2020 Ducati Panigale V2 Review

In 2018 I was fortunate enough to have a remarkable Ducati V4S in my possession for a few weeks, and perhaps possessed isn’t a bad word to describe that bike. A heady 214hp/124Nm combination propelled its 200 kilograms at a phenomenal rate and, on the road at least, anything above 4th gear was largely redundant unless you had a pocket full of gold plated Get-out-of-Jail-Free cards.

Although I loved how that bike went round corners, one of my enduring memories of riding it was how often you had to back out of the throttle just as the fun was really getting started. In that regard, it was somewhat frustrating outside of a track.

When the opportunity came to jump on the latest Panigale V2 I was hoping, once I'd stopped drooling, it'd be a bit less intimidating and more useable as a road bike. Read on.

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Numbers you can count on

Ducati has long been in the habit of making superb middle-weight machines in the image of whatever its top-of-the-range sportsbike happened to be at the time. Think of the iconic 916 and the stunning 748; the perhaps less stunning 999 and the 749; the 1098 and 848; the 1199 and 899 and more recently the 1299 and its stablemate the 959.

The current best-in-show in Ducati's line-up is the 1100cc V4 and its middle-weight sibling is the stunning Panigale V2; although, when a bike with 955cc became classed as a middle-weight motorcycle I have no idea. Back in my day middleweights were a 500, or at a push maybe a 750: times have clearly changed.

However, when disregarding the cubic capacity alone that label begins to make more sense. The V2 produces 155hp and 104Nm in a bike weighing pretty much the same as the V4, so its performance is nowhere near as electrifying. In addition it’s physically much smaller and also about eight-and-a-half grand cheaper than the base model V4. So yeah, maybe middleweight-ish.

More than a makeover

Although heavily based on the outgoing 959 this is much more than just that bike with a snazzy new fairing bolted on.

An extra injector per cylinder and free-flowing air-intakes allow the motor to produce five more horses and a few extra torques, but what's really significant, setting this bike way beyond the previous model, is the inclusion of the IMU and electronics package (not including the semi-active sussers sadly) from the V4.

This elevates the Panigale V2 to a whole new level of sophistication and ability, making it hugely customisable to an owners desires across pretty much every performance parameter you can think of.

This is achieved through the same interface and TFT dash as on the V4 which is incredibly straightforward to operate despite the vast array of options within.
As ever these days, there are three pre-set rider modes: Race, Sport and Street. However, adjusting the setup within each mode becomes its new configuration regardless of whether you switch modes or turn the bike off.

What’s more there aren’t ten different levels for each parameter meaning you can really feel the differences when you change something. For instance, Wheelie Control level 2 will allow the wheel to leave the road by a matter of inches, whereas level 1 will allow it to come up by about a foot and level 3 not at all. Apart from turning it off all together that’s your choices.

This is pretty much replicated across the board and makes finding your ideal setup easy and quick. What’s more the actual visual depiction of what you’re adjusting helps make everything clear and simple to follow.

All the usual suspects are there such as TC, engine power and the aforementioned anti-wheelie, as well as adjustable engine braking. Full cornering functionality has now been added to the ABS system and there's also a bi-directional quick-shifter as standard. If I had one small gripe with that, I'd have liked to be able to turn off the downshift function in town but retain the upshift: you can't, it's either both or neither.

Some like it hot

No honest review of a Panigale could shy away from mentioning the amount of heat that comes off the rear header-pipe. It’s coiled up under the seat right between your legs and gets properly hot. On a chilly morning it’s not totally unwelcome but if you’re sitting in traffic on a typical Australian summer’s day, your thighs will be either well done or crispy.

It’s not as bad as the V4 (which actually shuts down the rear two cylinders when stationary to avoid an unexpected supernova in your pants) but it still has the ability to inflict some real pain. Which is a bit of a shame because as a commuter, this thing is actually bloody good fun.

Firstly, its barking exhaust note lets everyone in a car know you’re there, but beyond that it’s as skinny as a credit card and possesses exquisite low speed balance which allows it to confidently, dare I say aggressively, find its way to the front of almost every traffic queue. Think I’m overstating it? I rode 50-kays a day, everyday, for two weeks through rush hour Sydney traffic and had a total ball doing so. Glad it was only the start of Spring, mind you.

Of course out of town or on a track, boiling nads pretty much ceases to be a problem and we’ll mention it no more for fear of looking soft. Talking of track use, the new electronics also include the mental slide-by-brake function which allows the rear wheel to yaw out to the side by about ten-degrees when you’re hard on the anchors…and then just stay there. Talk about skill in a box. Not something you might use at every corner on the way to the shops, but I guarantee you’ll be tempted to have a go.

