Ducati has announced the introduction of the 899 Panigale, a bike which replaces the 848 EVO. The motorcycle was introduced at the on-going Frankfurt Motor Show. The Ducati 899 Panigale is powered by a 899cc, Superquadro engine which produces 148 BHP of power at 10,750 RPM and 99 Nm of torque at 9000 RPM. The motorcycle uses the same monocoque construction and weighs only 169 kgs. It also features equipment from the flagship 1199 like Ducati Quick Shift (DQS), Ducati Traction Control (DTC), triple stage ABS, full integrated Riding Mode technologies, Engine Brake Control (EBC), Ride-by-Wire (RbW), etc.
The Ducati 899 Panigale uses the same transmission as the 1199. The engine of the 899 is a stressed member of the chassis and features Desmodromic valve control just like other Ducati offerings. This red hot Italian machine uses 43 mm Showa BPF upside-down forks at the front and fully adjustable Sachs rear suspension. Braking duties are taken care by Bosch Brembo braking system with 3-level ABS. The front uses 320 mm discs, twin radially-mounted Brembo, four piston, Monobloc M4-32 callipers while the rear makes do with a single 245 mm disc.
The styling of the Ducati Panigale 899 is sure to win a lot of fans but the double-sided swing arm is a turn off. The bike features extensive use of LEDs, after all Ducati is now owned by Audi. The high performance lightweight 10-spoke wheels are mounted on to 120/70/17 and 180/60/17 tyres at the front and rear respectively. The rubber is Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa which not only performs well on the road but exceptionally at the track, where the 899 is most likely to be ridden by owners.
The 899 Panigale features an all digital instrument cluster. The machine has three riding modes on offer – Race, Sport and Wet. You can also time your laps and the console also reminds you of service, which is done at an interval of 24,000 kms. Ducati hasn’t released the price yet but expect it to be marginally more expensive than the 848 EVO when it goes on sale. An India launch is likely next year, with the latest machine from Bologna coming via the CBU route. Expect the 899 Panigale to be priced at around Rs. 16 lakhs in our country.
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