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Panigale V4S test ride

Posted: 09 Jul 2018, 19:30
by duke63
Been wanting to have a ride on this for a while. Opportunity arose today so off i went.

First things this is a V4S with the fancy suspension and rider aids. You can even adjust the steering damper electronically.

Three modes - Race - 214bhp QA throttle, Sport - 214bhp softer throttle, Ghey mode (Street) limp throttle 120bhp!!!

So a quick resume of what's what and off i go down the road..... into first and....and .......and....wont move out of first gear..... :D So i try slipping the lever down and whoopeee.... 2nd gear.......its in race shift mode. It was only when i got back i was told that its was changed Saturday afternoon as a Supersport racer ( no names) had been in to test it. Apparently it doesn't need a new mechanism, it can be change from road shift to race shift relatively easily with no additional parts required. So i though how hard can it be to use race shift?? and carried on down the road.

Anyway race shift is actually nicer to use when giving it some and i got used to it pretty quickly...it only caught me out a few times when rolling up to a junction and i kept slipping it down the gears only to find i was in 6th when pulling up at a junction. :D

Get a little down the road and thought i would overtake a van and car with a little bit of space.....................and whoooahhhhhhh.........it doesn't half accelerate quickly. The anti wheelie and counter rotating crank keeps the bike flat but it honestly felt like the bike was about to disappear under me and leave me sat on the road on my arse. I have never ever felt acceleration like it.

Anyway got to the twistier roads and the bike is just beautiful. It handles are perfectly as any bike i have ever ridden. So smooth round corners, turns so easily but doesn't fall into corners nor does it fight your input. As i got more confident, i tried cornering harder and faster but i have to confess it felt like the bike was laughing at me. It just feels like it could corner at almost any speed. Each time i felt i could have gone a lot quicker.

I have heard riders talk about 'mechanical grip. well i think i know what they are talking about now. It just felt like it was glued to the floor. At any lean angle.

Started upping the pace a bit. It is insanely, almost frighteningly quick. It accelerates hard in any gear at any rpm but when it gets to circa 9000rpm it suddenly feels like the afterburners have been lit, it takes off again. You have to use your knees to grip the tank or the bike will disappear without you.

And then there is the brakes. You know how when you brake hard on bikes and it feels like it will stand the bike on its front wheel? Not this one. You can feel the front dig in but the bike doesn't start to tip right onto its nose. It stays flat. And it stops so hard and in a completely controlled manner. I had to do it in an emergency one time when some **** decided to slow, start turning and then indicate in front of me. ( a long way in front of me).

And you know when i said it felt like the bike would disappear without me under acceleration? Well braking is the same except you feel like the bike would stop and you would just carry on without it. Not A over T, just flat like in some Tom and Jerry cartoon. Bike stops dead- you carry on in the same riding position.

I found some nice roads in the area, A decent selection of fast roads, twisty roads, smooth roads and bumpy roads and it handled them all with ease.
Even around town, it doesn't get hot and bothered like the 1299 does. No thigh burning sensations. i was warned beforehand that in traffic, it might drop down to two cylinders if the engine got hot, and it did do it at one point, but apparently its a feature to help reduce the heat and prevent overheating. The engine is turbine like in its delivery but still has a slightly rough Ducati-esque edge to it. At tickover it sounds like it got a loose bolt rumbling around in the engine.

It doesn't sip fuel. Not sure what it was doing but i was told there should be enough for me but the fuel light came on well before the end of the ride.

Anyway its a lovely beautiful bike. Easily the best bike i have ever ridden. It feels, goes, sounds and stops like a race bike.

But i have to confess, its way to much for the road. It needs to be on a racetrack. Or the Isle of Man Mountain. I would have to have a lot more money in my pocket so i could own it outright and use it at racetracks around the world. Imagine it on the straight at Mugello? Or even Silverstone. No wonder they left me behind so easily as Silverstone a few weeks ago.

[video]https://youtu.be/_qlfNWIF0rI[/video]
V4 pani 4IMG_5119.JPG
V4 Pani 5IMG_5121.JPG
V4 pani 3IMG_5122.JPG
V4 Pani 2IMG_5123.JPG
V4 Pani IMG_5126.JPG

Re: Panigale V4S test ride

Posted: 09 Jul 2018, 19:41
by Kwacky
Nice write up. I'll never be able to afford one but even if I could I wouldn't be interested. I don't think it looks that special.

Re: Panigale V4S test ride

Posted: 09 Jul 2018, 19:56
by D41
Looks nice.....but not $40K nice.

