2023 Ducati Panigale V4 S Track Review: Easy To Get Swayed Away

“Let’s go,” I mutter inside my helmet. My lead instructor had just signalled me to pass him so he could analyse my riding. I thunder past him down the back straight of the Sepang International Circuit. I make sure to let the 1107cc V4 mill sing to its heart’s extent, slickly shifting upwards of 11,500rpm! And… I miss my braking marker. Next thing I know I am aiming for the gravel trap at over 200kmph. I am off the tarmac and into the gravel at 85kmph. I survived. So did the Ducati Panigale V4 S. Unscathed.

I FEARED This Bike

I last rode the Panigale V4 in 2018 at the Buddh International Circuit. Back then, I was nowhere near capable of staying in control of such a powerful beast. And having spoken to people who have ridden the bike, they told me it was the easiest litre-class bike there ever is. It was. And it wasn’t. I was nearly tossed off the bike on my first flying lap on the bike. Nearly. 

What I took away from my barely 3 laps with the bike was that the Panigale V4 could be the easiest sportbike in the world, provided you either ride it gingerly at 100-150kmph or you are Andrea Dovizioso, Alex Valia, Jack Miller, Pecco Bagnaia or the plethora of phenomenal Ducati talents who have developed and are capable of riding this bike the way it is meant to be ridden. 

I WAS EAGER To Revisit

Five years and with more experience under my belt, I was definitely feeling more confident about myself. Confident that I wouldn’t make a fool of myself. Confident that I would let the Panigale show me its beautiful side as well. At least the latter would still remain true come the end of the day’s sessions.

My date with the Panigale couldn’t have been at a more beautiful setting: Sepang International Circuit. It has seen barnstorming races, where heroes have been found, legends birthed and champions crowned. Also, moments of madness and sadness but let’s not talk about those. As I step off the bus, I notice the hustle bustle going on in the pits. Ducati Asia officials are rolling out each one of the lovely bright red Panigale V4 S-es that would be used for the day’s action. 

The 2022 iteration of the Panigale V4 S is supposed to have evolved, suited to make an honest riding enthusiast just as comfortable astride the bike as a MotoGP star would be. The changes aren’t as obvious to the naked eye. Small cuts here, little tweaks there and a few added lines of coding and the Bologna bullet is now welcoming.

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I FELT Welcomed

This wasn’t a media fun day where we were left to our own devices across the sprawling Malaysian track on a 200+ horsepower piece of marvel on two wheels. Ducati was hosting its Asian leg of DRE Racetrack Academy. The folks at Ducati India had signed me up for the ‘Warmup’ category, which given the way things panned out fitted my rider development level very well. And since my instructor was the current king of the Buddh International Circuit, Dilip Lalwani, I had a more hearty and desi touch to the instructions.

And these small changes felt instantly known as soon as I swung my leg over the saddle. It wasn’t as fiercely tall, I didn’t outstretch myself to get to the bars and my neck wasn’t straining as much to look through the screen.

We ride out calmly, Malaysia’s tropical showers the night before needing drying up before we could start picking up the pace. I was following Dilip closely, trying to judge best where he was placing his bike, how wide he was running out of certain corners and how far ahead he looked. The Panigale obeyed my every minute input, I knew it did so. What left me most surprised in the first session was just how easy it was to get a smooth rhythm on the bike. Flowing through the fast turns 5 to 8 section was truly something that I didn’t think I was going to be comfortable at. The corners there require some commitment, especially if you have a firebreather waiting to rain hellfire upon a whim. 

Gently and smoothly does it. The Panigale sways from one end to the other. The comfort level grows with every metre. I am carrying speeds into bends that my brain felt acceptable and it was only after looking at the onboard footage that I was able to revel and surprise my own self with the speeds we were doing.

I BECAME Complacent

The brief for the third session was simple: Dilip was going to lead us out on the first lap, and then follow each one of us for a lap to check up on our progression. And then you already know what fiasco took place as instead of taking it easy, I tried pushing my luck, ran it a bit too far. Credit where due, the Stylema Rs are Brembo’s near-race-spec speed chompers that made sure that my approach into the gravel trap was significantly slower than what I feared.

I took electronics for granted. I undermined what 200 horsepowers can do. I wasn’t as mindful of the machine’s capabilities as it was of mine. That’s what I found truly unbelievable about this Panigale V4. Had it been the older machine, I wouldn’t have had this moment, as I would have been struggling to even relish a moment on track. And yet, this one was forgiving. That one wouldn’t have been so.

I EAGERLY Await

It took me five years for a reacquaintance with this lovely Italian. Our small trysts always shake my beliefs as to what is possible. Its visceral attitude takes a slight backseat, only springing a surprise when you aren’t taking it seriously. It is lustful and now also loveable, making it quite a phenomenal combination to have from something that is meant to be a track tamer.

I hope our next meet isn’t again after another five years but sooner. But until then, I hope, both the Panigale and I are on better terms, with more work needed from my end surely. See you soon, bella.