1992 'Blade vs. 2012 Panigale: Shortest wheelbase?

As new superbikes get developed, their wheelbases get shorter and shorter, right? Not exactly.

Three of the smallest-feeling superbikes on the market today, the Ducati 1199 Panigale, Kawasaki ZX-10R and Aprilia RSV4 have longer wheelbases than most of the current crop of modern superbikes.

Those of you with rose-tinted specs might remember the original Fireblade as a sweet-handling package but that short wheelbase coupled with a 16" front wheel made for 'interesting' handling characteristics for anyone close to the edge. So it might surprise you to know that the original Fireblade's wheelbase was shorter than the latest 2012 version. There's progress.

Sure, wheelbase doesn't directly translate to a roomy ride; motorcycling's long list of clichés includes the ZX-9R C1 as one of the last 'big' sportsbikes, but its 1415mm wheelbase is 5mm shorter than the oh-so-tiny Aprilia RSV4 and 10mm shorter than Kawasaki's current flagship superbikes, the ZX-10R.

While most of the modern superbikes sit within a few millimetres of each other, the bike that stands out is Ducati's 1199 Panigale. It looks tiny but its 1437mm wheelbase is longer than Triumph's Daytona 955i or Suzuki's SV1000S, both bikes were hardly known for their apex-hugging handling.

Of course, rake, trail, swingarm angle and steering head angle all play their part in the handling stakes, but a longer wheelbase generally translates into a more stable ride, so the Panigale's wheelbase hints that this bike might not be as flightly as it looks.

The next time someone tells you modern superbikes are just too small, show them this. When it comes to superbikes, wheelbases have been getting longer since the introduction of the original 'Blade.