Some bikes exist to be ridden. The 2025 Ducati Panigale V4 R exists to be chased. The Italian marque’s latest evolution of its WorldSBK-derived missile feels less like a motorcycle and more like a weaponised heartbeat.
At its core sits the 998cc Desmosedici Stradale R V4 powerhouse. In its standard form it pushes out 218 bhp and 11.8 kgm of torque, and with the racing exhaust and Ducati’s racing oil it climbs to 239 bhp. Those figures aren’t just impressive, they are intimidating. The lighter pistons and new crankshaft supposedly make the engine’s response more progressive and similar to similar to the Desmosedici GPs used by Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia.
In fact, it is a race-ready machine with lights and mirrors. Ducati has armed the V4 R with a locked-out neutral and positioned the gear below the first, instead of being in between the first and second. This essentially means that riders don’t accidentally go into neutral while racing (or embarrass themselves while leaving a traffic signal). With a dedicated lock-out switch, riders can engage or disengage neutral any time.
Every panel on the 2025 Panigale V4 R carries a job description. The fairing is wider and deeper, not for show but to feed a new dynamic front air intake developed with Ducati Corse, adding 1.3 bhp at top speed. The wings are larger now, generating 25 per cent more load than before — about 4.8 kg at 270 kph and a full 6 kg at 300 kph. Downforce you can actually feel, pressing the front end into the tarmac when the throttle’s still pinned.
Then there are the MotoGP-derived corner sidepods, a first for a production bike. They bend the air at high lean angles to create a ground effect that improves grip and lets the bike carve tighter lines mid-corner. The V4 R lets you tailor its behaviour to suit both the circuit and your style. Its swingarm pivot can be set in four positions, each spaced 2 mm apart, giving you fine control over rear-end geometry and grip. Add to that a revised rider triangle — a reshaped seat and tank combined with footpegs tucked 10 mm further in than before — and you get far better support under braking, cornering or hanging off at full lean.
At a price equivalent of Rs.69.99 lakh, it’s not exactly cheap, but you knew it wasn’t going to be anyway. The Panigale V4 R isn’t built to commute, or tour, or even to pose. It’s built to show how far a production superbike can go when the only rival is a stopwatch..
