hydraulic slipper clutch and two-way quickshifter is standard. You can also add a racetrack-specific exhaust that reduces weight by 10 pounds and increases output by six horsepower. This is a genuinely usable engine, no matter where you ride the Panigale V2, and it has broadened the appeal of Ducati sports bikes, which is no bad thing.
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A Unique Chassis For The Segment
In a sea of steel frames, the new Panigale V2 has an aluminum monocoque chassis, with the engine as a stressed member. The frame weighs just 8.8 pounds total. This helps shave 33 pounds of the total weight over the old Panigale. The two-sided and hollow swingarm is also made out of aluminum. Öhlins provides the electronic suspension. There are 43 mm NIX30 inverted forks with TiN treatment and a single shock at the rear. Adjustment for all parameters is available at both ends, and there is 4.7 inches of travel at the front and 5.9 inches at the rear. A Sachs steering damper is standard, too.
Brembo Supplies The Brakes
Despite the lightness and relatively low power, Ducati has given the Panigale V2 top-shelf brakes. Brembo provides the twin 320 mm semi-floating front brake discs and has paired them with M50 monobloc radial four-piston fixed calipers. At the rear, there is a 245 mm disc with a two-piston fixed caliper. Alloy wheels with radial tubeless tires round it out.
Tips The Scale At Under 400 LBs
Ducati has not released official figures for the Panigale V2’s length and width, but we do get a clue to the size thanks to the 57.7-inch wheelbase. Now, this is a transverse V-twin engine, so we know it’s going to be almost as narrow as a single-cylinder engine. We also know the seat height is a little higher than usual at 33 inches. But the headlining figure is the 395-pound wet weight.
The Features List Goes A Long Way In Justifying The Price
The Panigale V2 S gets a five-inch TFT color display, but like a lot of Ducatis, it does not get Bluetooth and navigation as standard. You will have to depend on the options list to add them to the V2 S. Other upgrades include a tire pressure monitoring system and the adjustable Ohlins steering damper.
You will not have to upgrade the electronic system because, by default, the Panigale V2 S has a six-axis IMU and by-wire throttle. It offers three power modes, beginning from 95 horsepower all the way to the full 120 horsepower. Cornering traction control, engine brake control, ABS, launch control, and a pitlane speed limiter are standard.
Ducati also offers customization for specific purposes for this product if you intend to take it to the track often. Things like the lap timer, tire warmers, sport handlebars, adjustable aluminum footpegs, larger windscreen, racing fairing, mirror hole covers, and a number plate mounting point cover can be added from the options list. Additionally, there are items like paddock stands and carbon fiber bits available.
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The Panigale V2 Has Only One True Competitor In The Market Today
When we look at middleweight sports bikes that have the kind of wide-ranging talents that the Panigale V2 has, there is only one name that comes close: the Yamaha YZF-R9. It has a very enjoyable chassis, the playful CP3 inline-three crossplane engine that we know and love, and a full electronics suite including a lap timer and a way to receive pit-board-type messages on the TFT display. Still, it is not available with electronic suspension or the brand value of Ducati, which is why the Panigale V2 S remains the sports bike that balances everything you will want from it perfectly.
Source: Ducati USA