2018 Ducati 959 Panigale Corse Revealed in EPA and CARB Filings
Certification documents from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board reveal a new Corse-edition Ducati 959 Panigale is on the way.
The 2018 Ducati 959 Panigale Corse has been certified with the same emissions information as the 959 Panigale, suggesting no differences in the 955cc V-Twin desmodromic-valve engine which Ducati claims produces 158 hp at 10,750 rpm and 77.9 lb-ft. at 9,000 rpm. So, if the engine’s the same, what can we expect to see from the Corse version?
The last time Ducati released a Corse special edition was in 2013 with the 848 EVO Corse. It too had the same engine as the regular model but added an aluminum fuel tank that increased fuel capacity to 4.75 gallons from 4.09 gallons while weighing 2.2 pounds lighter. Ducati also upgraded the EVO Corse’s rear suspension from a Showa shock to an Öhlins and increased the front brake discs to 330mm. Either change would be update over the regular 959 Panigale.
The 848 EVO Corse also added traction control and a quick shift system. The current 959 Panigale already has both, but we might see the addition of cornering ABS or wheelie control inherited from the 1299 Panigale. And, of course, a special edition model also calls for a special edition color scheme.
We’ll find out more information as it becomes available. Check back here on Motorcycle.com for the latest updates.
Dennis has been a part of the Motorcycle.com team since 2008, and through his tenure, has developed a firm grasp of industry trends, and a solid sense of what's to come. A bloodhound when it comes to tracking information on new motorcycles, if there's a new model on the horizon, you'll probably hear about it from him first.
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Ducati did this with the 848 Corse SE in 2013, after giving enough time for sales of leftover 1198 Superbikes to drizzle to a stop so as not to interfere. They don't need to wait so long this time since the 959 will takeover their 'affordable' street superbike slot, with the V4 series being higher-end (at least to start), and the 1299 Pani RFE being out of most people's financial reach. A 959 Corse version will be welcomed, if, as some have already pointed out, it comes with up/down DQS, Cornering ABS, and lean-sensitive DTS. It would be nice to have slide and wheelie control but not necessary. Oh, and for the US market at least it better not have that huge extended Euro4 compliant exhaust that it already has in the EU.
I love Ducati Diavel only