Downward Facing Dog

Ergonomically you’ll be hard pressed to find anything much racier than the rider-triangle of this bike. It’s extremely head down bum up with plenty of weight on your wrists. With a not-outrageous 840mm seat height, the near-endless ground clearance possessed by this bike is achieved, in part, by having the pegs tucked right up under your bum. Of course being skinny across the crankcases helps here too.

You also need a pronounced bend in your neck to see where you’re going and the clutch and brake levers are set at a weird angle meaning your wrists are cracked to an uncomfortable degree. The locating pins on the bars makes it difficult to spin the brackets round too, so get your dealer to remove them. Be aware that the clearance between the brake master cylinder and the inside of the fairing is extremely small so make sure it doesn't get caught up at full lock.

Now, if all that sounds too much like a rolling yoga class, after two weeks and a thirteen hundred kilometre love affair I ceased to notice any of the above so don’t let a five minute test ride put you off. The flip side of that coin is once you hit some corners you’re in a great position to control the bike and the deeply cushioned saddle is roomy enough to shift your bum back and get really low across the tank. The suede-a-like material is also very grippy helping you stay locked into the bike when hanging off.

In the red corner

And of course corners is where this bike suddenly comes alive and starts to make total sense. Once we’d softened the too stiff out-of-the-box suspension right off (thanks for your help Stu), the handling was absolutely epic and the feedback from the front tyre really confidence inspiring. This is a bike that thrives on massive lean angles and high corner speed, which always makes for a fun road bike.

The dual compound Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa II tyres help by offering insane amounts of grip too. The motor pulls hard off the bottom, and then harder still once you've gone past the slight flat spot at about 6000rpm and dancing around through the slick, tightly packed gear-box will help you easily keep this on the boil.

On the track more powerful bikes (of which there are many) might show this a clean pair of heels but you’ll be having such a great time it won't matter. I can't remember the last time I won a championship or any prize money on a trackday, but I do remember the times I left in one piece with a massive smile on my face feeling like I'd absolutely ragged the backside off whatever bike I was riding. The Panigale V2 will make you feel like that on the road too.

Here’s looking at you

When I first scrunched myself into a pretzel to clamber aboard the Panigale V2 my first thoughts were along the lines of how unsuitable it was going to be outside of a racetrack. Two weeks and many, many tanks of fuel later, I'm happy to correct myself. Ducati has made exactly what I was hoping for: a much more useable bike than the V4 but with all the sophistication you could desire.

This is an extremely satisfying bike to ride, particularly once you get out of town, and the performance it has is just about perfect for the job. What's more you always feel like the one in charge which is not necessarily something you can always say about the brutal V4.

On our crowded, heavily policed roads not having to slow down for corners is about as much fun as you can get away with these days, and the Panigale V2 will allow you to do that till you're dizzy. And it's achingly beautiful with, hundreds of super cool details everywhere you look. The entire back end is a work of art and worth the entrance fee alone.

What's more, for $22,900 ride-away, (or $23,350 in white) it's excellent value for money and way more affordable than even the cheapest of the V4s at $31,490 ride-away.

Given how much of the 959 is still lurking under that sexy fairing, Ducati has done a superb job of turning what was already a good bike into something much more desirable.

Specs: 2020 Ducati Panigale V2

ENGINE
Type: Superquadro 90° V-twin, 4 valve per cylinder, Desmodromic, liquid cooled
Capacity: 955cc
Bore x stroke: 100mm x 60.8mm
Compression ratio: 12.5:1
Fuel system: EFI Twin injectors per cylinder RBW

PERFORMANCE
Claimed maximum power: 155hp (114kW) @ 10.750 rpm
Claimed maximum torque: 104Nm (76.7 lb-ft) @ 9.000 rpm

TRANSMISSION
Type: Six-speed, Bi-directional DQS
Clutch: Hydraulically controlled slipper and self-servo wet multiplate clutch
Final drive: Chain

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame: Trellis, Monocoque Aluminium
Front suspension: Fully adjustable Showa BPF 43mm fork, 120mm travel
Rear suspension: Fully adjustable Sachs unit, 130mm travel
Front brakes: Dual 320mm discs, semi-floating discs, radially mounted Brembo Monobloc M4.32 4-piston callipers, Cornering ABS
Rear brake: Single 245 mm disc, 2-piston calliper with Cornering ABS
Wheels: 5-spokes light alloy, 17x3.5 Front, 17x5.5 Rear
Tyres: Pirelli Diablo Rosso II 120/70-ZR17 Front, 180/60-ZR17 Rear

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Rake/Trail: 24º/94mm
Wheelbase: 1436mm
Seat height: 840mm
Claimed curb weight: 200kg
Fuel capacity: 17 litres

OTHER STUFF
Price: Red $22,900ra White is $23,350ra
Colors: Ducati Red and White Rosso
Bike supplied by: Ducati AUS/NZ
Warranty: 24 months unlimited kilometres