The past few days have been indeed crazy when it comes to motorcycles. Every manufacturer has been rolling out or is planning to roll out a bike that’s unique in its own right. So be it the stonking Kawasaki Ninja H2 to the 2015 Yamaha YZF-R1 slated to make its debut with over 200 horses buried in its heart- manufacturer’s have kept the hearts of biking aficionados beating faster than ever.
Curtains have been raised at the EICMA 2014 and what’s a better way to start with an exotic Italian. Being accidentally leaked at an American Ducati dealership- the Ducati 1299 Panigale too has been the talking point amongst enthusiasts. So here’s the Ducati 1299 Panigale unveiled at EICMA 2014 unveiled in the presence of top Ducati officials and including Ducati’s MotoGP race rider Andrea Dovizioso.
As the number says, the 2015 Ducati 1299 Panigale gets an increment of 100cc over the 1199 and this has been by way of an increased stroke of its Superquadro engine which now produces 205 bhp @ 10,000 rpm and 144 nm @ 8750 rpm of torque in a package weighing just 179 kgs. The engine has been tuned for a stronger mid range. The 1299 Panigale gets the Ducati Realtime Suspension setup featuring Ohlins Smart EC semi-active event based suspension that makes the new 1299 a more comfortable proposition to ride- be it on track or road. Electronic aids include quick shifter, cornering ABS and wheelie control system. On the aerodynamics part, the front fairing has been made broader to add enhanced wind protection to the rider.
All this makes the wait for the likes of the Kawasaki Ninja H2 (road going version), the 2015 Yamaha YZF-R1 and Honda’s MotoGP derived Honda RCV213V-S Streetbike even more exciting. The battle for horsepower supremacy seems to be heading to crazy levels. And we’re sure all of these will be battling on the track very soon in a bid to topple the other. The BMW S1000RR has just found a mob of competition.