Wednesday 6th July 2016

Ducati 1299 Panigale S Anniversario

The ultimate in two-wheeled Italian exotica gets a birthday limited edition

---

It's not often that PH covers two-wheeled machines, but it goes to show just how exciting this latest Panigale S is that it's in the newsfeed. An enhanced version of an already sublime bike, it promises to be a highly coveted machine.

New traction control means you can too!

The Panigale S Anniversario has been produced to mark 90 years of Ducati. There will be just 500 made and, quite surprisingly from a car perspective at least, is rather more than just a fancy paint job for the special edition.

On top of the standard Panigale spec - including 205hp at 10,500rpm, in a bike that weighs 166kg dry - this Anniversario also comes with new traction and anti-wheelie controls. Probably a good idea with that power! Named Ducati Wheelie Control (DWC) and Ducati Traction Control (DTC) Evo, they aim to make riders safer and faster than ever before.

The traction control works with the Bosch Inertial Measurement Unit, monitoring lean angle so the right amount of rear tyre slip can be metered out. There's a lot about how safe it is, about how the system works near a "line of perfect intervention", but then also about the ability to "dial in additional rear-wheel slip" - this is Ducati after all. With the DTC Evo at its most lenient, Ducati claims the rider has a "level of control formerly available to only the most advanced riders." It essentially allows the rider to throttle on beyond the normal intervention level when lent over, pivoting the bike around its front wheel and tightening the turn. Traction control gets interesting!

Or you could just look at it...

The evolution of the wheelie control uses all new software and controls them "with a high degree of robustness and precision." This sounds more like the German influence... On top of those, the Anniversario comes as standard with a racing kit, comprising an Akrapovic exhaust, billet aluminium block off plates and a cover for the hole left when you take the licence plate holder off. Better take it on track then!

Each Anniversario will be white, black and red, with gold wheels. It will be available from the second half of this month, but there isn't a price announced yet. Best assume quite a lot...

[V8 FOU]

Wibble, gurgle....

Want this. A lot.

[phil4]

£23,995 apparently: http://www.ducatiaylesbury.co.uk/

So not much markup on the S.

[jamespink]

Is it me or does that traction control functionality leave most car systems in the dirt?

[R66STU]

Not Cheap, but at £23995 its also not that bad ! thats a serious weapon. On the road though this is a tad overkill, and would be terrifying.

[Krikkit]

jamespink said:

Is it me or does that traction control functionality leave most car systems in the dirt?

A lot of systems on modern cars have similar slip control - letting you have a little sideways action while not letting it get too ridiculous.

[dc2rr07]

V8 FOU said:

Wibble, gurgle....

Want this. A lot.

Yes & Yes, also two bike articles in two days we are been spoilt

[ITP]

Should have been red, white and green, like the old 1098 tricolore. Not that i'm saying i don't like this one of course! Awesome.

[jamespink]

R66STU said:

Not Cheap, but at £23995 its also not that bad ! thats a serious weapon. On the road though this is a tad overkill, and would be terrifying.

It's £5k less than the "R" version

[obscene]

R66STU said:

Not Cheap, but at £23995 its also not that bad ! thats a serious weapon. On the road though this is a tad overkill, and would be terrifying.

Think I'll stick with my 1098R for less than half the price of that!!!

[rtz62]

I'm not a motorbike enthusiast, but a lottery lottery win would see me buying two of these.
The first to sit and look at, and the second to ride, once I'd passed my test.
And what an excuse to take your bike test!!

[jhoneyball]

still utterly besotted by my 1199s.

[TonyF]

Placed my deposit on one today and that's now the uk allocation sold out already !!

[dibblecorse]

obscene said:

R66STU said:

Not Cheap, but at £23995 its also not that bad ! thats a serious weapon. On the road though this is a tad overkill, and would be terrifying.

Think I'll stick with my 1098R for less than half the price of that!!!

But it wasn't half that new was it ? What a ridiculous post fella ... I thought PHBB was above the 'but you could have a 3 year old xyz for a fraction of that'

[jason61c]

1098R is a proven race winner. The panigale is the bike that kept getting the rules changed(capacity) to give it half a chance of winning.

[dc2rr07]

dibblecorse said:

obscene said:

R66STU said:

Not Cheap, but at £23995 its also not that bad ! thats a serious weapon. On the road though this is a tad overkill, and would be terrifying.

Think I'll stick with my 1098R for less than half the price of that!!!

But it wasn't half that new was it ? What a ridiculous post fella ... I thought PHBB was above the 'but you could have a 3 year old xyz for a fraction of that'

We normally are, I also believe the 1098R was £24,000 new and that was in 2011 so a relative bargain

[Mothersruin]

Stunning bike but if you need anti-wheelie stuff, you probably shouldn't be riding such a beast?

I get TC, makes sense, anti-wheelie though?

[epom]

Shirly pic of the week ?

[Mastodon2]

jason61c said:

1098R is a proven race winner. The panigale is the bike that kept getting the rules changed(capacity) to give it half a chance of winning.

It's a road bike, what does it matter?

[ZX10R NIN]

Very Nice I'll keep my MV but if I had some to spare I'd snap up one of these.

[jason61c]

Mastodon2 said:

It's a road bike, what does it matter?

As in its just not that special. I'm sure its an amazing road bike......