Ducati 1100 Panigale V4 S 'Race of Champions' 2018 — Specifications

Thirteen motorcycles. Thirteen riders. One winner. And an auction that turned into a war of nerves. In the summer of 2018, Ducati organized at World Ducati Week a "Race of Champions" that brought together on a starting grid a lineup that would make any Italian machinery aficionado dream. Dovizioso, Lorenzo, Petrucci, Miller, Melandri, Pirro, and one Troy Bayliss, three-time World Superbike champion with the Bologna marque. These thirteen Panigale V4 S machines were then offered at auction on eBay, each fitted with a custom livery in the MotoGP or World Superbike colors of its rider, a name plate on the upper fork yoke, an autograph in permanent ink on the tank, and a certificate of authenticity signed by Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati Motor Holding. A level of care in the presentation that transforms these machines into collector's pieces as much as rideable objects.

The auction results were unequivocal about the hierarchy of legends in the minds of enthusiasts. The Bayliss replica reached €120,350 — four times the retail price of a Panigale V4 S from a dealership. Lorenzo fetched €57,800, Dovizioso €62,400, Petrucci €45,350. At the bottom of the table, Abraham, Siméon and Fores sold between €40,000 and €40,050, their WDW notoriety insufficient to close the gap in collector market value. This unofficial rider ranking by proxy of buyers' wallets is, in itself, a fairly lucid commentary on the symbolic worth of each.

On the technical side, the Panigale V4 S "Race of Champions" is built on the same foundation as the production version — and that foundation is already a serious one. The 90-degree L-configuration V4 displacing 1,103cc produces 222 horsepower and 127.5 Nm of torque, in a package weighing 195 kilograms fully fueled. The power-to-weight ratio is brutal, with 0 to 300 km/h dispatched in just a few kilometers for those with the nerve for it. Measured against a CBR1000RR Fireblade SP2 competing in the same category with a more conventional philosophy, the Ducati bets everything on electronics and mechanical sophistication. This is not a neutral tool.

The Öhlins suspension forms the heart of the dynamic proposition. The 43mm inverted fork and TTX36 monoshock are managed by the Smart EC 2.0 system, which offers two approaches. Either the rider adjusts compression, rebound and steering damper via virtual clicks from the dashboard — 32 positions for suspension and 10 for the steering damper — or they let the 6-axis inertial platform handle damping in real time according to demand. This flexibility is genuine and welcome, especially since the Marchesini forged aluminum wheels, combined with a lithium-ion battery, shaved 3 kilograms from the machine compared to the standard V4. Brembo Stylema calipers on 330mm front discs deliver bite commensurate with the performance, with cornering ABS that remains active even in Race mode.

This "Race of Champions" edition targets a very specific audience. Not the riders looking for an effective track tool — those will look to the forthcoming V4 R instead. Not the weekend sport rider wanting a scare on the road. These thirteen machines are destined for collectors who understand what the name Bayliss or Dovizioso means on a fork yoke, and who can afford to keep them under glass without the expenditure representing a life-defining choice. At €120,350 for the most sought-after example, it is a patrimonial investment as much as a declaration of love for the recent history of motorcycle sport. The standard Panigale V4 S remains, for its part, one of the most accomplished superbikes of its generation — with or without a legend's autograph on the tank.