http://www.pistonheads.com/doc.asp?c=52&i=25496

About 5 HP less than a 14R at the rear tire but over 170 lbs lighter, should be a rocket on the track!Lower curve is from the old 1198.

* Last updated by: Kruz on 4/24/2012 @ 12:14 PM *

Don't go by the performance numbers the Brit's generated, if you watch the video, your grandmother could launch a bike harder than that. Real test will be when we get one over here with an American test rider on board who knows how to launch a motorcycle.

Paaaaaaaaan-i-gale

He went so fast, he went to jail.....

So what is this about the shmoke it's making? 180 hp + burns oil after a couple thousand miles is not a good sign.

great looking bike for sure love that side mounter shock. Wish they could make a motor that sounded better though...just never has a continuous tone like a jap bike. has a pre-sport bike era sound I'm not crazy about.

* Last updated by: Rook on 4/24/2012 @ 12:19 PM *

He spent all his mo-o-ney on a ra-ace taaaaaaaaaaail

and now he can't afford to post baaaaaaaaaaaaail....

The numbers are not impressive at all.
0-60mph in 3.82 sec
0-100mph in 6.39 sec
171mph in 28.94 sec
¼ mile: 10.87 sec @ 145.13 mph
Top speed 171

and at these prices $17,995; the "S" version lists for $22,995; while the Tricolore goes for $27,995

Oh and they claim a dry weight of 360 pounds, I'll bet the true wet weight is around to 430, still pretty light though.

I hear 414 lbs with a full tank. Like I said before don't go by their performance numbers, little old ladies with blue hair launch harder than these guys.....lol! I do suspect that the dyno readings are a bit optimistic though as I've never seen a stock 1198 lay down 160 at the tire before, more like 146-148, that range. That would put the Panigale at a true 172 to 174 on an American dyno. Let's see if I'm right, still healthy though! I suspect it will fall a few ponies shy of the BMW but close.

Midrange looks a bit deflated but that might not be a bad thing given the 1198's propensity for wheelies.

* Last updated by: Kruz on 4/24/2012 @ 4:12 PM *

A friend is awaiting his Panigale to come in. I hope to see it in action in a couple of weeks, but like all Ducatis, it's almost totally impractical for normal riding and is best suited to be a track tool. There, or on a tight, twisty road, it might outperform a ZX-14 (he has one of those, too) but anywhere else, it's a finely-crafted Italian torture rack and a punched ticket to the more-money-than-brains club.

This is the "top of the line" one with after market exhausts on it, what does the "regular" one make stock?? A little un-impressive considering the 23k price point (only after readind article) and sounds a little like you'll spend most of your time trying to keep the front end on the ground! From the sound of it, it won't be too much competition for the BMW, and definitely not for the 14R on the street. You'd have to get to a track to see any real benefits with this thing, but then there's that terrible tendnecy to want to wheelie - hey, doesn't this thing have a wheelie control in it's electronics package? Maybe it'll perform better once it gets in the hands of "real" people. Still a beautiful bike though, but then aren't all Ducks?

You'd have to get to a track to see any real benefits with this thing

Doing a track day being put on my the Duc dealer on Mon... From what I've been told, they will have a demo bike out there, but guys with deposits on their own get dibs. Someone buy my 14 so I can put down my own deposit.

I think this new bike is the real deal, lotta pasta haters hanging out around this forum....LOL! Everything I've read says the 1199 is very Japanese like in the details. Seating position is relaxed, bars higher, pegs lower and less of a stretch to the bars then in the past. Should be comfy. Look at the motor, it could say Yamaha or Honda on the side and I wouldn't blink. No more dry clutch and no more belt driven cams, proper wet5 clutch and chain and gear setup for the camshaft and the Desmodromic valve actuation is first class.

Powerwise, I'm guessing just over 170 rear wheel HP on an American dyno for the base stocker. Good enough to best all of the Japanese literbikes and within striking distance of the BMW. The 0-60 time looked pathetic, a good 600 would run that quick and the top speed of 171? But like I said, watch the video, the guy looks like he's out on a Sunday joy ride not going for serious performance numbers, wait until a real rider get's his hands on one. Brit bike specs are always at least one second behind American's in the quarter mile ET. Are we fudging or are they unable to perform a proper drag racing start...you decide?

I think the Panigale is going to back most of the hype up. It is entering the TT and a lot of other races as well. I know better to trust the Mag testers but MCN and Motorcycle USA are in awe. Just the technology on that thing! Ducati doesn't like messing with anti-wheelie control on their bikes, which to me is a good thing. The pros will be able to resolve that problem and the hooligans will be happy. That's why I'm keeping my 14 even if I get a 14R down the line: locking a wheel isn't always a bad thing! The Panigale is safe but still has character.

