Looks like another expensive panigale. A homologation excercise? To replace the racing turd that is the current wsb maybe? Owners of the 1199r are gonna be pissed.
Seriously, how can this super-leggy-patricia being light make it better than the current jittery wsbk Ducati already have ? I suppose when Ducati reveal details we will know, lets hope they get it right. Re current "R" owners.....Id be p1ssed too if I heard about this. These types of bikes dont get drawn up on a whim, it would have been well planned in advance.
The clue is in the project code - it's YYMM - so Project 1201 was started in January 2012. From what I can see, it has: different forks wheels (magnesium?) front box section (magnesium?) engine cases (magnesium?) head covers (magnesium?) carbon bodywork revised alu tank (looks different to R version) not sure about the front calipers and disks - pic too small to tell!
I'd love to know what it looks like, or even know what half of those parts in the picture do saying that, having studied the picture in detail I can see a fork, although only one. have ducati finally given in to the single sided fans and produced a bike with a single sided fork?
Video now release by Ducati: Ducati - Project 1201 - Lightness extracted from the heaviest of elements. - YouTube
The problem with Ducati's are their price. £5k overpriced. If the 1199S was 15k new then maybe i'd put up with the ugly fucker but at £20k no way. I'll buy the S1000RR as that things a freaking missile.
What a rediculous video to throw up..... But one thing I have noticed since the Panigale...Ducati's really pushing their marketing into another aspect so to speak. Its changed, i cant put my finger on it but it ties in with what Sam is saying above - justifying a high price (?).
Having just watched the video it looks very "Audi" to me!! As an Audi Master tech I've seen dozen of very similar videos as part of their training courses!!
Looks like a giant airfix kit to me, quick somebody cut round it and put it together see what we can come up with? Or is that the project Ducat send you all the bits to put together in the garage' to see if you can come up with a decent superbike? Gotta love the hype Ducati create as a company, talk about setting ones self up for a fall have they learned nothing from the panigale launch, Honda or Yamaha would just whip the cover off "heres a new superbike" come and get it. Gees' if I had a Pani R' it would be me sending Bologna a letter inviting them to come round for a slap! Specials...' Fucking Liberty's more like!!!!!
Ducati have always done this!! SPS....Sell People Specials!! Every SPS or R model is followed by a base version with a slightly lower spec for a fraction of the cost!! The only model they didn't do it with was the Desmo!! It's very annoying as the people who buy them, me included, usually lose loads of money!!
Panigale R customers have got bugger all to moan about - that particular bike had/has minimal changes over the S/Tricolore, it was obvious this was coming and at £54k it's twice the price of an R.
