When I received a call from Motorcycle.com asking if I could fly to the Spanish Jerez circuit to test the new 2022 Ducati Panigale V4 S, not only did my face regain a certain smile, but I also gave two pieces of I am particularly interested: First, I have just participated in a heavyweight naked shootout with seven bikes with MO (see Battle Royale). In 2021, Ducati Street Fighter V4 S is at the top of my personal list. But two, a few years ago I had the opportunity to evaluate the 2019 Panigale V4 S Corse at the Laguna Seca and Pirelli test track, Autodromo di Pergusa in Sicily. Ride Ducati’s latest Panigale V4 flagship again, but about two and a half years later, some special ingredients unearthed from the Bologna factory may be revealed to help explain the seemingly magical formula they developed in MotoGP and World Superbike.

Do you remember when Casey Stoner won the MotoGP World Championship for Ducati in 2007, few other drivers in the world could swallow this machine?

Think about it: In 2021, five-sixths of Ducati drivers won the podium in MotoGP, and five-fifths of Ducati drivers won the podium in WSBK. In MotoGP, Ducati won Best Manufacturer, Best Team, Best Independent Team, Best Independent Driver, Best MotoGP Rookie, 30 front row starts, 24 MotoGP podiums, and 7 victories . So, what exactly does Ducati brew in their spaghetti sauce?

I arrived at our five-star golf resort hotel the day before the exam, what am I waiting in the middle of the hall? 2022 Panigale V4 S blood red, luster is ridiculous, extremely sexy. "Really, Ducati? I mean, there are still some old men and women who are still wandering, innocent civilians, wearing pink or light blue polo shirts and white shorts. You haven't considered this crowd Could someone have a heart disease?"

Seeing this Italian industrial artwork outside of its natural habitat-race track, canyon cafe-really had a great impact on my heart.

The bicycle is a dormant alien. Sleeping stuff. All of us know that the living members of this species are capable but can be deadly. The person who created it loves it. The people who designed this creature belong to a capable but potentially beautiful species that all of us know.

This machine looks like a red rose, placed in a glass cabinet, under the photo light, living on a white piano. You see, the walls and floor are smooth white, and I finally thought, "Even if there are thorns, I will fight for the privilege and put this flower between my teeth for the next dance."

Who would buy such a bicycle, and for what reason? Of course, we can all share a memory that a wealthy or well-connected soul arrives in a vibrant place on a Sunday, with such a machine on it, which contains well-groomed and neatly preserved chicken strips.

"But an industry-leading engineering company like Ducati will make technologically advanced super sports bikes at all costs, so can a few daisies attract orchids?" We asked ourselves.

News Flash: In June 2021, Ducati ushered in its best month ever, selling 8,598 motorcycles worldwide, including the sum of each model. In the first six months of 2021, Ducati sold a total of 34,485 units. Are these all sold to daisies? I don't think so. More likely; enthusiasts, collectors, racers, track day connoisseurs, canyon carving experts, college students, college graduates, commuters, tourists, double sports enthusiasts, double sports experts, high school dropouts, trust fund babies , Crying babies, custom builders, actors, hardworking people, lazy people, squids, daisies, etc. I think. (By the way, it may just be that everyone is coming out of pandemic mode at the same time, just like a cicada.)

And all these customers will ride the 2022 Panigale V4 S @ 228hp worth $30,000 and its optional $7100 complete Ti Akrapovič system (by the way, the system comes with matching ECU DP2 flash memory mapping and high-flow air filter )?

The top three Ducati sales are actually Monster, V2 Streetfighter and V4 Streetfighter.

However, as far as I know, Panigale V4 is Ducati in many ways. This is why they are alive. This is the reason for their development. This is why they built and why they celebrated like crazy when they won the game.

In the last few days before the Ducati Panigale V4 S press conference in Jerez in 2022, you will find that our motorcycle reporter assembly company pays attention to their social embarrassment after Covid on the one hand, and pays attention to a series of smartphone weather applications on the other. Procedure; all of these decided to make different predictions for our day: half rain, half zero rain, half rain in the morning but sunny in the afternoon, and half sunny in the morning but wet in the afternoon. "What happened to the rain in Spain?"

We arrived at the track and it was 100% soaked. "How much do these bikes cost?" Did my first thought be a question outside my mind, "Ducati brought Pirelli's oil slick, how could this be? Oh, forty of us can ride These twenty new machines. What could go wrong?" Everyone rides, and I believe that none of the invited reporters scratched the motorcycle when the track was soaked. There must be, well, for several reasons.

