- Will continue to feature a V-twin motor
- Test mule featured a single-sided swingarm
- Front end styling closely matches the V4
- Expected to be officially unveiled at the upcoming EICMA motorcycle show in November
If you thought Ducati was done with using V-twins, think again, the Italian bike maker has been spotted testing what appears to be the successor to the current Panigale 959. Looking at the spy images, the test mule seemed to have the same engine covers hinting that the V-twin motor has been retained. However, expect Ducati to slightly bump up the displacement but keep it under 1000cc in order to comply with newer emission norms.
The test mule featured a fairing that seems to have been sculpted keeping the V4 ideology in mind. However, the other sections of the fairing like the tail, fuel tank and belly pan seem to be lifted from the existing model.
Compared to the current-gen Panigale 959, the test mule featured a bigger exhaust collector located under the engine and gearbox. The end canister was absent on the test bike. It is also likely that along with the new exhaust collector, Ducati will include a twin-spark system in order to comply with the upcoming Euro 5 emission norms.
Besides that, the spied vehicle was equipped with a single-sided swingarm lifted from the Panigale 1299 parts bin. There are high chances that Ducati might consider continuing this configuration for the production variant of the motorcycle. The spied vehicle is likely to the base variant of the upcoming motorcycle as it featured standard suspension bits.
Expect Ducati to unveil the new Panigale 959 at the upcoming EICMA motorcycle show in November. The new Panigale 959 will make its way to Indian shores post the international launch next year.
