2025 Ducati Panigale V2 S Review — First Ride

Changing the Supersport game

Retro gaming consoles had it made. If a player sends world-renowned Italian plumber Mario to an untimely demise a few too many times, we hit the reset button. Then we'll try, and try again until we defeat all the baddies with the help of our mustachioed hero and save Princess Peach. Life usually doesn't have the same push-button fixes, yet the 2025 Ducati Panigale V2 S is part of an emerging Supersport contingent that will reset the class.

2025 Ducati Panigale V2 S

There are plenty of attention-grabbing headlines to sift through, but let's start here: the name is the only thing to carry over from the 955 Superquadro-powered Panigale V2 (2020-2024) – this is an all-new top-to-bottom, a clean-sheet redesign.

Peeking at the specs and dare I say it, a kinder, gentler Panigale emerges, which is a hard turn from the industry's most cutthroat name in sportbikes. The new 890cc V2 is smaller, drops 35 horsepower, and adds Variable Valve Timing (VVT) to the intakes, ushering in superior low-end shove. Oh, and there's no desmodromic valvetrain. A running weight around 29 pounds lighter than the prior-gen machine speaks to a bike focused on cornering instead of brute force, and perhaps the most telling twist is friendlier ergonomics. A track-capable yet road-ready V2? My biscotti is ready.

That all seems to fly in the face of a brand that wears its racing-first and road-second design philosophy proudly, at least, if taken at face value alone. Once the espresso settles and we look at the changing market landscape, Ducati is merely creating a powerplant on par with the rest of the 120ish hp Supersport class, avoiding the kneecapping that its 955cc engine suffers in FIM Supersport World Championship and MotoAmerica Supersport paddocks.

Balancing will be a lot easier with those numbers on tap, not to mention the Yamaha YZF-R9 ($12,499) and, hopefully, KTM's 990 RC R ($TBA) lending a hand in reshaping things as we know it. What we end up with at the dealership is more practical for consumers, while still shuffling a potent unit out the back of the factory and into the racing paddock. Quite crafty of you, Ducati. Crafty, indeed.

Choose Your Weapon

Our hero's journey begins with a break in longstanding tradition, breaks that, all told, have a net benefit for the rider. In truth, the liquid-cooled 890cc mill respects its predecessors, honoring them with the marque's enduring and balanced 90-degree V, which is still kicked up 20 degrees on its axis to keep the chassis packaging tight. So, too, do we see the decidedly oversquare big bore and short stroke architecture return.

Where the V2 steps out from the Desmodue, Desmoquattro, Testastretta, and Superquadro that came before, is, well, with respect to everything else. A focused effort is placed on superior low-end and midrange performance, which the high-strung and arguably more one-dimensional 955cc Superquadro engine lacked. And that starts at the top.

Not only does it weigh 21 pounds less than its ancestor, but it's the lightest Ducati V-Twin ever produced. You know the saying, grams make ounces, and according to brand engineers, the ultra-lofty-rpm benefits from a desmodromic valve actuation just aren't realized here: first, it's physically heavier, and second, the V2 engine doesn't rev high enough to where valve float is a significant concern — hence why the Panigale V4 and Desmosedici GP with their stratospheric redlines will forever stick with it. Instead, a conventional finger-follower valvetrain eeks out a win, pleading its case of simplicity to our wallets by extending valve service intervals to 18,000 miles (+3,000).

Functionally, the lighter spring setup takes weight savings further with smaller diameter valving and, on the intake side, receives hollow-stem units to continue shaving off all-important mass, contributing to a free-revving character. Yet, the critical tech bit is the brand's latest Intake Variable Timing (IVT), which electronically adjusts cam timing to deliver the kind of linear, low-end thrust we've always wished from Panigale-badged machines while retaining performance up top.

Those are welcome traits while slashing your way through the 2.6-mile Circuito de Seville, where its 16 action-packed turns highlight how the V2's claimed 120 horsepower at 10,750 rpm and 69 lb.-ft of torque at 8,250 are fixated on finesse rather than outright ferociousness.

The familiar twin-cylinder baritone patter emanates from its high-mount Factory WSBK-inspired exhaust when rolling out of the pits, where its engaging vibes let you know exactly where you are within the impressively broad powerband. Cracking the excellently tuned ride-by-wire throttle open invites a lovely tug, yanking you off any apex with a pinch-perfect amount of authority. It isn't a one-trick pony, either, as it predictably builds to that soft 11,350 rpm redline — it's quick, but crucially, engages the senses without whisking riders into a rush of overbearing top-end power. That's no doubt in part with the more manageable peak performance figures, and for that matter, it doesn't come with all the peaky drama of a screaming 600cc I4.

On that last note, a couple of quirks from the bi-directional quickshifter are some of the only bugbears here. For the most part, it's as slick as we've come to expect from Ducati and is the brand's latest internally mounted unit. What riders might notice is an occasional fueling hiccup while grabbing an aggressive upshift, which trips a safety strategy that ensures the transmission cogs are fully seated before putting full power down.

