Ducati purists can rest easy that the new V4 superbike to be unveiled on September 7 before the Misano MotoGP retains the distinctive Ducati L-twin growl.
It appears Ducati has been testing the bike at the Misano circuit and MaxxMoto.be caught the bike going through its paces on a phone camera.
Thankfully it has that distinctive throaty growl on the down change with a nice raspy top end when revved hard.
As a comparison, here is a video from Racemike1 video of Ducati Superbike Team Althea testing the 1198 testastretta Evouzione in 2012 at the same circuit.
The new V4 superbike will be powered by a version of the MotoGP Desmosedici 1000cc V4, developing about 205-210bhp in road trim and more than 230bhp in a track-only version.
It is expected to come in an R version with an 1198cc engine, the base and S models with a 1285cc engine and possibly a 1000cc version so it can go racing.
Ducati World Superbike racing boss Paolo Ciabatti says they will race with the Panigale into 2018, but Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali confirms the V4 “would absolutely race in WSB” … eventually.
Ducati also says the Panigale name will live and that they will “continue to design, develop and produce twin-cylinder superbikes, but not with a displacement of 1299” like the current L-twin Panigale.
Thankfully, it appears the bike doesn’t have the ugly vented fairing rolled out at practice for the recent Czech Grand Prix.
