Ducati 899 Panigale: in the flesh

A few shots of the 899 Panigale from the launch

SOMETIMES a library shot just doesn't do a bike justice and only when you see it up close and personal do you get a sense of what the bike's all about.

This is the new 899 Panigale at the launch here in Imola and as you cansee, the bike's proportions work well. The new 899 is available in Arctic White, shown here and Ducati Red.

It's almost identical in size to the 1199 Panigale but has an 11mm shorter wheelbase thanks to 'that' dual-sided swingarm which itself is shorter than the single-sider on the 1199.

Now that we're used to the 1199 Panigale, well, I don't think the 899, with its conventional swingarm is quite as pretty but it's still a stunning looking motorcycle.