Similarly, downshifts are as smooth as you'd like, though rapid-fire downshifts into hard-braking zones mean that you run into the overrev protection, which has two solutions: either extend the time between gear changes or reach for the hydraulic clutch and do it the old-fashioned way, letting the slipper clutch figure it out.

Per the usual for Ducati sport machines, there are fully customizable ride modes (Race, Sport, Road, and Wet), which also serve as your throttle maps. A 6-axis IMU-informs rider aids like the Cornering ABS which, in track settings won't get in the way much at all. Meanwhile, the adjustable traction control is barely bothered unless you irresponsibly hamfist the gas, but still a good feature to have in your back pocket, especially on the road. When it comes to wheelie control, the power is so tractable that you can easily go without it, if only to let the Pannie enjoy a cheeky little front-wheel hover after a hard throttle whack — that's not something we'd say about the V4. As for engine braking settings, there is a perceptible difference in back-torque between levels and can be tailored to preference. We've also got cruise control.

Excitebike!

The zesty engine is only half the story, as the Panigale V2 leans on its featherweight 8.8-pound monocoque chassis for handling prowess. The stressed-member engine formula is still in play, wherein the updated front frame, subframe (now a lighter cast-aluminum and polymer composite), and V4-inspired hollow swingarm bolt directly to the powerplant itself. Ducati rightly touts the weight savings of this strategy, though it only cites a sans-fuel weight of 388 pounds. Adjust for 4 gallons of go-juice, and you're left with a roughly 412-pound bike ready to ride – that's 29 lbs less than the prior-gen, which impacts everything from braking, corner entry, mid, corner, and exit.

Shedding weight like that will do most people wonders, and as it turns out, bikes, too. Flipping the V2 on its side is done at a moment's notice, thanks to a marginally steeper rake, and letting it roll through faster sweepers isn't a suggestion but something that a copious amount of mechanical grip encourages. As someone who races low-displacement bikes, that style is second nature, though we're talking about a full-sized motorcycle here.

Still, should you need to do some pile-driving on the brakes and take a tighter inside line, the Duc is happy to oblige with excellent front-end stability. Likewise, that conventional swingarm allows more flex while on the edge of the tire and hooks up greedily, surely, the nearly 1-inch longer wheelbase has a say there, too. There's a distinct feeling that one can't do wrong, especially since we had ringer tires on in the form of Pirelli Diablo Superbike SC1 slicks (120/70 and 190/60), which, for the record, looked pretty unscathed after loads of sessions. Chalk it up to technicians keeping tabs on tire pressures, yet a less angry mill certainly helps.

Often, the pristine surfaces of the racetrack will see us Journo schlubs glaze over suspension performance, ponied up in this case by the S model's fully adjustable Öhlins NIX30 fork and STX46 kit — the base bike ($15,995) uses Marzocchi and KYB suspension, said to be specc'd with the same spring and damping rates. In a rarity, the relatively new Circuito de Sevilla has quite a few unexpected dips and blips in its turns, which the Swedish suspenders work with aplomb once they’re dialed in for you, taking hits on the chin without unsettling too much.

It's all quite encouraging, though it does owe some credit to the easier ergos, providing tons of leverage through the riser handlebars integrated into the top yoke. The hand controls are lifted 2.6 inches and brought in almost 2 inches, picking us up off our wrists while sitting in the 33-inch saddle. It's also easier than you think to swap these out for traditional clip-on handlebars, since the handlebar itself is integrated into the upper triple's endcap, which can be replaced with standard u-shaped brackets in the accessory catalog.

It doesn't end there, what with rearsets that are nudged an inch forward and lowered a smidge, creating a pleasurably sporty position – sure, that means you'll need to be conscientious of foot placement at steeper lean angles to avoid dragging toe sliders, but it won't slow you down. The final and arguably most important piece of this rider-triangle Triforce is a taller, flatter fuel tank, ala the 2022 and 2025 Panigale V4. That means less fatigue under hard braking and a far better anchoring point than before.

Speaking of brakes, none other than Brembo provides the stopping power via M50 calipers we've seen on more than a few superbikes over the years. Grabbing the binders offers excellent feel, along with the aforementioned chassis character working together in great harmony. My only minor gripe? The fiddly adjuster on the lever can be tricky to use with a gloved hand, so it's best to fine-tune when in the pits.

A New Challenger Appears

Spinning laps under the Spanish sun is revealing in many ways. How this translates to the road where many a Panigale V2 will lead their lives is unknown. Yet, the rest of it is telling. I'll be honest, friends; I was waxed at the end of the day, but it was only because this ride allows you to push yourself and not the other way around – there's a crucial distinction to be made there.

It isn't down to lifting the bars and nudging footpegs every which way. Ducati is making smart decisions by delivering engine performance in that 120-hp sweet spot and creating true chassis parity to wrangle it expertly. And that's the difference that will keep you turning laps, or probably more accurately, doing canyon runs until the sun sets. It’s not so much a question of whether the game is changing, the Panigale V2 is making a statement: The game has changed.

Scorecard

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