237bhp Ducati Panigale V4 R Is A Homologation Special That Revs To 16,500rpm

Ducati Panigale V4 R Specs

The Ducati Panigale V4 R is powered by the marque's new 998cc Desmosedici Stradale R engine that can rev up to 16,500rpm in top gear (in all other gears, the rev limiter arrives at 16,000rpm). In its road-compliant Euro 5 guise, the engine produces 215bhp and 111.3Nm of peak torque at 12,000rpm.

However, for those petrolheads who only wish to race this bike on the track, there is a way to extract more power from this 998cc V4. Fit the Panigale V4 R with the non-homologated and 5kg lighter Titanium exhaust from Akrapovic and use the rather clever engine oil developed in partnership with Shell and you'll see the engine output balloon to an even punchier 237.2bhp. This gives the 188.5kg Panigale V4 R a mind-boggling power-to-weight ratio of 1258.35bhp/tonne.

The engine features a whole lot more clever bits including gun-drilled titanium conrods and a diamond-like coating treatment for the piston skirt which is said to reduce friction, the latter a first for a road-legal motorcycle.

Each piston on the Panigale V4 R's engine is lighter than ever before and the powerplant also features new intake camshafts with valve lift increased by 1mm. Ducati has also fitted the Panigale V4 R with a dry clutch setup that features a smaller diameter and axial length and is lighter by about 800 grams.

The engine has been paired with a six-speed gearbox with longer first, second and sixth gears which should help riders on tighter circuits where a tall first gear can be very useful.

The Panigale V4 R sports manually adjustable Öhlins NPX25/30 pressurised front forks (semi-active suspension is banned in racing) which increases its travel by 5mm compared to the previous R model of the Panigale. The rear section of the V4 R sports an Ohlins TTX36 fully adjustable mono-shock with a softer spring than before.

The four-way adjustable swingarm pivot has been set to the +1 position as standard which Ducati claims along with the Ohlins suspension setup raises the bike's ride height by 20mm. In this way, a higher centre of gravity is achieved and therefore greater nimbleness in corner entry and changes of direction claims Ducati.

As standard, the Ducati Panigale V4 R rides on forged aluminium wheels shod with race-ready rubber. These aluminium wheels can be replaced with Magnesium units that help reduce unsprung mass by 0.7kg.

Ducati has given the Panigale V4 R a host of electronic aids including four riding modes which can drop the power down to as low as 157.8bhp to help ride the bike in tricky conditions.

Other electronic aids include the 5-inch full-colour TFT screen with a Track EVO display that allows riders to create bespoke electronics configs for different circuits. The new engine brake EVO2 setup allows riders to select one of three engine-braking levels for each gear while the track-only traction control mode for wet tyres is another boon for riders but is not yet approved for road use.

Other changes for the Panigale V4 R include the aluminium tank finish for the 17-litre fuel tank, which contrasts with the rest of the bike's Red paint job. Also seen are quite a few aero elements including thinner winglets and a revised lower fairing section.

Thoughts About The Ducati Panigale V4 R

The Ducati Panigale V4 R is the purest form of a homologation special. A road legal bike that revs to 16500rpm isn't going to make you any friends in your neighbourhood but you'll be long gone before they come down to curse at you.