Ducati 1299 Panigale to debut at 2014 EICMA

In one of the most bizarre leaks in recent history photo of the upcoming Ducati 1299 Panigale has been leaked on the internet. MotoCorsa a Ducati dealership based in Portland were named as the best dealership in the USA and the blokes from the dealership posted of themselves with the award on their official Facebook page. But what they didn’t realise was the fact in the background was the hoarding of the upcoming Ducati 1299 Panigale.

Rumours of a larger displacement Ducati Panigale has been going around owing to the changes in rules of the World Superbike series scheduled to be implemented from the 2015 season. The new rules meant the current Panigale had a performance disadvantage which the boffins at Ducati have countered by hiking the displacement.

Coming back to the Ducati 1299 Panigale, the new bike will be a replacement for the 1199 Panigale R. The hike in displacement means that the new Ducati 1299’s L-twin, liquid-cooled motor will churn out in excess of 200PS. From the image it is unclear whether any cosmetic changes have been made on the new offering but it is expected that changes will be restricted only on the mechanical front. The Ducati 1299 Panigale will be the new flagship offering for the Italian two-wheeler manufacturer as the Superleggera was a limited edition offering. The new bike will make its debut at the 2014 EICMA motor show in Milan schedulded next month. The increase in displacement will also result in a price hike and the Ducati 1299 Panigale will be priced at a premium. More details about the bike will be revealed post its launch.