Ducati Panigale

Yank Ducati's new Panigale V4 R out of its crate, replace the purely ornamental standard exhaust with a titanium Akrapovic race pipe and fill it up with a fancy "performance oil" from Shell, and you're sitting on a machine capable of 240.5 horsepower.

It’s been known for several months that Ducati plans to replace its existing V2 superbikes with a new V4 generation, and the unveiling of the Panigale R Final Edition has just confirmed it. The high-end road-legal superbike blends the race-spec Panigale R with the rare and collectible Superleggera.

Ducati has released its most powerful motorcycle ever, in a package that's so light it would need to add ballast to race in World Superbike. The extraordinary 1299 Superleggera packs 215 horses, weighs just 344 lb (156 kg) and leaps to the top of our Christmas wishlist at just US$80,000.

Ducati has unveiled a motorcycle that was emphatically missing from its range. The new SuperSport relies on sensible ergonomics, the Italians' signature sporty character, and Panigale heritage to cater for those who desire a Ducati sportbike with daily practicality for the least concessions.

Most people don’t bother buying themselves a birthday present, instead leaving the gifting to close friends and family members. Things work a bit differently in the world of bikes, a point proven by Ducati’s 1299 Panigale S Anniversario.

Ducati broke out the first of its 2016 models during the Volkswagen Group Night, ahead of IAA 2015 in Frankfurt. The new Monster 1200 R employs superbike performance levels to claim the title of the most powerful naked Ducati.

The new Panigale 1299 is a major makeover for the flagship Italian superbike, with a power boost up to 205 horses due to a bored-out, larger engine. It’s also about the smartest superbike we’ve ever seen, with a safety and rider assist suite that outguns both the R1 and BMW’s 2015 S1000RR.

The "frameless" Ducati 1199 Panigale is an awesome track bike, but it looks pretty bizarre with its fairings removed. So the challenge is down for custom bike builders: is it possible to make a naked Panigale 1199 streetfighter that actually looks good? Here's eight attempts from around the world.

KTM's 1290 Superduke R prototype combines a lightweight, trellis-frame with a 1290cc V-twin, drive-by-wire, lots of (disengageable) electronic rider assistance, prototype WP suspension at both ends and maybe the best power-to-weight ratio ever!

Ducati has released a series of photos of its revolutionary Panigale 1199 superbike without its clothes on, showing exactly how the bike is held together in the absence of a traditional frame.

The strength of the world's emerging economies was on display at the opening of the Thai Motor Show today when the country was underwater for much of the last year. Almost every major manufacturer had something on show we haven't seen before.

The full story on Ducati's new 1199 Panigale - a flagship superbike designed from the ground up to smash the litrebike class to pieces.