Ducati Panigale V4 R First Look: Ready for 2019 WorldSBK (16 Fast Facts)

2019 Ducati Panigale V4 R MSRP

2019 Ducati V4 R First Look

Update on Price & Availability: Ducati says the Panigale V4 R will retail for $40,000, and will be available in dealerships March 2019.

When Ducati unveiled its first-ever V4 superbike – the Panigale V4 Stradale – many people questioned why it arrived with an 1103cc, an engine that is illegal in the World Superike class.

Ducati reiterated over and over that the V4 was designed for street riding – hence the Stradale name that translates tp Road – and didn’t worry about homologation for WorldSBK.

2019 Ducati Panigale V4 R colors

This immediately poised speculation of the release of a smaller V4 Panigale that would meet WorldSBK’s V-engine cap of 1000cc.

That bike was released today during Ducati’s typical Sunday-night premier at EICMA Milan Motorcycle Show. Meet the Ducati Panigale V4 R – a machine we can’t wait to ride.

Following are the fast facts about the all-new Ducati Panigale V4 R.

1. In its most basic form, the Panigale V4 R is a V4S with a 998cc Desmosedici engine that now is legal for World Superbike. Ducati confirms the bike, which weighs 379 pounds dry, will be used in the 2019 WorldSBK Championship with riders Chaz Davies and Alvaro Bautista, who arrives from the MotoGP class.

2. The race-ready engine produces 221 horsepower at 15,250 rpm, and 82 ft/lbs of torque at 11,500 rpm – the most road-legal Ducati to date. When equipped with a Ducati Performance exhaust supplied by Akrapovic, the engine makes an incredible 234 horsepower at 15,500 rpm.

3. Like the V4 Stradale, the 90-degree engine’s cylinders are banked 42 degrees from the horizontal. The V4 R’s engine has 14:1 compression ratio with a rev-limited or 16,000 rpm (16,500 in sixth gear), and has a counter-rotating crankshaft.

2019 Ducati Panigale V4 R top speed

4. The other highlights of the new Ducati Panigale V4 R’s engine are:

  • Forged steel crankshaft with reduced stroke
  • Molded aluminum pistons with single compression ring plus oil ring
  • Titanium con rods
  • Titanium intake valves
  • Oval throttle bodies (Ø 56 mm equivalent) and aerodynamic throttle openings
  • Dedicated variable-height air intake horns
  • Exhaust manifolds of optimized length
  • Cylinder heads with larger intake ducts
  • High-permeability Sprintfilter P08 air filter

5. We typically get into the chassis and suspension here, but let’s first discuss the bodywork that is based off the Ducati MotoGP GP16 prototype and its carbon-fiber wings. The bodywork arrives directly from Ducati Corse racing efforts, including the aerodynamic windscreen (0.6 inches higher and wider), nose fairing and side fairing, along with special air vents to assist in cooling efforts. As for the wings, Ducati says that they “augment stability at all times, reducing electronic control intervention and boosting rider confidence, helping him keep the throttle open longer and brake later going into the bends.”

6. Compared to the V4 Stradale’s frame, the V4 R’s monocoque frame that uses is lighter and stiffer for racing. The single-sided aluminum rear swingarm’s pivot can now be adjusted four positions (2mm apart).

2019 Ducati Panigale V4 R top profile

7. The Ducati Panigale V4 R’s suspensions is optimized for serious track riding, and features mechanical Öhlins suspension over the Stradale’s electronic semi-active suspension. The highlights of the suspension include:

  • Pressurized Öhlins NPX 25-30 forkk with manual adjustment
  • Öhlins TTX36 shock absorber with manual adjustment
  • Öhlins steering damper with manual adjustment

8. Braking duties up front are handled by the Brembo Stylema monobloc calipers that squeeze 330mm discs. Out back, a Brembo two-piston caliper squeezes a 220mm disc. Bosch cornering ABS is standard.

9. The Ducati Panigale V4 R rolls on black Marchesini forged aluminum wheels wrapped in Pirelli Diablo Supercrosa SP tires (120/70 front; 200/60 rear).

10. The Ducati Panigale V4 R arrives with all of the latest in Ducati electronics where are possible due to a six-axis Bosch inertial measurement unit (IMU). The electronics – all adjustable via a dial on the left control – include:

  • Bosch Cornering ABS EVO (three levels)
  • Ducati Traction Control EVO (DTC) EVO (seven levels)
  • Ducati Slide Control (DSC) (two levels)
  • Ducati Wheelie Control EVO (DWC) EVO (seven levels)
  • Ducati Power Launch (DPL)
  • Ducati Quick Shift up/down EVO (DQS) EVO
  • Engine Brake Control EVO (EBC) EVO

2019 Ducati Panigale V4 R gauges

11. The Panigale V4 R arrives with new riding modes:

  • Race Riding Model (full 221 horsepower with electronics set for race conditions)
  • Sport (221 horsepower with more electronic intervention)
  • Street (221 horsepower, even more electronic intervention)

12. The Pangiale V4 R arrives with the same 5″ full TFT color display instrumentation borrowed from the V4 Stradale. The only tweaks are some graphic changes, revised to appeal to racing.

13. A pit limiter debuts on the Panigale V4 R. Once switched on by a button, on the right contoller, it will limit the pit-lane speed to a range within 25-50 mph.

14. Other electronics typical of Ducati include Ducati Multimedia System (hooks to phone via bluetooth); Ducat Lap Timer GPS (automatically tracks laps at any track); and Ducati Data Analyzer + GPS (saves data from all sessions).

2019 Ducati Panigale V4 R MSRP

15. The Ducati Panigale V4 R also arrives with:

  • 4.2-gallon aluminum gas tank
  • Single-seat configuration
  • Full LED Headlight with Daytime Riding Lights
  • Lithium-ion batter
  • Carbon-fiber mudgaurds
  • Aluminum mirror-hole covers and plate holder removal kit

16. The Panigale V4 R is available in one color – red, with the aluminum gas tank typical of Ducati R models. Pricing, availability and full specs have yet to be released.

2019 Ducati Panigale V4 R Photo Gallery