Ducati really did get close to getting all the way to its official launch without any full pictures of the new 1199 Panigale leaking to the press – but over the weekend the inevitable happened.
First, French magazine Moto et Motards appeared, sporting full official pics of the Panigale on the cover and inside. Presumably the mag had got the images officially from Ducati, on the basis of not appearing on sale until after the official launch, sheduled for this afternoon in Milan.
The next batch of pics come from the Milan show itself where the stands, including Ducati's, have been under construction over the weekend. Unsurprisingly, in a building full of workmen, employees from rival manufacturers and inevitably members of the press who've snuck in for an early peak, it was going to be hard to stop anyone seeing the Panigale. Pics have been flooding forums.
So, what do we know? Well, there's that stunning engine first of all, complete with titanium valves and incredibly over-square bore and stroke dimensions giving it a remarkable 195bhp. But that's all common knowledge. Elsewhere on these pictures we can clearly see the ABS brake sensors and, on the S model at least, connections for the Ohlins 'DES' electronic suspension that first appeared on the Multistrada but has never been seen on a sports bike before. Presumably it means you'll be able to hit a button to change the set-up to 'mental trackday mode'.
Where the last all-new Ducati superbike, the `1098, was greeted like the second coming by fans who'd never warmed to the Pierre Terblanche-styled 999, the 1199 seems to be splitting opinion. While there are plenty who reckon it's stunning there's also a large contingent on various Ducati forums saying the new bike misses the mark. Having ditched styling cues like under-seat pipes that have been around since the original 916, and with a distinctly Aprilia-esque seat unit in their place, some reckon the bike isn't the looker that its forebear was. What do you reckon?
