Ducati 899 Panigale world premieres in Frankfurt

A motorcycle making its world debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show is not a very common occurrence, but when it happens, it promises to be very special, just like the Ducati 899 Panigale.

The 899 inherits its badness from its big brother, the 1199 Panigale, but features changes that make it a lot more affordable. Sitting in its monocoque chassis as a stressed member, the 899cc Superquadro 90 degree twin cylinder unit breathes via Ducati's traditional Desmodromic valve system to pump out 148bhp and 98 Nm of torque.

The baby Panigale has the same six-speed gearbox as the 1199. With a kerb weight of just 169kg, the 'Supermid' motorcycle, as Ducati calls it, offers exhilarating performance.

The bike's 17" 10-spoke alloy wheels are shod with Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa tires measuring 120/70ZR-17 up front and 180/60ZR-17 at the rear. The front suspension is a fully-adjustable inverted telescopic forks from Showa BPF while the rear is a fully-adjustable monoshock unit from Sachs. The brakes are supplied by Brembo.

The 899 deploys a cost effective double-sided swing arm while the flagship variant makes do with a single-sided arm.

The motorcycle's extensive list of gadgets includes 3-stage ABS, Ducati Quick Shift (DQS), Ducati Traction Control (DTC) and Engine Brake Control (EBC). The Ducati Data Analyser+ (DDA+) is available as an option.

Elaborate details can be found in the press release on page 2.

Ducati 899 Panigale Image Gallery

Ducati 899 Panigale - Press Release

[Can't view the press release? Head to Scribd]