DUCATI PANIGALE V4S (2022 - on) Review

The Ducati Panigale V4 remains unchanged, but lighter new slotted wings create less drag but still produce the same 37kg of downforce at 186mph.

It’s impossible to say how well they work in isolation, as much of the Ducati’s superb anti-wheelie character also comes from clever mapping, electronic wheelie control, the counter rotating crank and its 4mm higher swingarm pivot (creating more anti squat), but they all combine to keep both wheels on the floor under hard acceleration.

Suspension remains Öhlins semi active, but with new NPX 25/30 gas forks with 5mm more travel (125mm) and lighter springs. Now the Panigale V4 is stabler, has more feel and easier to place on track.

A new two-tone seat is flatter for more room to move around and the one-litre bigger fuel tank (up to 17 litres) is more vertical and concave to let you wedge your knees in for support under the force of hard braking.

The new shape also gives your outside arm more room when you’re hanging off in a corner. Ducati says you can ride the Panigale V4 S for longer without getting tired, but when braking power is like hitting a brick wall and acceleration akin to a pukka race bike, it’s still all you can do to hang on at track speeds. It’s a superbike, after all.

There are now four power maps to choose from within four available riding modes. ‘Low’ restricts power to 150bhp (like a V-twin Panigale V2) for the wet and for the perfect and most manageable power delivery in the dry, ‘Medium’ and ‘High’ have full power and dedicated mapping in each gear – a first for a road bike.

They add calmness to the Ducati V4, but there’s also a disco ‘Full’ power mode for unbridled savagery in all but first gear – fun, but not always fast, unless you’ve got your game on. New dash graphics feature an easier to read ‘track’ display, derived from the ultra-exclusive Superleggera V4.

Its masterpiece of a MotoGP-inspired 1103cc 90-degree V4 desmo engine is unchanged and still insanely powerful. It has a counter rotating crank, twin pulse firing order and is packed with unobtanium, but there’s a new oil pump and its underslung tail pipes are 18% bigger (up from 35mm to 38mm) to reduce back pressure and increase power, releasing a claimed 2bhp more at the crank.

Despite the huge power available, the new mapping takes the sting out of it in the lower gears. Extra slots on the sides and underneath the bellypan draw out hot air from around the motor and even to keep the quickshifter cool.

New 1^st/2^nd/6^th gear ratios, mimic Ducati’s WSB racer to peg back the Panigale’s aggression out of slow corners and help it along to a faster top speed. First is taller by 11.6%, so it’s easier to use lowest cog to get the bike stopped for hairpins and help it accelerate quicker on the way out.

With second gear lengthened by 5.6%, it’s closer to first and third, which helps keep the V4 on the boil as you quickshift gracefully through the box. Sixth is 1.8% longer, which Ducati says increases top speed by 3mph.

This year marks five years of the Panigale V4 S and in that time despite having a big cube V4 that revs to the moon and electronics galore it has proved to be completely reliable, as you’ll be able to see if you click on our owners’ review of the ’18 and ’20 models.

As you'd expect, owners of the 2022-on Panigale also score the bike 5/5 for reliability - praising the attention to detail, craftsmanship, and dealer experience. Many also comment on a lack of corrosion, however many Panigale V4 S' are unlikely to experience the rain and almost none will feel the harsh realities of a cold British winter.

Parts and servicing aren’t cheap, but that’s to be expected - this is no built down to a price superbike, but an exquisitely built, beautifully finished supersonic work of art.

Ducati are gunning for the ‘special ones’ with the Panigale V4 S: Aprilia’s RSV4 Factory, the BMWs S1000RR M Package, Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP and Yamaha R1M. It’s more expensive than all of them and set at a price few would be willing to pay, but for a superbike that mixes style, devastating speed, tech and track prowess, it can’t be beaten.

That said, BMW have announced updates to their S1000RR and WSB-focussed M1000RR for 2023, with more power and tech, plus new looks - which could rattle the Panigale's cage.

The Panigale V4 s comes with the best of the best chassis parts, electronics and a bombastic motor, although it would be nice to have some carbon fibre for the price.

You get Brembo Stylemas, Pirelli Diablo Super Corsa SP rubber, semi-active Öhlins suspension, forged ali wheels, wings, a lithium battery, racing handlebar grips and every lean sensitive rider aid box ticked: traction and stability control, anti-wheelie, launch control, ABS with slide control, engine braking control, four riding modes and four power maps and colour dash.

A full range of Ducati Performance accessories is available, including a lightweight, but trackday-quiet race exhaust from Akrapovic. First seen on Ducati’s later WSB twins, the 105db (102db with baffle) titanium system is 6kg lighter, adds 12bhp…and costs £6156.