If I first shot a few shots on this article (pew pew pew) to convey the major updates between the Panigale V4 S models in 2021 and 2022, that might be the best. In fact, the bicycle of 2022 has been improved in all aspects: body, rider assistance, chassis and engine. As the Panigale V4 that is more track-oriented this year, Ducati reduces the mental and physical fatigue of their Panigale V4 when riding (this is already one of the goals of the 2021 model), and it is easier to target any track and riding style Make adjustments.

The winglets have been redesigned, but the downforce has not been changed.

The rear swing arm pivot is raised by 4 mm to reduce squat during acceleration and make it easier to change direction.

The first test class of the day will be on us, and the track will indeed be very wet. The Ducati organizer released our designated starting number, don’t you know? I was asked to start P1. If you want, I was chosen as the bastard guinea pig to "test the waters" with 19 other Panigale V4 Ss into the soggy Jerez circuit that I had never been to before.

When I walked out of the famous UFO lounge in Jerez, I leaned on John Zalco, who sat at the table behind the Apple laptop and asked: "Well, hey, sorry, Bonjour. Can you tell me if You know, I mean, if you can, tell me if the surface of Jerez has good grip...when it is wet?"

He looked up at me with a silly look on his face, which was much longer than I thought (Zarco has been my favorite driver in MotoGP since winning his second Moto2 World Championship-like a Just as crazy as a frog's leg-but it seems smart, super aggressive, and can play the piano, I don't know, it makes me laugh). He finally answered me, "Of course."

Ah, thank God. Perfect, I think. Then when I left him, John said to me: "But not a curb." Not a curb? Well, it's not a curb, it's not good. understood. We have this. I am grateful for this information. "thanks!"

Riding on the kit, we set off.

Directly from the repair station, the 2022 Ducati Panigale V4 S feels good. The extension of the barbell, the height of the barbell, the height of the seat, the fuel tank and the pedals gave me a sense of confidence and control. On the last Panigale I rode, I felt that I was more "upper" on the bike than on the inside. When I got to the third corner of the pit lane, I bruised my knee and threw a cock's tail behind me.

Ah, European tracks. Oh, the Spanish asphalt road. How right do you think riding a motorcycle is. There is a lot of grip around this MotoGP-approved track, and Pirelli's wet ground sticks together like glue.

This Ducati's new pressurized Öhlins front end has a slightly softer spring, increased stroke, new gasket set and improved damping. I don’t remember the way it was planted in exactly the same way. The electronic device adjusts the softer center angle of the front fork to track the road and track any defects on the surface. This is very inspiring.

When I step on the accelerator, the rear shock will automatically stiffen to provide more support and help the higher swing arm pivot to maintain my course when I exit or change direction. It's amazing, really.

The new, tighter gearbox has a higher first gear, allowing me to easily upshift and then "pump pound" downshift, like a fork through a wet tiramisu. I would love to simply flip the left foot control device to GP-race-shift-by the way, you can do this on Panigale V4 without additional hardware-but alas, I have to share me with another reporter The bike doesn't care about this idea. Mod.

The riding mode is set to street, allowing the 150-horsepower V4 engine to spin beautifully and make a beautiful tune, but only enough power and torque to shoot me out of the corner, over some puddles, and then without any sound Unnecessary drama or wasted energy into the next corner. In general, I was surprised that the bike's reaction was so mild.

I have never used too much force to activate the ABS brake in a humid environment, but this does not mean that I am just fooling around. I'm working hard, studying hard... everything. However, I remembered in my heart that even with Panigale's most conservative electronic settings, ABS never told me to slow down, slow down, and enter every corner. There are also several other bikes I have ridden. Ducati is ready for the brisk pace.

Side note: I talk a lot, and yes, I have some cycling experience. However, just when I started to feel tired from patting my back, MotoGP Rookie of the Year Jorge Martin walked past me in the rain, stepping on the brakes, his rear wheel hanging in the air, his legs hanging in the air, and he fell into the corner. , He continued to scrape his elbows through his reflection. I like moments like this.

"I can monitor the control system in real time and adjust my riding style... try to limit the number of colors that flash back to me. Over time, if done correctly, this can help me shorten my lap time."

The Track EVO TFT display is the brightest and easiest to read on the track in recent memory. I can see the color "flash" under each control system in real time. For example, please read carefully because I have never seen it before; when I leave the corner, the sliding control sample/cube on the TFT will start to flash dark green because the rear wheel is allowed to step out and slide so much, and then from the traction control The dark orange sample flashes-stand on my side. The bike will start to slip at that time, but not because the light blue swatch/cube takes over the flickering when the wheel control system is activated. Brake hard on the next corner, the engine brake color will flash, and it passed.

