Behold the new Ducati Panigale V4 R Debuts with 217hp & Winglets

Ducati, the Italian motorcycle manufacturer has unveiled the 2019 Panigale V4 R, complete with winglets and a massive 217hp, despite having a smaller engine capacity of 998cc than this year's Panigale V4 S, which is set at 1100cc. The new Panigale V4 R is built for WorldSBK homologation, and as such, this Ducati will surely hit the top limit of the World Superbike pricing cap, which is €40,000. For that price though, you get the pinnacle of Ducati’s superbike technology, including the company’s first use of winglets on a street-legal machine, which come straight from Ducati Corse’s MotoGP program.

Of course, the real show-stopper for the 2019 Ducati Panigale V4 R are the tech specs: 217hp, with 112 Nm of peak torque, wrapped up in a 193kg package, when fully fueled at the curb. It is also 2kg lighter than the Panigale V4 S, with the 2019 Ducati Panigale V4 R benefiting from lighter internal engine components. These new engine pieces include forged pistons, titanium valves, titanium connecting rods, a new camshaft, and a larger throttle body.

With the lighter engine pieces, Ducati has been able too boost power by adding revs. As such, the Desmosedici Stradale R motor makes its peak power at 15,520 rpm, which is 2,250 rpm higher than on the 1,103cc version of the engine. The redline is set at 16,500 rpm. The winglets on the Ducati Panigale V4 R are not legal in the MotoGP Championship, but are derived from the company’s previous work in the premier championship. One will also note the air gills on the side of the Panigale V4 R’s fairings, which help increase the airflow through the radiators.

Other features include an adjustable swingarm pivot, and mechanical Öhlins suspension pieces, which reduce weight compared to the electronically controlled pieces from the Swedish brand. There is no electronic suspension on the Panigale V4 R, as it is not needed for actual SBK racing but Ducati has updated the rider aid package to include a pit lane limiter as well as a GPS-powered lap timer. Cornering ABS, IMU-assisted traction control (with slide control), wheelie control, launch control, and rear-wheel slide control continue as part of the electronics package.

With the lighter engine pieces, Ducati has been able too boost power by adding revs. As such, the Desmosedici Stradale R motor makes its peak power at 15,520 rpm, which is 2,250 rpm higher than on the 1,103cc version of the engine. The redline is set at 16,500 rpm. Ducati has made available optional accessories to boost the overall performance of the Panigale V4 R, with the Ducati Performance exhaust by Akrapovič, with peak power moves to a massive 231hp at 15,500 rpm. This easily makes the 2019 Ducati Panigale V4 R the most powerful Ducati ever produced.

But only time will tell if this combination featuring CHaz Davies and Alvaro Bautista for the 2019 line-up of Ducati's Aruba Racing.IT is able to prevent Jonathan Rea and KRT to ride away with the WorldSBK title again onboard the all-powerful Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR machinery.

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