#899Panigale

Increasing the 899 Panigale’s stroke from 57.2 to 60.8mm, while retaining its 100mm bore (3.94 inches), in addition to a bunch more changes, brings us to the 2016 Ducati 959 Panigale. The crankshaft was redesigned to support a brand-new crank journal lubrication system and completely new connecting rods, while compression remains the same 12.5:1.

This week’s video features Swedish daredevil Al the Jumper. If you’ve never heard of him, you can probably figure out his schtick just from the name. Al jumps. He’s best known for his videos showing him jumping over moving cars, but this time, Al uses his impressive leaping ability to vault over two sportbikes speeding at him at about 68 mph.

The hallmark of a good sporting motorcycle is one that instills supreme confidence in its rider to comfortably push their abilities. And if the motorcycle also is able to turn heads in the process, then all the better. Of all the new sportbikes we’ve ridden in the past year, none have felt as sure-footed and confidence-inspiring as the Ducati 899 Panigale, Motorcycle.com’s Sportbike of the Year. It doesn’t hurt that the 899 is a sexy object of desire, to boot.