Not a hater, I have friends who own Ducatis (and they have my deepest sympathy) Going to a Panigale introduction day after tomorrow in St.L. with a friend who owns an 1198S. He just had it in for it's 600-mile checkup and they charged him $153 to look it over and change the oil. He traded a 1098 to get the 1198S (got about 50% of the price of the semi-new one in trade). Personally, I'll have two kids in college by this fall, so $750 to set the valve clearances and change the rubber belts is WWWWAAAAAAYYYYYYYY beyond my salary. Again, not a hater, just a realist.

I totally agree Danno. Ducs are for a certain tax bracket. They extended the first major service to 15k if that's going to help. The same things go for cars... my buddy paid $1000 to get his X5 headlights fixed and because the Duc runs most of his hardware with electronics....
That being as soon as I make real money I'm getting one. Actually, I'm looking at a sweet 2012 RC8 for track, can't wait for the showdown with the Panigale. Who needs kids? Lol

* Last updated by: dragking on 4/25/2012 @ 3:46 PM *

OK, was just really checking into the numbers for this thing and just as I thought... Those numbers are for the Top Model Tri-Color Pann-e-golly. The "regular" bike, that you're gonna see on the street (yeah, sure u r), the plain-ole Panigale (sans the trick elec adj Ohlins suspension)or the S Model (ONLY $23k), both make about 9hp/5ft/lbs less and only 177hp on the dyno (Taken from MCNs road test of the Panigale S). The real draw and performance + for the Panigale is it's light weight, which again, won't count for so much on the street... it's on the track where this thing is really meant to shine! Right now everyone's caught in the "glamour", beautiful bike, light as hell, trick gadgets everywhere, but I think in the end it'll end up as another also-ran to the BMW. I'll file this one in my things to get IF I EVER WIN THE LOTTERY FILE...

* Last updated by: bigwilliezx on 4/25/2012 @ 5:47 PM *

I hear over in europe, one was thrown away. Swing arm broke. Says, there is a photo of the wheel with part of the swing still attached. Don't know the whole story. That smoke and noise from that bike is so sad. They tagged that bike right up to redline I have no clue how many times? Sounds like junk. Something let loose inside; Unless they are washing clothes inside, it's the jean's buttons hitting the crank throws.

* Last updated by: Hub on 4/25/2012 @ 6:35 PM *

That smoke and noise from that bike is so sad.

Smokes and sounds like a normal VW to me. BWAH!!!!!

lotta pasta haters hanging out around this forum...

I look at mine, think, 'I love you, baby' I gotta ride you for awhile?

YOu slowass pizzashit!

Ask Rossi how great the Ducati is.

The GP12 is nothing like the Panigale, so Rossi's opinion wouldn't mean shit when it comes to the 1199. He did say the GP12 is better than the GP11 since they switched from a carbon-fiber chassis to an aluminum one, not to mention an extra 200ccs.

So what... The Panigale is a nice bike.

But how does it CRASH?

Ducati and Bmw are over engineered POS and a bitch to work on. They make simple stupid.

NINJA ZX-14 MotoVlog

I think it's a neat bike, despite all the sour grapes, I would like to own an S model but can't justify the high price of admission right now.

Any Ducati in the hands of equally skilled riders, similar tires will absolutely smoke a ZX14 on any twisty road, I said any Ducati! My 800SS will smoke my 14 on the same TX roads, each has their merits and demerits. This 1199 may go down in history like the 999 did; that is badly. The 999 was too far from the 'Ducati Standard', so, after a few years they canned it, introduced the 1098 which was a modern interpretation of the 916 which was very successful in my view, and, today I would like to find a 1098 that is in good shape and not beat up badly. We shall see where this new direction Ducati is taking with their flagship motorcycle. The price of ownership is still steep for Ducatisti fans! New battery, new 30mm slave cylinder, oil and filters changes, slave cylinder installation at local dealer here in town was close to 700 dollars on my 800SS! Ouch! But, they did a bang up job too! They found a few dry rotted vacuum lines that they changed, reset the timing and idle, and this bike runs better than it did when new, so, like all aspects of life, it's about trade-offs and compromise. I tell people this all the time when they tell me that "So and So can blast my car for *** dollars and you charge **** dollars", I then tell them it's all about trade offs and you get what you pay for. I've done my homework, and my skill sets and quality exceed ALL my few competitors in S.A. area. And, the adage you get what you pay for is so true, sure a 700 service and few parts is steep, but, it's a good deal and the best part is all the parts work splendidly too. You ALWAYS (rather mostly) get what you pay for. But, you ALWAYS get what you pay for IF you do your homework. And, John brings it in spades with his cogent analysis on this, and many other subjects which I often don't take time to thank him for!