Source: Supplied.

Ducati unveiled its 1299 Panigale R Final Edition at last weekend’s Laguna Seca round of the Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK), in tribute to the brand’s iconic success with twin-cylinder engines.

From Marco Lucchinelli’s first victory in 1988 with the 851 to Chaz Davies and Marco Melandri’s factory campaign in 2017 on the current Panigale R, Ducati has achieved remarkable amounts of success in WorldSBK.

Ducati has won over 330 WorldSBK races with the 851, 888, 916, 996, 998, 999, 1098, 1198 and 1199 models and, now the 1299 Panigale R Final Edition pays homage to the great Ducati tradition by combining best-ever twin-cylinder engine performance with a racing-derived chassis set-up.

Available as a numbered (but not limited) series, the 1299 Panigale R Final Edition is a Euro 4 compliant road bike with a perfect mix of ultra-high engine performance and spot-on racing suspension. An off-shoot of the 1299 Superleggera engine, the Final Edition Superquadro packs a 209hp punch at 11,000 rpm and a torque of 142Nm at 9000 rpm.

The FE Superquadro engine features a lightened crankshaft with a larger crank pin and tungsten balancing pads. Like the intake-exhaust valves, the con-rods are made of titanium. The two 116mm diameter pistons, instead, as on Superbike engines, have just two segments and slide on steel cylinder liners.

The intake valves have a diameter of 48mm as opposed to the 46.8mm on the 1299 Panigale, while the exhaust valves have a diameter of 39.5mm (against 38.2mm on the 1299 Panigale). Intake and exhaust ducts have undergone development accordingly, improving fluid dynamics thanks also to new camshafts that offer both improved profiles and increased valve lift.

The 1299 Panigale R Final Edition features a clutch with new slipper and self-servo system, giving heightened feel and ride stability thanks also to the use of a new forged aluminium clutch basket. It also has a complete all-titanium Akrapovic exhaust with a high dual silencer

The air intake system uses a high-permeability filter while the throttle body features new aerodynamic throttle openings with a profile designed to improve airflow. Intake horn heights have, instead, been optimised for each cylinder head, unlike the 1299 Panigale which has horns of the same length.

As for electronics, the 1299 Panigale R Final Edition features the Bosch Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) and ABS Cornering, Ducati Wheelie Control EVO (DWC EVO), Ducati Traction Control EVO (DTC EVO) and Engine Brake Control (EBC). All these systems are set according to the selected Riding Mode (Race, Sport and Wet) and can be personalised as desired.

The chassis is the same as that on the Panigale R, with Öhlins mechanical suspension, a 24-degree rake and top-level Brembo braking package. In addition to the tech content, it has an all-new red, white and green colour scheme with red wheels.

Ducati’s final twin-cylinder variant will lead into the release of a highly-anticipated new era of four-cylinder superbikes from the Italian manufacturer, expected to be V4 motors derived from MotoGP and using the desmodromic system.