#PanigaleV4s

When a manufacturer stumbles upon a winning formula, it tends to milk it for all it’s worth. A perfect example can be found under the Ducati umbrella. The Panigale V4S has been one of the company’s best-selling models, and when Ducati decided to give it the SP treatment and fit it with carbon fiber wheels, a dry clutch, and some other premium parts, all of them sold out within a week.

Ducati revealed new Panigale V4 and V4 S models for 2022, announcing updates to the aerodynamics, ergonomics, chassis, engine and electronics. These evolutionary changes represent the most significant update since the V4’s debut in 2018, and the result of input from Ducati’s racing program.

Lost in the buzz Ducati’s Panigale V4 stirred since its introduction was the fact its baby brother, the 959 Panigale, had remained untouched. Squashing any concern that the model was going away (at least for now), Ducati today announced the Panigale V2 – the new name for the 959 Panigale – featuring updates and technology from its V4 sibling. While they were at it, the V4 family received some updates too, which we’ll get to later.

On the racetrack, the fight between the Aprilia RSV4 RF and Ducati Panigale V4 S was so close, it resulted in one of, if not the, closest shootout in Motorcycle.com history, with the two protagonists separated by 0.2% – two-tenths of a percentage point! – on our scorecards. On paper, anyway, the Ducati emerged victorious for a track tool, but it was only our racetrack ringer, Shane Turpin, who ultimately picked the Panigale V4 S – and its $4k heftier price tag – as his weapon of choice. Meanwhile, both Tom and I would elect to save the extra dough and be perfectly happy with the Aprilia – despite what the scorecard says.

Ducati is performing two separate worldwide recall on all 2018 Panigale V4 models (include the S and Speciale variants) related to potential fuel leaks. Though both recalls seem related, they are for two different problems, one that may cause fuel to leak from an internal breathing valve and one that may cause fuel to spray out when the tank cap is opened. The recall affects 692 motorcycles in the U.S.

Here it is in the flesh, the first mass-produced Ducati motorcycle to mount a four-cylinder engine, and it’s derived, Ducati says, directly from the MotoGP Desmosedici. Actually there are three of them: Panigale V4, Panigale V4S and V4S Speciale – the latter two with electronic Öhlins suspension featuring a new Smart EC 2.0 system, plus forged aluminum wheels, lithium ion batteries, and other assorted exotica. If that’s not rich enough, the Panigale V4 Speciale is a numbered, limited-edition bike with dedicated livery, titanium exhaust and CNC-machined from billet components. If you have to ask how much, don’t ask.