Panigale V4

The 2025 Panigale V4 is a ground-up redesign. The 1103cc counter-rotating V4 makes 216 hp, the front frame is 17 percent more flexible laterally, and the single-sided swingarm gave way to a double-sided one for the first time since 2003, again for chassis flex. Öhlins Smart EC 3.0 semi-active suspension is standard on the S, along with Brembo Hypure calipers.

The electronics use Ducati Vehicle Observer, a software model that estimates seventy parameters that sensors cannot measure, and the new 6.9-inch dash borrows lap-analysis tools from the MotoGP team.

The V4 is the first litre bike I have ridden that feels like it is helping rather than watching. The Race eCBS braking lets you trail into corners with the rear doing work you did not ask for, and the traction control is so smooth that you feel the drive rather than the intervention. The engine's mid-range is enormous, and the counter-rotating crank makes it steer with an ease that belies 216 hp.

The ergonomics are the most comfortable in the superbike class, which is a low bar cleared with some margin.

Desmo valve services are at 24,000 km and are expensive. The V4's finger-follower valvetrain and the sheer density of the engine bay mean this is a dealer job. Ducati's reliability at this level has been good, but everything costs Ducati money: the Öhlins service, the Brembo pads, the Pirelli tyres.

Budget for the service like you budget for the bike.

The rider with the skill, the track access, and the means. This is a motorcycle for people who go to circuits regularly and want the most sophisticated tool available.