• The Ducati Panigale V4 made its long-awaited appearance at EICMA 2017.

• Every aspect of the bike points towards form-follows function.

• The Ducati Panigale V4 is the Italian maker’s weapon to reclaim the World Superbike Championship crown they once dominated.

Ducati’s V-Twins have finally been outgunned in the World Superbike Championship for a few years now, evidenced by the drought of a championship title since Carlos Checa’s domination and victory in 2011. Chaz Davies came agonizingly close in the past two years but there’s no hiding from the fact that Ducati’s V-Twins have reached the end of their competitively development.

So here it is, the new Ducati Panigale V4, which will spearhead Ducati’s assault on the championship to reclaim what has been traditionally theirs.

• Styling remains along the lines of the Panigale 1299, except for many changes. Yet, it’s actually more compact than the V-Twin. The front is sharp, neat and features larger intakes underneath the aggressive headlamps.

• The chassis is an evolved from the V-Twin’s cast aluminium monocoque structures, called “front frame.” It is now leaner and lighter, with more built in torsional and flexional rigidity to handle the power of the new Desmosedici V4 engine.

• Rake is 24.5 degrees, with just 99 mm of trail for ultra-quick steering. Ducati claimed a kerb weight of just 195 kg. The Panigale V4 wears Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP shoes, 120/70-17 in front and a fat 200/60-17 at the back.

• The standard Panigale V4 uses 43mm Showa forks and Sachs shock, both fully adjustable for preload, rebound and compression.

• The Panigale V4 S, on the other hand, uses Öhlins suspension front and rear, forged aluminium wheels, lightweight lithium-ion battery.

• The seat is trimmed in luxurious Alcantara leather, both fenders are carbon fiber.

• The V4 weighs just 2.3 kg more than the 1299. The V4 produces 216 bhp, but Ducati offers an Akrapovic titanium racing exhaust which boosts the power to an eye-watering 226 bhp.

• The engine is the definition of a big bore motor, at 81 mm, with a stroke of 53.55 mm. Lubrication is carried out by four oil pumps, two of them for crankcase scavenging.

• Fuel-air charge is inducted via variable-length oval throttle bodies, corresponding to 52mm round units. Valves go up to 34mm intake and 27.5mm exhaust and compression ratio is 14:1.

• The TFT instrumentation is also the latest technology, including the Ducati Data Analyzer and Ducati Multimedia System.

• In terms of rider aids, the Ducati Panigale V-4 employs the latest in electronic warfare, and some named EVO: Cornering ABS EVO, Ducati Traction Control EVO, Ducati Slide Control, Ducati Wheelie Control EVO, Ducati Power Launch, Ducati Quick Shift EVO, Engine Brake Control EVO, Duacti Electronic Suspension EVO.

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