Re: Panigale V4S test ride

Posted: 09 Jul 2018, 20:14
by duke63
I was actually quite happy and almost pleased to be back on my Multi on the way home.

You have so much more vision when sat upright, it makes things safer and faster.

Re: Panigale V4S test ride

Posted: 09 Jul 2018, 20:24
by C00kiemonster
Cool writeup. I'd love a test ride but not worth buying one for the road imo.

Re: Panigale V4S test ride

Posted: 09 Jul 2018, 22:27
by duke63
Indeed. I wanted to try one but its way too much for road use.

Licence shredding doesn't even begin to describe it.

Re: Panigale V4S test ride

Posted: 10 Jul 2018, 06:24
by Blade
Nice one Duke. You beat me to it got one booked out next week.

How did it compare to a 1299??? Could well be my next bike if not an R1M.

I've got a few more years of sportsbiking in me yet :P although maybe not many and have also booked a Mulit1260 test ride (y)

Re: Panigale V4S test ride

Posted: 10 Jul 2018, 09:27
by duke63
Its easier to ride, from memory faster and a better balanced roadbike than the 1299.

You could commute on it, tour on it, track it. It would do everything.

But its made to go fast, preferably on a race track. It is insanely fast.

Re: Panigale V4S test ride

Posted: 10 Jul 2018, 10:29
by Blade
If it's quicker than a 1299 it must be insane :P

A 1299 is by far the quickest bike I've ridden and genuinely scary quick.

Tbh anything that can make a 185bhp zx10r seem sensible is off the scale imo so to better that is just bonkers (rock)

Gold era of sportsbikes 8)

Re: Panigale V4S test ride

Posted: 10 Jul 2018, 11:20
by Monty
Crazy isn't it? I followed my boss over Snake Pass on his 1299 the other week and when we stopped at the Dam his tyres were all balled up. Looked like he'd just come off the track.

Great review Duke, you should move into bike sales.

Re: Panigale V4S test ride

Posted: 10 Jul 2018, 11:54
by kiwikrasher
Just got to wait for that V4 engine to filter down into a Multi :)

Re: Panigale V4S test ride

Posted: 10 Jul 2018, 12:05
by duke63
Can’t see it somehow. The Streetfighter is a certainty though.

Re: Panigale V4S test ride

Posted: 10 Jul 2018, 12:54
by Blade
Any more on the 800v4 rumour Duke?

Re: Panigale V4S test ride

Posted: 10 Jul 2018, 12:56
by Blade
Monty wrote:Crazy isn't it? I followed my boss over Snake Pass on his 1299 the other week and when we stopped at the Dam his tyres were all balled up. Looked like he'd just come off the track.

Great review Duke, you should move into bike sales.
They do have an appetite for sticky tyres (giggle)

Re: Panigale V4S test ride

Posted: 10 Jul 2018, 13:01
by Blade
Monty wrote:Crazy isn't it? I followed my boss over Snake Pass on his 1299 the other week and when we stopped at the Dam his tyres were all balled up. Looked like he'd just come off the track.

Great review Duke, you should move into bike sales.
What like this :P
IMG_20180710_130003.jpg

Re: Panigale V4S test ride

Posted: 10 Jul 2018, 13:32
by duke63
Blade wrote:Any more on the 800v4 rumour Duke?
No. I did ask but the reply was why would they?

The same was said about the 1199 though when that first came out.

The V4 is proper race bike technology.

Blip the throttle gently and the counter rotating crank makes the bike rock back and forwards.

Re: Panigale V4S test ride

Posted: 10 Jul 2018, 14:41
by rocket
i want a go :-P .... NOW

Re: Panigale V4S test ride

Posted: 10 Jul 2018, 14:46
by Monty
Blade wrote:
Monty wrote:Crazy isn't it? I followed my boss over Snake Pass on his 1299 the other week and when we stopped at the Dam his tyres were all balled up. Looked like he'd just come off the track.

Great review Duke, you should move into bike sales.
What like this :P
IMG_20180710_130003.jpg
HAHA, yes just like that!

Re: Panigale V4S test ride

Posted: 10 Jul 2018, 17:28
by duke63
rocket wrote:i want a go :-P .... NOW
You would love it. Is easier to ride than the 1299 In my opinion. But not in a ‘Honda’ way.

Re: Panigale V4S test ride

Posted: 12 Jul 2018, 08:55
by StMarks
Good to read that it goes as well as it looks Duke, & thanks for the "proper real-life" style write up. ( Actually better imho than the magazine ones ).

Knowing how fast I have seen that the 1299 can be on track, I have to wonder how these will do in "enthusiastic but undertallented" hands when they start to appear.