Casey Stoner Spotted Testing The Ducati Panigale V4

Casey Stoner, the two-time MotoGP world champion, seems to be enjoying his retirement quite well. The Aussie racer was recently seen riding the upcoming Ducati Panigale V4 at a secret racetrack in Valencia, Spain. Stoner, who now works closely with Ducati’s testing and development department, has always been very tight-lipped about the association.

Not a lot of details about the super secret bike has been made available, but it has been reported that the new bike will get a completely revised electronics package and reworked chassis to accommodate the new powerplant. Thanks to some recently leaked images we can also see that the upcoming Panigale flagship will have a more aggressive riding position. 

The highlight of the upcoming motorcycle is the shift to a V4 engine from the iconic L-Twin motor which has been the mainstay for Ducati superbikes up till now. It will be powered by the recently unveiled Ducati Desmosedici Stradale’s four-cylinder engine. The 1100cc V4 engine produces 213PS of power and 120Nm of torque from 8750rpm to 12250rpm.

The new Ducati Panigale V4 will be in compliance with Euro-IV norms but will maintain the same racing pedigree of a MotoGP bike. Hence, the collaboration with the 31-year-old makes a lot of sense. Stoner has been testing the bike extensively for some time now and has reportedly given a very positive feedback on the new engine and handling of the bike. 

Ducati has still not denied that there will be two versions of the V4, which will be made available in 2018 -- a base model Panigale V4 and a more powerful Panigale V4S. But it is safe to assume that the MotoGP champion was out testing the S model. The Panigale flagship is set for a November debut at the 2017 EICMA Show in Milan, Italy. We will continue to get more details as we move closer to the launch date. 

[Source - MCN]

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