The Quickshift
- The Ducati Panigale V2, along with the Superquadro engine, is set to be retired from 2025.
- To replace it, Ducati seems to be working on a more accessible sportbike rocking the 937cc Testastretta engine.
- A part of me wishes that Ducati would go even smaller—Aprilia RS 457 small—but unfortunately this isn’t likely to become a reality anytime soon.
If you pay attention to Ducati’s superbike model range over the years, you’d notice that the Italian marque has consistently paired its flagship offerings with more accessible models. Take for example the iconic 916 and its nearly identically styled smaller sibling, the 748. And much more recently, the Panigale V4 and V2.
This approach clearly makes sense, and is something a lot of other manufacturers have imitated since—think Aprilia with its RSV4 and RS 660. But if we shift our focus back to Ducati’s lineup, one thing is clear, and it’s that the Ducati Panigale V2 is by no means a beginner-friendly machine.
The outgoing Panigale V2 pumps out a pretty hefty 155 horsepower—nearly 50 more ponies than its closest competitor, the previously mentioned Aprilia RS 660. And not only that, its price tag north of $18,000 USD is surely well beyond the reach of a good number of riders. As such, it makes sense that Ducati seems to be working on a much more accessible sportbike model, both in terms of price and performance.
As it would turn out, it appears that Ducati is planning on streamlining its middleweight offerings as it puts the Superquadro engine into retirement. And it won’t have to look far. In fact, it’s set to be replaced by an engine that you may already be familiar with: the 937cc Testastretta engine found in a wide selection of Ducati’s current offerings.
With anywhere between 111 and 122 horsepower on tap, depending on its state of tune, the 937cc Desmo engine can be found in everything from the street-focused Monster, to the wheelie-popping Hypermotard 950, and even the long-distance adventure-touring Multistrada V2. It’s even found inside the outgoing Supersport 950, so why not come up with a full-on sportbike with this engine, too?
It’s cost-effective, and perhaps more importantly, could provide a much more approachable platform for novice sportbike riders to learn the ropes on.
The upcoming model is reportedly codenamed the “2102 Project,” and just might be a game changer for Ducati. It’s expected to be the sole V-twin-powered sportbike in Ducati’s lineup, and just like the Panigale V2 before it, will be positioned just beneath the top-tier Panigale V4.
While all this is clearly a step in the right direction, I’d be lying if I said that I wished Ducati didn’t go even smaller. As you probably know, the small-displacement segment is on fire lately, particularly when it comes to sportbikes.
Aprilia just recently released the RS 457, and I must admit that it’s the most fun I’ve had on such a small bike in quite a while. CFMoto’s 450SS is also pretty impressive, and so too is the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4RR.
Needless to say, Ducati would turn the motorcycle industry on its head if it released a small-displacement sportbike in this category.
Alas, this ever becoming reality seems to be out of the question, as Ducati’s CEO explicitly stated that the company is never going to make a small-displacement bike so as not to dilute its reputation as a premium marque. A statement that I, along with RideApart Executive Editor Jonathon Klein, believe just doesn’t make sense. And quite frankly, I think it's a bit out of touch with reality.
It’s a shame, really, as the entry-level segment is definitely an untapped market for Ducati, and it stands to gain a hell of a lot if it penetrates this segment of the market.
