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2015 Ducati Panigale R...


Moto-Brian

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Well...  A lot have been asking what I am going to run next year.  Officially allowed to state it now so, I will contest 2015 on the new Ducati Panigale R.  I obviously saw this in person during our dealer meeting and I must say that excitement is an understatement.  I don't know if everyone knows the real background to this bike and why it exists.  Obviously a lot of you know about the 1299 due to a dealer leak last month.

 

But the Panigale R is going to be a homologated racebike.  The WSBK rules state that Ducati cannot run a 1299 so, the Panigale R stays as an 1199.  HOWEVER, it gets the same hp but less weight.  Doing this was a chore of course.  The 1199SL has a lot to do with this internally. 

 

But not going to bore or advertise the bike.  I just am going to say that next year is going to be a blast and I plan on doing more races this time around.

 

We will see...

 

Stock photo:

 

 

post-9483-0-40677200-1415042190_thumb.jp

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what's up with the little push button handlebar shifter thingy??? :easy_button:

 

 

The bike will have access to Traction Control, Wheelie Control via the handlebar like the SL currently has.  The bike also features qucik shift up AND down for race use.  Also has a bank angle or lean angle sensor for ABS.  Meaning, it will now be a lot more sensitive to the angle of the bike and brake pressure.

 

Think of it this way - for WSBK, we need this to be on the bike prior to race trim.  It cannot be added per rules.  So, Honda has their SP, Yamaha their "M" version and we have the R.  BMW will have another HP4 (BMW couldn't squeeze an additional HP to get to 200hp).  Not sure what Kaw or Suzuki will do if anything...

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The bike will have access to Traction Control, Wheelie Control via the handlebar like the SL currently has.  The bike also features qucik shift up AND down for race use.  Also has a bank angle or lean angle sensor for ABS.  Meaning, it will now be a lot more sensitive to the angle of the bike and brake pressure.

 

Think of it this way - for WSBK, we need this to be on the bike prior to race trim.  It cannot be added per rules.  So, Honda has their SP, Yamaha their "M" version and we have the R.  BMW will have another HP4 (BMW couldn't squeeze an additional HP to get to 200hp).  Not sure what Kaw or Suzuki will do if anything...

Honda is really falling behind.... not much for changes at all for 2015... all ready down on power and everyone's just bringing bigger badder guns

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Just out of curiosity.... Is the performance difference between this bike and the last even noticeable? Are you upgrading for marketing reasons, or do you plan to pull times quick enough to justify the expense of switching?

 

 

The way racing works is that tenths of a second are a success.  I was getting better/faster on the 1199.  Will there be a difference?  205 hp at the crank is 10 more than the previous R model.  That bike was about 5 more than the Standard/S.  When built, the 1199 I had was about 4 down on the same build R model.  So, similar...  The Panigale R in this case should maintain that 14-15hp edge.  In racing, getting 10-15 HP is a BIIIIIG dealio.

 

The weight is less, but we shave a ton of stuff anyways.  Will it be faster?  Who knows.  I may not be capable of going faster and maybe even go slower at the start with a bit of a learning curve. 

 

If I try and justify the expense, I wouldn't race.  But to justify it against the old model?  Hell yes.  That gain and the fact that it will have a lot of the things I did to the bike I had, it will be a starting point that is better than what I even ended with, I say it is totally justified.

 

This is going to literally be a racebike with signals.  Honest...

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As for marketing, it does help to be showcasing the newest Ducati we have.  But, I would be satisfied with the same 1199 had the bike been just BNGs.  I wouldn't be able to pull this off had I not got what I asked for my racebike.  I probably sold it lower than I could have got, but at the end of the day it was a solid deal and was a lot easier to sell at this stage than to have waited until everyone got details on this thing. 

 

Make no mistake that I still feel that getting my asking price would have happened even after the release of info, but she was two years old going on three.  It's harder and harder to maintain any margins on a racebike the older she gets.  I got a ton of use out of her and the balance of what I owed and what I made makes this bike actually cheaper.  So it is a move forward at a lower expense point. 

 

There's a lot of cool tech in this thing and I believe that every dealer will have at least one for the floor.  So, come out and check her out when she lands in April.

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I'm pretty excited about the s model. I was planning on getting the Kawasaki H2 but at around 550lbs that's too hefty for my liking. Especially since the panigale is making more hp and torque. I'm just waiting to see what the price is going to be.

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I'm pretty excited about the s model. I was planning on getting the Kawasaki H2 but at around 550lbs that's too hefty for my liking. Especially since the panigale is making more hp and torque. I'm just waiting to see what the price is going to be.

 

id say the S will be around $21k

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I'm pretty excited about the s model. I was planning on getting the Kawasaki H2 but at around 550lbs that's too hefty for my liking. Especially since the panigale is making more hp and torque. I'm just waiting to see what the price is going to be.

 

This.  The power to weight is amazing and will make the H2 more Busa like than anything.  But again...  The H2 is attracting attention to the open class and I think that is a good thing.  And it looks pretty cool.

 

But, back to the Panigale.  The prices are as follows:

 

1199 Standard: $19,295

1199S: $24,995

Panigale R: $33,995

Edited by Desmo-Brian
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This.  The power to weight is amazing and will make the H2 more Busa like than anything.  But again...  The H2 is attracting attention to the open class and I think that is a good thing.  And it looks pretty cool.

 

But, back to the Panigale.  The prices are as follows:

 

1199 Standard: $19,295

1199S: $24,995

Panigale R: $33,995

If it stays around that price range in going to try to get one. But I'm worried that all the electronic upgrades are going to bump the price significantly.

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That's the point the r is directed at a racer.. but yet people don't blink to spend that kinda money on a harley

It's funny you mention that awhile back a friend of mine and I were discussing the upcoming H2 release. When i told him the rumored price for the H2 was around $30k. My friend who had been looking at adding a Harley to his garage said that's a lot for a bike. I pointed out that was similar to the price he is looking at paying for the Harleys he wants. He said "Yeah but look how much more you get for your money". Then we got into a debate on what's important on a bike (performance vs. Comfort). He'd rather pay big bucks to have a two wheeled car with a trunk and cruise control and i'd rather pay big bucks for a two wheeled rocket.

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Plus you can buy everything and more at half the price of that Harley with a Jap cruiser. The Harley personna can be cool and I get that people like them that there is honestly never any justification in any conversation about their price.

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That is just insane money for something 98% of the riders on the road couldn't even sniff the potential of.

 

Sales say otherwise...  As for ability, most can't handle the current gen 600s.  Current prices on 600s are near $13k so, I don't think once you add up the components, the prices are outrageous.  The new R1 M version is going to pass $22k...

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