After a long wait, the Ducati 1199 Panigale RS13 has finally got it's price tag. At €34,900 ($47,550) it is hardly the cheapest bike around however what sets it apart form the regular 1199? Essentially it is the racing equivalent of the 1199 and, as such, comes loaded with a host of different features hence the inflated price tag. The full carbon fiber body work with an aluminum gas tank is something that has been welcomed by fans of its predecessor the 1198 and it comes as a 'race only' model so there are no road features such as headlights etc... In addition to this the RS13 comes with a front gas-charged Ohlins fork, a much higher model of suspension and a rear TTX-style Ohlins shock. A way of looking at it is that it is designed for the track only as there is very little on it that is 'street legal.' It is designed for those who enjoy their racing weekends however it is still a far cry away from what the actual Ducati racers ride on the track. In further news, Ducati have been given the go ahead to open an official dealership in the American city of Birmingham. This is actually the third time that the Italians have tried to set up shop in the city and, after two failed attempts over the past few years, they have finally been given permission to open up at 33828 Woodward Ave in the southern half of Auto Europe's building and the the city commission voted 6-0 in favor of allowing the company to open up a dealership in the city. The move to open up a Ducati dealership in the city was spearheaded by Charlie Knoll, who's family already has a history in the auto business as they own a Harley-Davidson outlet in Indiana, and Knoll's attempt comes after to failed bids by Daniel Cable, a Rochester Hills business owner, and Knoll himself who tried to install a Ducati dealership in a different location. One big sticking point with these plans and also with the previous bids is the threat of noise pollution. Because the dealership will be servicing motorcycles and is close to several residential streets then there were fears that many people in the area's around the location would be disturbed. Birmingham regulations state that noise levels of businesses cannot exceed 80 decibels during the day and 60 decibels at night. However, Knoll countered this by proposing to build a special, noise controlled room where bikes can be services and tested. Indeed, the noise of the local traffic often exceeds the 80 daytime decibel limit. Jason Chinnock, sales and marketing director for Ducati North America, also took part in the plans to take Ducati to Birmingham. The dealership will be open seven days a week, with hours varying based on the season and other special events. Peak season hours will be: 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 8:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. All models featured in the dealership will be made straight from the companies home in Bologna, Italy and the price of the motorbikes on show will range from $9,000 to $30,000.
Interesting photo. Considering the story is about the Panigale RS13 - perhaps it looks like that without the fairings on?
America. A place where you can buy an automatic rifle with no difficulty but you have to ask special permission to set up a Ducati shop in case it offends the ears of the poor residents. You couldn't make it up.
34K for an RS? wheels, suspension and brakes like that new costs that much! it will be at least 100K !
