2014 Ducati 899 Panigale First Ride - Sport Rider Magazine
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Electronic rider aids have changed the face of the sportbike world, and never was that made clearer than during the recently held Ducati 899 Panigale press launch at a wet Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Ferrari circuit near Imola, Italy. Introduced as a more accessible superbike, the 899 Panigale features all the same safety nets that cloak the 1199—three independent riding modes, engine brake control, ABS
, and traction control. Add styling cues identical to what you’d see on the bigger Panigale, a smaller price tag, and softer suspension, and you have a bike that’s less intimidating but also more appealing to a wider consumer base. Has Ducati’s reshuffling of components and price-tag figures paid dividends? Let’s just say that the electronics weren't all we came to appreciate while circulating one of Italy’s most famous racetracks in conditions that would have otherwise left us huddled up in our hotel room.
Electronic rider aids have changed the face of the sportbike world, and never was that made clearer than during the recently held Ducati 899 Panigale press launch at a wet Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Ferrari circuit near Imola, Italy. Introduced as a more accessible superbike, the 899 Panigale features all the same safety nets that cloak the 1199—three independent riding modes, engine brake control, ABS
, and traction control. Add styling cues identical to what you’d see on the bigger Panigale, a smaller price tag, and softer suspension, and you have a bike that’s less intimidating but also more appealing to a wider consumer base. Has Ducati’s reshuffling of components and price-tag figures paid dividends? Let’s just say that the electronics weren't all we came to appreciate while circulating one of Italy’s most famous racetracks in conditions that would have otherwise left us huddled up in our hotel room.
