Ducati recently unveiled a limited edition Panigale V4 that celebrates 25 years of the company’s iconic 916. Called the Panigale V4 25° Anniversario 916, the motorcycle is limited to 500 units and comes with both, cosmetic and mechanical changes and will arrive in dealerships starting October 2019. The motorcycle has now been launched in India and is priced at Rs 54.90 lakh (ex-showroom, India).
At this price, this limited edition model is the most expensive version of the V4. For comparison, the V4 Speciale and V4 R are priced Rs 51.81 lakh and Rs 51.87 lakh (ex-showroom, India)
The Italian brand say that “the Ducati 916 wasn't just a great bike, it also won World Superbike Championships: the 916 SBK was a force to be reckoned with even as it made its debut and the following years saw it win 120 races, eight constructors' titles and six riders' titles – four of them with Englishman ‘King’ Carl Fogarty. Even now, the English racer and the 916 remain the most successful 'couple' in Ducati SBK history.” The bike was also designed by Massimo Tamburini, who was a very popular motorcycle designer.
The 25° Anniversario 916 shares most of its mechanicals with the Panigale V4 S, including the 1,103cc V4 engine that makes 214hp and 124Nm of torque. However, it does use the sportier frame from the V4 R. The bike also uses a dry clutch, unlike the standard model, and gets track-specific electronics, such as Ducati Quick Shift EVO 2 and Ducati Traction Control EVO 2.
The look of the bike combines a colour scheme that takes its cue from the Ducati 996 SBK (winner of the 1999 World Superbike Championship). It also runs forged-magnesium Marchesini Racing wheels, a titanium Akrapovič exhaust and a long list of carbon-fibre and billet-aluminium components.
Being a collector’s bike, it comes with an authenticity certificate, which displays the bike, frame and engine numbers. Ducati will auction bike number 5 (Dunne’s race number) of the Panigale 25°Anniversario 916 limited edition that was unveiled at the WSBK round in Laguna Seca. All proceeds from the auction will go towards a fund in the memory of Carlin Dunne.
Azaman Chothia
Vishal Venugopal
