It has been two years since the superbike class was redefined by 1199 Panigale wining many accolades for its Superquadro engine. The scope of the bike to reach larger rider population was limited by price.
To bring the revolution to the larger population and to provide the affordable exotic superbike, Ducati has unveiled the new 899 Panigale. Audi owned Ducati has pulled the covers off the 899 Panigale at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The 899 will replace the 848 Evo superbikes and will sit in the middle weight segment of Ducati’s product range.
According to Ducati, the new 899 Panigale is a “Supermid” version of the larger-engined 1199 Panigale, designed to provide the thrill of the company’s flagship model with the refinement expected of an everyday street bike.
The announcement of the baby Panigale was rumored and a red prototype was even spotted a few weeks back (Check out details here). The model spotted hinted at a double sided swing arm compared to the 1199’s gorgeous single sided unit.
Panigale 899 Specifications, Engines & Details
The 899 Panigale comes with a detuned Superquadro two-cylinder engine, with a reduced bore and stroke of 100mm x 57.2mm, compared to the 1199’s 112mm x 60.8mm. The super smooth engine remains a stressed member in the bike’s monocoque construction belting a power of 148PS (109kW) with a torque of 73lb-ft (10.1kgm).
The cylinders are typical Ducati 90° L-twin configuration. The key difference is the use of a more conventional, dual-sided swing arm in place of the bigger bike’s single-sided unit. The 899 Panigale comes with the ingenious integrated Riding Mode technology of Ride-by-Wire, triple stage ABS, Ducati Traction Control (DTC) and Engine Brake Control (EBC) which were seen in the 1199 Panigale.
The 899 sources the same six-speed gearbox as the 1199. It utilizes a wet clutch, hydraulically actuated unit. Bosch ABS Brembo braking in three-level tuning does the stopping duties, Level 1 uses only front ABS, Level 2 and Level 3 uses Front and Rear ABS. Level 3 is recommended for braking under wet conditions. 43mm fully-adjustable Showa BPF front forks and a fully-adjustable Sachs rear shock setup the suspension.
Based on the riders driving strategy and environmental condition there are three modes available to choose from:
- The ‘Race’ mode powers 148PS with direct RbW throttle response, reduced DTC system intervention, a race-oriented EBC level and front-only ABS with reduced anti-rear lift-up.
- The ‘Sport’ mode powers 148PS with smooth RbW throttle response, slightly increased DTC system intervention, a sport-optimized EBC and front and rear ABS with increased anti-rear lift-up.
- The ‘Wet’ mode provides the rider with a controlled 110PS with smooth RbW throttle response, increased DTC system intervention, environment-appropriate EBC and fully enhanced ABS for low grip conditions.
The 899 Panigale will be available in:
- Ducati red with black wheels and
- white with red wheels
Factory accessories include:
- Termignoni Ducati Corse race silencers
- carbon fiber engine covers
- shock guard
- front mudguard
- heel guards
- clutch case
- rear mudguard
- sprocket guard
Ducati has provided racing accessories for Ducati 899 Panigale. These include:
- race fairing kit
- larger screen
- quickshifter
- DDA (Data Analyzer)
- Ducati Corse Superstock data acquisition kit
DDA consists of software with USB-ready data retrieval card which evaluates the performances of the motorcycle and graphically presents throttle opening, vehicle speed, engine rpm, gear selected, engine temperature, distance traveled, laps, lap times and traction control index.
Ducati Panigale Price:
The 899 Panigale is released for a price of £12,495 in the UK which equates to approximately Rs 12.45 Lakh. With 899 Panigale already featuring at the Ducati India website we can expect Ducati to bring in this amazing midline performer to our shores as well!
– by Saravana Priyan
