Ducati Panigale V4 S ridden at the BIC: Living the dream

“If I were a rich man”. Everyone has their own individual version of that fantasy, but if you are a motorcycle enthusiast, chances are that it revolves around an exotic motorcycle that looks something like the one you see on these pages. For me, a more detailed version of the fantasy is to be able to do a full track day on one of the world’s best superbikes at a proper GP-level racetrack. The good folks at Ducati made that happen for me, and since we’ve already reviewed the Panigale V4 on track, this story will revolve more around what it’s like to use it as an owner would/should. 

Special treatment

This particular track day was organised by ISBK, but Ducati has tied up with multiple operators across the country to offer its customers specialised support at these events. That includes having diagnostic tools as well as commonly replaced spare parts, like brake pads and levers, on hand. Considering how much time and money it takes to attend a track day, it’s a great confidence booster knowing that you have this support available should the need arise.

Rs 12 lakh full-system titanium Akrapovic drops six kilos; pushes power to a monumental 228hp.

After having the usual safety briefings, it was time to gear up for the first session. This is almost always the worst session of the day because the track is cold, relatively dusty, and, typically, you haven’t ridden on a track for a while. A bike like this messes with your mind, even more so because of the incredible performance on offer. With a 1,103cc V4 engine producing 216hp and a kerb weight of just 198kg, the Panigale V4 S is already one of the most violently fast vehicles most people will ever experience, but the bike I’m riding pushes the envelope even further.

Mind-bending performance

A full-system titanium Akrapovic racing exhaust (Rs 12.2 lakh), the associated lower fairing required to accommodate it (Rs 2.2 lakh) and a dry clutch (Rs 4.9 lakh) collectively add Rs 19 lakh to the already stratospheric Rs 39 lakh price tag – talk about a rich man’s game! The reward for all that expense is a boost in power to 228hp at 13,750rpm and a reduction in weight to just under 192kg. The dry clutch also helps with even cleaner shifts and that iconic Ducati rattly ringing sound.

Optional dry clutch boosts clutch performance and creates the iconic ringing sound.

Words cannot describe the sensation of how violently this bike seemingly bends through time and space, but I’ll give it a shot. There is a 1.06km-long back straight that connects turns three and four at the BIC. Despite the fact that these are two of the slowest corners on track, the V4 regularly screams past at 315kph (and is still accelerating!) before I run out of bravery and haul on the brakes.

you’ll even get to mingle with top management at some track days

I had a total of seven 15-minute sessions over a brutally humid day, with track temperatures above 65°C, and the V4 ran perfectly. The only slightly humourous incident that happened a couple of times was that the bike would start sputtering when leaned over, and since there’s no fuel gauge, that would be my indicator that it was time to feed it more fuel! I wish I could say I ran as flawlessly as the bike, but my fitness levels were no match for what the bike could offer, and I was absolutely destroyed by the end of it.

Infinite adjustment

Ducati provides a service crew and spare parts support at multiple track days across the country

Being at a track day was a unique opportunity to try out the electronic Ohlins suspension in its fixed damping mode, instead of the usual dynamic setting where the system reacts to surface inputs in real time. Suspension expert Mukul Patel helped set the spring preload to match my weight and how hard I was braking. We kept dialling in the compression and rebound damping through the day based on my feedback on how the bike was behaving, as well as how the tyres were wearing. The amount of suspension adjustability available alone can feel overwhelming, and it really helps to have someone who knows what they’re doing.

Suspension specialist Mukul Patel helped me dial in a customised setup

The bike was on its stock Pirelli Supercorsa rubber, and the combined excellence of these tyres as well as the Panigale’s state-of-the-art rider assists meant I never had a single fright all day long and certainly didn’t feel the need for more grip. The Brembo Hypure brakes also worked flawlessly, to the point where I had to modulate them to prevent lifting the rear wheel too much into corners – something I couldn’t quite manage as effortlessly as the pros!  

A new benchmark

Like most of you fellow human beings reading this, I will never be as fast as a professional racer, and I certainly won’t be able to claim to have extracted the upper limits of what a bike like this can offer. At the same time, there’s a nice feeling in knowing that you could spend years being entertained by this motorcycle while simultaneously being on a continuous quest of becoming a better rider.

316kph on the clock, and still some revs to spare!

Some nice perspective on the new V4’s capability is that this same bike went on to set a new lap record for a production motorcycle at the BIC just a few weeks after I rode it. This was in the hands of official Ducati DRE rider Dilip Lalwani, and the only difference from when I rode it was that it was on a fresh set of slicks. Dilip’s lap time of 1:54.926 beats previous records set on more highly modified versions of the previous-gen V4. It really isn’t an overstatement when people say that the 2025 V4 represents a big leap forward. 

What would I have liked to improve on this bike? Honestly, very little – a taller windscreen would be nice, but mainly, I’d want grippier footpegs. Ducati footpegs look gorgeous, but they tend to be too slippery, and on something this monstrously fast, you want to be able to lock onto the motorcycle as best you can. 

Dream on

I’m fully aware that Rs 60 lakh for a track-oriented motorcycle is playing fast and loose with the term ‘indulgence’. But having spent a day hanging on to the Panigale, I have a slightly different perspective to offer. Yes, this is most certainly a rich person’s game, but it’s still one you can allow yourself to dream about. 

The new Panigale V4 really is a big step ahead of its predecessor.

Unlike a Ferrari, Lambo or a GT3 RS, which precious few can actually afford, this still is in the realm of possibility. And having been fortunate enough to have driven a few of cars like those over the years, I can tell you that none of them can generate the sheer thrill and visceral rush a superbike will.

If you’ve got the mindset to think that it’s fun to ride past 300kph with just your own skill and a few millimetres of leather keeping you safe, nothing will ever match the euphoria of unleashing a superbike on track. Being able to afford a bike like this certainly is a big dream, but it’s one you can someday hope to achieve!