Panigale V4 R (MY2023)

This is the version that exists so Ducati can go racing in World Superbike, and everything about it follows from that. The 998 cc Desmosedici Stradale R V4 makes 218 hp at 15,500 rpm and 82 lb-ft, backed by a dry clutch, an Öhlins NPX fork, an Öhlins TTX36 shock and forged aluminum wheels. The bodywork carries aero shaped by the race program. At 425 lb wet and 205 mph, it sits at the very sharp end of the supersport class, and the rider aids (cornering ABS, traction control, Ducati Slide Control, Ducati Wheelie Control, Ducati Power Launch, DQS Up/Down) are there to make that potential usable rather than to police you.

Ridden the way it was built to be ridden, all of it makes sense. Ownership is the honest part of the conversation. The 33.5 in seat, the racer's reach to the bars and the heat coming off a V4 packed into tight bodywork make it a poor daily bike. There is no cruise control and no tire pressure monitoring, and the 4.5 gal tank sets the schedule. It suits the rider with track days on the calendar and a budget for tires and fluids. Buy it as a race homologation bike you can register and it delivers. Buy it as a street bike and it will wear you out.