Is this the bike that Ducati should have built?

MOTORCYCLE designer and dreamer Kardesign has created a stunning creation recently that blends the old and the new in the form of this Ducati 916 inspired Panigale V4.

The bike has broken cover hot on the heels of the official Panigale V4 25° Anniversario 916 was released at the end of last year, prompting us to ask the question; is this the bike that Ducati should have produced?

Ducati Panigale V4 S video review

The 916 was released more than 25 years ago, picking up where the highly successful 888 had left off. It was almost an instant hit, on road and track, winning four Superbike World Championships at the hands of Carl Fogarty and Troy Corser. It won an army of fans off track too, quickly becoming the poster of choice for adorning motorcycle fans globally.

To celebrate the success of the most iconic model from Ducati, the factory announced a limited edition model that paid homage to the daddy of mid-1990s sports bikes. That machine was limited to just 500 units globally and was adorned with special decals, lightweight wheels, and an underslung Akrapovič exhaust system. All in the £36,995 motorcycle is lighter than a stock V4 S by a couple of kilograms, meaning the buyers of the machine paid the premium for the decals and exclusivity of the model.

But could Ducati have gone all out with the Anniversario 916, and created more of a true homage to the original model, rather than just a slightly higher spec machine with some fancy decals?