With talk of a €70 grand RRRRR version perhaps on its way, a lot of sales will be down to how wonderful people think the Panigale looks. So, all other considerations aside and on purely aesthetic grounds, what do you think of the look?
frankly its not one of the best looking ducatis out there. Its one of those "does my arse look big in this" bikes with that tiny tail end seriously to me eye its proportioned wrong and really needs underseat zorsts. and from the side the front fairing looks like a jelly mould and needs squaring off slightly instead of those rounded lines. in a way the top half of the front fairing looks like an old Tl1000s from the side where ya kneecaps sit. very jap looking hope that doesnt upset the massive but maybe im not your typical ducati luvee.
i've come to the conclusion it's a bit like 'popular' cars were a few years ago re: fairings/tank/tail design. There was nowhere to go without repeating/copying what's gone before and rather than be too radical it's maybe ended up slightly compromised, possibly approaching bland. I thought the RC8 was a great looking bike when it came out but as the years have gone by it now looks too angular and more like a slightly wacky piece of modern art. It's only my opinion but I still commend them for trying a radical bit of styling that made the bike unmistakeable (that, and the orange bit).
Fine bike, Ducati dont do ugly ( Im not even going to go into the 999 argument - they're stunning !! ).:biggrin: Whats this new RR-RR-desmo-quadro-rapido-expensivo- bike you talk about ?:tongue:
it might grow on me..as previous posters have mentioned the RC8, 999 & also the '08 fireblade have all grown on me after initially thinking they were a bit fugly. not sure i like the way the pancakes exhuast curls up under the seat and i don't like the wheels.. for me there's still nothing that compares to a 916
There's a couple of bits I don't like, the tank looks odd and there's a gap in the fairing at the rear air outlet(in front of riders shins). And its too bloody small. Since having my 999 I would never get another bike with underseat exhausts again, a) for storage, and b) because my legs gets roasted. By all account the 1199 has these problems with the exhaust under the bike.
Ducati dont do ugly?? we'll have to differ on that one. The punishedgoolies is a nice bike but it hasnt blown me away or made me simply HAVE to own it...its still the prettiest of the modern, current crop..and so much prettier than that fkn horrific cyclops beemer... Rather like the 1098..a lovely looking bike and we ducatisti were both relieved that it was prettier than the 999 but disappointed that the 916 couldnt be bettered. The duke superbilkes all look a bit japanese dont they? fair play though for the other models in their range. A couple of them i wouldnt give houseroom to, real fkn abortions in my view..i wont go there though coz i dont want to upset anyone...but i admire the designers for really trying to push the boundaries... Hell, even the Diavel has grown on me a bit, and i love the streetfigther...wtf?? IMHO the 916 series was/is the most ground breaking design and i think ducati shouldve done what porsche did with the 911...renew it (although porsche fkd up with the 996..what a pig..and can be had for peanuts money). The panny just dont look right from all the different angles.and THAT is the acid test.it has to look beautiful from every single angle possible.
"Ducati don't do ugly" ? Oh ? Indiana anyone ? No ? Thought not... As for the Panigale, I think it's pretty awful. Looks like a Fireblade that's been hit from behind by a transit van...
i wouldnt mind betting that: a) someone will offer a hideously expensive aftermarket zorst that will fry yer nuts, and empty ya wallet faster than a ten yen whore can empty ya boswelox. b) the yanks will make a chopper out of it.
I think the Pani looks pretty good. But it doesn't look amazing. I don't like the cavernous eyes, I'm not a huge fan of the tank shape and the way it mates with the fairing, and I don't particularly like the way the back is just empty with the rider sitting in mid-air. Would I prefer to have it in the garage than my black 999 - yes, I suppose so. Would I prefer to have it in my garage after being 16 grand lighter? No. Do I feel inclined to save up for it? Not really no. If I had plenty of cash, I might upgrade - I bet it's a better, even more exciting bike. But it doesn't have the wow factor that I would like to see. It doesn't have really trend setting lines. Does it look better than an Aprilia RSV? I don't think so, particularly. Better than the BMW, sure. But that's hardly saying much. Put it this way: is the Panigale likely to end up in the Guggenheim? I don't think so. And that should now be Ducati's benchmark.
gliddofglood has nailed it. If I wanted to show a "non motorcycle" person what makes people go 'all wobbly' about Ducatis, I would show them a long list of bikes before showing them a Panigale (or a 1098). And yes, A 999 would be up there
