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Superbike Deathmatch Round #1: Aprilia vs. Ducati

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Hello and welcome to the first installment of Asphalt & Rubber’s 2017 Superbike Deathmatch – our take on the motorcycle media’s superbike shootout review format, and the solitary path for a motorcycle to become the A&R Superbike of 2017. 

For those just tuning into the Superbike Deathmatch, the rules are easy. In each round, two bikes enter the race track, but only one bike leaves.

We have six motorcycles from the eight superbike manufacturers on the market, and the trim-level for each bike has been carefully chosen so that all the superbikes have a similar price and feature set as the other motorcycles in the comparison.

This means that we are looking at motorcycles around the $20,000 price point, all of which have IMU-powered electronics and brakes, along with up-spec components. Our goal here is to compare apples to apples, and see which one tastes best.

Our venue is the Portland International Raceway, and to evaluate these machines we have four riders that vary in skill levels and physical attributes, from professional racers to track day enthusiasts, from tall to short, and from skinny to….less skinny.

For our first round, we have started things off with a special treat, and a battle for the right to call a bike the “Best Italian Superbike” on the market. That’s right, we are going to pit the Ducati 1299 Panigale S against the Aprilia RSV4 RF.

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Bikes

Ducati Brings DTC EVO Electronics to Older Panigales

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If you happen already to own one of the 2017 Ducati 1299 Panigale models, including the recently released Ducati 1299 Panigale R Final Edition and Ducati 1299 Superleggera models, then you already have the latest and greatest electronics suite from the Italian manufacturer, dubbed the Ducati Traction Control EVO (DTC EVO).

But, if you own a 2015 or 2016 Panigale, whether it be a “base” model or “S” model, you have been out of luck when it comes to taking full advantage of your bike’s Bosch inertial measurement unit (IMU)…until today.

Ducati is announcing that it will retrofit its DTC EVO system for older 1299 Panigale machines, so they can take advantage of IMU’s ability to manage sliding the rear wheel, via a revised algorithm.

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Welcome to the A&R Superbike Deathmatch

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Hello and welcome to Asphalt & Rubber’s 2017 Superbike Deathmatch – our take on the motorcycle media’s superbike shootout review format, and the solitary path for a motorcycle to become A&R’s Superbike of 2017. Booyah!

What makes the Superbike Deathmatch different from other shootouts, you might ask? Well for starters, instead of renting a track out for a day, and spending only a limited amount of time on the plethora of machines available, we decided instead to take a lesson from college basketball’s very own March Madness.

That’s right, we are using a single-elimination head-to-head bracket system to find out which superbike is the best of the best, and thus worthy of being our Superbike of 2017. Think of it like a two-wheeled Thunderdome: two bikes enter, one bike leaves.

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Ducati 1299 Panigale S Anniversario – Celebrating 90 Years

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Ducati is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year, with the culmination of that celebration happening right now in Misano, at World Ducati Week. As we previewed already, Ducati would give a sneak peak of a new model at the event, and debut a limited edition machine as well.

Well, we have had more than a sneak peak of the upcoming Ducati Supersport model, and now we get the full monty of the Ducati 1299 Panigale S Anniversario – a special superbike that commemorates 90 years of Ducati motorcycles.

The Ducati 1299 Panigale S Anniversario is more than just a cosmetic exercise, with only 500 motorcycles getting its limited edition paint job, gold-colored metal pieces, and bevy of technical upgrades

One interesting new feature though is the debut of the EVO version of the Ducati Traction Control (DTC) and Ducati Wheelie Control (DWC) systems.

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Pocher 1:4 Scale Model of the Ducati 1299 Panigale S

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Italian scale model maker Pocher is known for its exquisite work, and the company specializes in making high quality 1:8 models of some of the finest cars ever to grace the open road.

Looking for a new challenge, Pocher has expanded its line to include motorcycles, the first of which is the Ducati 1299 Panigale S that you see above.

At nearly a foot long, and fitted with real rubber, metal, and plastic pieces, this isn’t just some tiny hobbyist kit, but instead a true collectible that has been engineered to be as close the Panigale S as you can be, at 1:4 scale.

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Ducati 1299 Panigale – 205hp, Across the Board

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As was rumored, Ducati’s flagship machine, the Panigale superbike, gets an update for the 2015 model year. Now called the Ducati 1299 Panigale, the number designation means different things for the base, S, and R models.

All three models will sport a class-leading 205 peak horsepower, have the “cornering ABS” thanks to the inertial measurement unit (IMU) that is installed, and have the new Ducati Quick Shift (DQS) system, with its up and down clutchless shifting.

All three models also have a revised chassis geometry, with the steering head angle set at 24° now, while the fork pivot is 4 mm lower — all in the name of more precise steering (a critique of the 1199 model).

For the Ducati 1299 Panigale and Ducati 1299 Panigale S trim models, the high-revving Superquadro motor gets a displacement increase to 1,285cc, via a larger bore size (116mm). The Ducati 1299 Panigale R will remain at the original 1,198cc displacement, in order to comply with World Superbike regulations.

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