News 3 Jul 2015

Review: 2015 Ducati 1299 Panigale

CycleOnline.com.au test rides the 2015 Ducati 1299 Panigale.

Getting a test bike for a stint in the wet isn’t as fun as it could be. Getting a 200hp, 166kg, V-twin superbike was at the opposite end of my fun scale. Aside from a racetrack, how good was it going to be riding a sportsbike on the road with those sorts of stats?!

The thought of riding Ducati’s new 1299 Panigale took me on a trip down the evolutionary tree of Ducati superbikes I’d ridden. It started with the 916 and on through the 996, 998, 999, 1098 and 1198s that followed. I was certain I had a feel for how things would have progressed on the 1199 to the new 1299.

The 916 was a radical departure from the previous generation of Ducati superbikes. The years after the 916 were an evolution of the original 916. Better handling, more compact, more powerful and more beautiful than anything before, it was ahead of its time.

The design stood the test of time and it wasn’t until 1999 it evolved into the 996. With a better engine, better handling, and the same glorious styling, I thought this change would be like that of the 916 to 996.

The 1299 marks the first update of the Panigale since its release in 2012. The main change is bigger engine capacity, though the chassis and styling have had a host of changes too.

One thing that hasn’t changed is the thin film transistor (TFT) LCD screen packed with info. The display changes depending on your riding mode. In Wet and Sport, the display puts speed and gear selection as the primary focus.

Image: Alex Gobert (Foremost Media).

Image: Alex Gobert (Foremost Media).

It’s clear to read in all conditions and changes colour at night to make it stand out. In Race mode it’s all about revs and tacho gradients are smaller to 6000rpm and wider past this.

The TFT is the hub of all the adjustability in the Panigale’s engine and chassis controls. By using the buttons on the left switchblock, you can adjust all the electronic functions. The three modes are Wet, Sport and Race. There is three engine power modes – Low at 90kW and the other two at 145kW (Medium: soft delivery, High: instant delivery).

These three Engine modes are in each of the three Riding modes where extra functions exist to suit the mode. The other functions are wheelie control, quickshifter, ABS and traction control.

Additionally you can turn the Panigale’s engine braking control on and off. This function is the slipper clutch working with wheel sensors and the ride-by-wire throttle. If the rear wheel looks up on a downshift the system will increase revs until the wheel unlocks. Brilliant.

Changing all these settings you can do on the side of the road. If you want to change the ABS intervention, you add more or take some away. If you only want a quickshifter on upshifts instead of shifting both ways, change it.

The changes to each of the aides are simple and change each feature a lot. At first making these changes is a daunting prospect, but it isn’t beyond anyone to do after a few goes at it. Best of all it has a reset function that goes back to standard settings if you get lost with where you started.

Image: Alex Gobert (Foremost Media).

Image: Alex Gobert (Foremost Media).

Changing the riding modes on the fly is a push of the indicator cancel button, a scroll up or down and then another button tap. You have to roll off the throttle and not touch the brakes, but that’s as hard as it gets.

Starting my ride on a cold, wet and windy afternoon in Sydney’s misnamed rush hour, the only mode to select was Wet. While the engine roared to life, the power delivery was mellow form the get go.

With the increase to 1285cc from the 1198, Ducati has extracted a lot more torque and power from the Superquadro engine. The 1299 is now a match for the R models on power output, but achieves it 1000rpm lower. The big difference is the increase in torque, with 8Nm more than the R peaking 1500rpm lower.

What’s not to forget is the improvement over the 1199, which is a 8kW and 13Nm increase. It’s a noticeable difference that has given the engine more power and torque most in the range from 5000 to 8000rpm. As a result it’s a lot easier to use on the road, a place where I assume most Panigales will only see in anger.

As mellow as the engine was taking off in the wet, it’s done nothing to quell the underlying urge at low rpm for more revs. Taking off from the lights is the only place you will want more urgency from the engine. But once you’ve nailed your race starts it won’t be a problem. Just remember to roll off the throttle before you hit the speed limit. Something that comes and goes quick.