The focus of all of this is on electronic auxiliary equipment, which, in a broad sense, robs the engine of power and slows us down when it is running. With Ducati’s strategy, I can monitor the control system in real time and adjust it according to my riding style; select the lines for the entrance, middle corner and exit, and adjust my body position on the bike to try to limit the flashback to me The number of colors. Over time, if done correctly, this can help me reduce lap time.

And, am I staying away from the side of the road? You bet your ass I did it.

This is a new world of riding motorcycles, gathering people. As the track continues to dry out, I am very happy that we have the opportunity to try Ducati's cutting-edge modern electronic equipment under less than ideal grip conditions. I even learned a new track. I am also very brave. I didn't cry or talk nonsense.

After lunch, the track was completely dry and our same bike was equipped with a brand new, thick, heated racing suit. Envelopes will also become fatter, faster, and more hostile. Can the system keep up?

Side note: As mentioned before, no one fell in the humid environment before lunch. But a couple did it after lunch. Please God, don't let it be me.

Back on track after eating too many Spanish pastries and donuts, it's time to evaluate 2022 Ducati Panigale V4 S in a dry environment.

When I scrubbed new tires and started approaching Ludicrous Speed, the first thing I noticed was the role of winglets in helping to reduce lap time. (To be fair, I have not driven a million miles on a bike with winglets.)

When approaching 170 miles per hour, the downforce applied to the front of the fairing is approximately 30 kg of vertical force. In the real world, this means that when you are ready to pop the bubbles and apply the front brakes, transitioning from acceleration posture/movement/roll/dive to extreme deceleration posture, the front of the chassis already feels a little compressed, so it’s still more stability.

At the exit, especially in the faster corners, the increased downforce can reduce the interference from Wheelie Control, thereby reducing the power of the engine. The winglets are ultimately practical, and you can feel them at work.

The second thing I realized was the great feeling of the front Brembo Stylema calipers with the supplied 330mm rotor. They have the ability to stop the bike, yes, but they also encourage you to go deep into the bend again and again, and I only use one finger on the joystick. At the end of the day, I did notice that most of the Panigale front rotors in the garage were completely purple due to abuse. When driving on the track for a long time, it may be wise to replace the "street compensation" rotor with some thicker T-Drive racing device or similar.

Again, I rarely run fast enough to need a front ABS to save my ass, but I did overheard Martin saying that when riding these ordinary street bikes, he often squeezed the front joystick so viciously. So much so that he entered a field where his ABS was playing, but he refused to relieve the pressure. So, he just slid into the corner, the brake lever was fully opened, and the tilt-sensitive ABS made his bike not low, but it was very reluctant. I really want to work hard and live in that universe, but this is not my bike. I don't think Ducati will kick young Jorge out of bed for crashing one of their press bikes, and he did. John has it too.

Jorge Martin was present to show reporters how fast it really looked.

Now that the track has stupid grip, it's time to unleash the full potential of its 1103cc, 200hp+ power plant and see how the electronic control reacts when set to the most free setting.

In short, the answer is holy hell. This bike is very fast, but still so balanced, it's hard to remember how any other bike works. You are kind of caught up in this inaccurate feeling, "Gosh, isn't it fun to ride an exercise bike on the short circuit?"

The fact is, when you put Panigale’s counter-rotating crankshaft, the latest generation of bicycle’s 6-axis IMU, killer TC, effective WC, silky electric shift lever, stunning top-of-the-line Öhlins suspension (dynamic or fixed), nothing Sliding into corners from engine braking, spacious ergonomics, excellent wind protection, and all other aspects; in fact, what you have left is one of the most competitive winning factories in MotoGP and World Superbike competitions. Effectively place the mirror on something very close to what they are playing. Then, if people want, they will sell them to people for $30,000 so that they can ride on public highways.

A good example; Jorge said that he and his spare Pirelli 2022 Panigale V4 S trainer completed the lap within five (5) seconds of his best lap time, and at the same time at the same time a week ago. On a track, Jerez rode his complete MotoGP bike to a test on Grand Prix tires.

Someone may ask, should this powerful bicycle be sold to the public on track days? Of course. How about selling it for road use? Well, if you ask me, I hope all street bikes can have this ability; the best ABS, the best rider aids, the lightest weight, amazing brakes, easy riding, and can be used in any Gears accelerate at any RPM without harm? I'm a fan of high-performance kits. To be honest, I don't think I have ever ridden a backbone motorcycle as good as this one.

Yes, the 2022 Ducati Panigale V4 S may be the best turnkey track bike ever. However, if you really choose to buy one on the street, you just have to show yourself <COUGH>.

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