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Ducati Panigale V4 (DA-3) — Supersport
NastyNils / Ducati Press

2024 · Supersport · Buyer's Guide

Panigale V4 (DA-3)

Beauty With Race-Grade Bite

The Machine's Character

The Panigale V4 in DA-3 form puts a 1103 cc Desmosedici Stradale V4 at the center of everything, 216 hp arriving at 12,500 rpm with 91 lb-ft underneath it. The aluminum monocoque frame keeps the mass tight and central, and the MotoGP-bred electronics (cornering ABS, traction, wheelie and slide control, all reading a six-axis IMU) turn that output into something a skilled rider can actually reach for. This is the V4 that finally makes its own ceiling usable. It sits at the sharp, expensive end of the supersport class, and it looks every dollar of it.

On the road it rewards commitment. The chassis turns in cleanly, the front end keeps talking to you deep into a corner, and the lean clearance is effectively endless for street use. At 437 lb wet with a 32.7 in seat it wants a fit, willing rider. This is not a machine that forgives a lazy day or a long traffic crawl. Buy it if you ride hard on weekends and care how a bike looks and feels as much as how it goes. One note for 2025 and 2026 bikes: a rear brake hose recall covers heat damage near the exhaust, so confirm the fix is done before you sign.

Hard Numbers

Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.

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Key specifications
Power 216 hp (159 kW) @ 12,500 rpm
Torque 91 lb-ft (123 Nm) @ 11,000 rpm
Displacement 1103 cc
Engine V4
Bore × stroke 81 × 53.5 mm
Compression 14:1
Cooling Liquid-cooled
Fuel system Fuel injection
Gearbox 6-speed
Final drive Chain
Frame Aluminum monocoque
Fork Upside-down (USD)
Front brake 330 mm
Rear brake 245 mm
Front tire 120/70 ZR17
Rear tire 200/60 ZR17
Wheelbase 57.8 in (1469 mm)
Seat height 32.7 in (830 mm)
Wet weight 437 lb (198 kg)
Fuel capacity 4.5 gal (17 L)

Equipment check

Chassis

  • Front Suspension Adjustable Standard
  • Rear Suspension Adjustable Standard
  • Steering Damper Standard

Connectivity

  • TFT Display Standard
  • Smartphone Connectivity Optional

Drivetrain

  • Quickshifter Standard
  • Slipper Clutch Standard

Lighting

  • LED Headlight Standard

Safety

  • ABS Standard
  • Cornering ABS Standard
  • Traction Control Standard
  • Ride Modes Standard
  • Wheelie Control Standard
  • Launch Control Standard

The Voice of Experience

Portrait of NastyNils

The test ride

Thumb the starter and the V4 settles into a hard, metallic idle you feel in the tank and the pegs before you move an inch. The riding triangle is pure sportbike: high pegs, a long reach to low bars, real weight on your wrists at a standstill that lifts once the airflow arrives. Heat builds around your legs in slow going, the price of all that engine packed in tight. Get it rolling and the bike feels compact and eager underneath you, light at the bars and more planted the faster it goes. The sound hardens into a flat mechanical howl as the revs climb. Knee-down lean comes easily and it stays composed once it's there. Everything your hands and feet touch feels expensive and deliberate, which is exactly what this machine is built to deliver.

A winding two-lane asphalt road in the Appalachian mountains, photographed in dry daylight. Yellow double-center line markings guide through a series of tight left-hand curves. Dense deciduous and evergreen forest flanks both sides; a rock cut is visible on the right. The road surface and geometry suggest a technical, high-traffic riding corridor popular with motorcyclists. No motorcycle, no person visible.
Chris Flaten / Pexels

The Truth on the Street

Across years of YouTube comments, forum threads, paddock talk, and the messages riders send him directly, NastyNils has watched one pattern settle around the DA-3 Panigale V4: owners trust what it does when they ride hard, and grumble about what it asks of them when they don't.

Where the chassis earns its keep

The praise riders return to most is the electronics and chassis working together. Owners describe the rider aids as something they lean on rather than fight: cornering ABS, traction, wheelie, slide and launch control that let them reach for the bike's pace without feeling exposed, on road and on track. The other steady refrain is feedback, a front end and frame that report back clearly and let riders place the bike precisely and with confidence. Lighter wet weight comes up too, owners finding it flicks into turns more readily than the bike before it.

What it asks of you off the pace

The gripes cluster around comfort. The most common by a wide margin is heat, with riders reporting serious warmth around the right leg and seat that makes stop-and-go traffic and city miles unpleasant. Close behind is the riding position: owners describe real weight on the wrists and fatigue on longer rides, even with the improved seat padding. A quieter complaint is the absence of cruise control on the base bike, offered only as an option, which riders feel on highway stretches.

Known issues

  • Rear brake hose heat damage recall

    brakesrareRecall

    On certain 2025–2026 Panigale V4 models, the rear brake hose can degrade from exhaust manifold heat, potentially causing brake fluid loss and rear brake failure. Dealers will replace the thermal shield with an extended version (NHTSA 26V050).

The Expert Benchmark

Where this Ducati Panigale V4 pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.

What kind of bike this is — character vs. the class

This bike Class average

The shape of the Ducati Panigale V4 — numbers and character vs. the average Supersport

Head-to-head: Ducati Panigale V4 vs. its rivals

The Handshake Score

Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the Panigale V4 is actually built for.

A scenic view of Angeles Crest Highway winding through rugged Southern California canyon terrain. Rocky mountainsides with golden earth tones frame the asphalt road with tight sweeping curves. Double yellow center line visible, sparse vegetation along the shoulders, clear blue sky with white clouds. Daylight, dry conditions. No motorcycle or rider visible. Iconic location for canyon-road enthusiasts.
Josh Sorenson / Pexels

Best motorcycle for Angeles Crest?

If your weekends mean Angeles Crest and tight canyon pavement, this fits you well. The front-end feedback and bottomless lean reward precise, committed riding. Just accept the firm ergonomics between the good roads.

Made for Angeles Crest Highway · Coronado Trail / US 191 · Highway 1 / Big Sur

Best motorcycle for Laguna Seca?

Built for exactly this. On a closed circuit the chassis, electronics and high-speed stability let you chase brake points and apexes with confidence, and there is plenty of room to grow into it as your pace climbs.

Made for Barber Motorsports Park · WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca · Circuit of the Americas

Best motorcycle for Tail of the Dragon?

On the tight East-Coast twisties it shines for skill work, with a talkative front end and easy lean. The aggressive seating gets old on the slab miles in, so plan the day around the corners.

Made for Back of the Dragon · Blue Ridge Parkway · Cherohala Skyway

Variants, Models & Special Editions

The Ducati Panigale V4 also comes in these variants, models and special editions. Each has its own page covering only what differs from the standard Panigale V4 — equipment, electronics, specs and used price.

Alternatives to the Ducati Panigale V4

If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.

Any price note compares both bikes at the same age — the youngest age both have on the used market — against this Ducati Panigale V4. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.