Once you’ve gotten rolling there is instantaneous, gut-wrenching performance. And this is in the Wet mode. Sport mode suits the road to a tee. Even on the wet and slippery roads I had for the extent of my ride, I preferred the Sport mode for the sharper response it gave.

Image: Alex Gobert (Foremost Media).

Image: Alex Gobert (Foremost Media).

This is a personal preference of course. If I wanted to change the Power mode in the Wet riding mode, I could and keep the rest of the Wet mode settings. Or I could change them. You’ve got to love that sort of adjustability in a motorcycle that costs just $1000 more than the 1198 did four years ago.

There’s plenty of useable torque on the road. With a reasonable spread out of the gearbox ratios, it only needs a three-speed gearbox on the road in the wet. One things certain, there’s more performance in this engine than most riders will know what to do with in the wet let alone the dry!

The improvement in performance hasn’t shortened the 12,000km service intervals. They don’t include the 24,000km interval on valve checks. As such, it’s on par with four-cylinder superbikes for intervals and cost.

The electronic aides on the Panigale aren’t challenged on their performance. The Bosch 9.1MP is as good as it gets on production motorcycles and the safety and functionality it gives is superb. It makes the Panigale a better superbike on the road, and no doubt it’d be just as good on the track.

The track is a place where the 1299 is going to perform better. The chassis has new geometry with shorter trail, shallower rake and a lower swingarm pivot. The swingarm pivot moves change come from the preferred position of the 1199R. The changes are to improve rear wheel traction and keep the sharp steering characteristics of the 1199.

I can’t disagree, as the wet conditions didn’t allow me to explore as much of the bike’s handling performance as I’d like. But I did get a feel for how friendly it was in slippery, bumpy conditions.

Steering input is fast and suspension response is fast. On wet, crappy roads I’d make it a bit plusher. The Marzocchi front end and Sachs rear have the adjustability to do this of course. The grip of Pirelli’s racy Diablo Supercorsa SPs suits most days on a Panigale, and snotty wet roads are no exception. The feel from the Brembo M50s are excellent.

Image: Alex Gobert (Foremost Media).

Image: Alex Gobert (Foremost Media).

There are changes to the fairing a seat details that keen observers will note. The fairing is slightly reshaped and there is integration of the pillion seat. The seating position is much more comfortable than it looks.

It’s a far cry from the pocketknife shape you needed to be on previous Duke superbikes which where never comfortable on the road. Sure, the rear cylinder head is going to boil your thighs and everything in the mirrors is always a blur. But you get that on anything so compact with such a powerful engine.

When you are looking at Ducati’s sportsbike range, the 1299 sits bang in the middle of the range. There’s the 899 behind it for price and performance. It in itself is a superb sportsbike on the road.

The R is the ultimate with goodies like titanium exhaust, conrods, valves and dashes of carbon. But it hasn’t got favorable engine characteristics that the 1299 does. And it is a lot less expensive.

There’s no denying the 1299 offers more in chassis, engine and electronic function than the 899 supersport, plus it also has a chassis and engine more suited to road riding than the Panigale R model.

The adaptive suspension, data analyser and higher-spec running gear of the S model are enticing. If it is enough to justify the extra cash at the dealership is a question I can’t wait to answer. It’s also one that I expect to exceed my expectations on just as the evolution of 1199 to 1299 has. Just give me some dry roads to find that out.

Specifications

Engine type: Liquid-cooled, DOHC, four valve per-cylinder V-twin
Capacity: 1285cc
Bore x stroke: 116 x 60.8mm
Compression ratio: 12.6:1
Claimed power: 151kW @ 10,500rpm
Claimed torque: 145Nm @ 8750rpm
Dry weight: 166.5kg (190.5kg ready to ride with 90 percent fuel or more)
Seat height: 830mm
Wheelbase: 1437mm
Fuel tank capacity: 17L
Colours: Millennium Red, Graphite Black and Seal Silver
Price: $27,990 + ORC
Detailed specs: www.ducati.com.au

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