Ducati News Previous Top Daily Stories Top Stories

EICMA 2018: Ducati releases 2019 motorcycle lineup

alarsonNovember 5, 2018

Ducati recently presented the new 2019 motorcycle lineup that will be featured at EICMA 2018.

The Ducati World Première 2019 was the final act of the Global Dealers Conference, an event uniting key Ducati dealers – about a thousand people – representing 734 Ducati Stores in 91 countries. Streamed worldwide on the internet, the event was held on the evening of Sunday, November 4 at Milan’s Linear Ciak theatre. Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati Motor Holding, unveiled the new 2019 range personally, illustrating company goals and celebrating a thrilling 2018 race season.

“Ducati has achieved a striking degree of maturity”, stated Claudio Domenicali on opening the Ducati World Première 2019. “It is a global flag bearer of some of the best aspects of Made in Italy excellence. Based on core values of Style, Sophistication and Performance, our company now offers a range as broad as it is state-of-the-art. This year sees the first major overhaul of the entire Scrambler range since its inception, plus a complete renewal of the Diavel and Hypermotard, two bikes that are firm favorites. Today, safety and rider-friendliness have hit new heights, yet the brand’s sporting soul is as evident as it has ever been. The Panigale V4 R, in fact, is the most powerful factory motorcycle ever built by Ducati. We’re also delighted with our on-line presence, an area that has enjoyed excellent growth, thus confirming the extraordinary appeal of the entire Ducati product range.”

To get the show under way, the bikes already presented ahead of the Milan fair were illustrated: the new Ducati Scrambler range, with 4 new motorcycles spanning from the Icon version to the more distinctive Cafè Racer, Full Throttle and Desert Sled, and the Multistrada 1260 Enduro.

The new Ducati e-mountain bike, the MIG-RR , also played a major role in the presentation and will have its own special area on the Ducati stand at EICMA 2018.

Ahead of the unveiling of the all-new motorcycles, the Première also saw presentations of the new versions that will join the 2019 range. These include the Monster 25th Anniversary, first seen at WDW2018, and the new Monster 821 stealth that features matt black livery and red graphics, quick shift system, adjustable fork and nose fairing.

Another exciting 2019 bike is the new Multistrada 950 S. A major upgrade of the smallest Ducati ‘multibike’, this latest Multistrada features cutting-edge technology to boost safety and riding enjoyment: electronic Ducati Skyhook Suspension (DSS), Ducati Quick Shift up & down (DQS), full-LED headlight, 5″ color TFT display, Hands Free system, cruise control and backlit switchgear controls. From a styling viewpoint, the new Multistrada 950 inherits the side ‘wings’ from its bigger 1260 counterpart, making the front even cleaner and more streamlined. It also features hydraulic control and, above all, Bosch ABS Cornering, which increases active safety.

The first of the all-new motorcycles in the Ducati 2019 range is the adrenalin-packed and rider-friendly Hypermotard 950. The Ducati ‘fun bike’ par excellence has been given a full-blown makeover: the new look takes its cue from the supermotard race world, the completely overhauled ergonomics ramps up the fun and riders can now count on an ultra-advanced chassis set-up and electronics package.

A full 4 kg lighter than the previous model, the new Hypermotard 950 mounts a renewed 937 cm³ Testastretta 11° engine with a more muscular 114 hp, combining greater pulling power with new electronics to ensure smoother control.

The Hypermotard 950 electronics package includes Bosch Cornering ABS with the Slide by Brake function, Ducati Traction Control EVO (DTC EVO), Ducati Wheelie Control (DWC) EVO and Ducati Quick Shift (DQS) Up and Down EVO (as standard on the 950 SP version and available as an accessory on the 950).

Now even higher-performing and with racing overtones, the Hypermotard 950 SP features a flat seat, increased-travel Öhlins suspension to ensure an acuter lean angle (+3°), Marchesini forged wheels and Ducati Quick Shift (DQS) Up and Down EVO.

Another major development, unveiled during the Ducati World Première 2019, is the new Diavel 1260. Unconventional, unique and unmistakable: as soon as it was launched at EICMA 2010 the Diavel stunned with its personality, design, sport naked handling and thoroughbred engine.

The second-generation Diavel 1260 remains faithful to the original spirit of that incredibly special bike, drawing on its key styling elements and putting a decidedly more contemporary slant on them: it now offers more assertive outlines and higher performance, is more fun on mixed-road routes and offers greater comfort for rider and passenger alike. Its sport naked soul is evident in the Testastretta DVT 1262 engine, capable of delivering 159 hp (117 kW) at 9,500 rpm and 129 Nm (13.1 kgm) at 7,500 rpm. An immensely satisfying torque curve ensures both breath-taking acceleration and a low-rev smoothness that’s ideal for everyday riding or touring. An upgraded chassis set-up makes the Diavel 1260 more responsive on mixed-road routes while top-drawer technology and electronics provide braking performance on a par with that of a sport bike (and does so safely, thanks to Bosch Cornering ABS) and user-friendly engine performance control. The excellent riding position and ‘power cruiser’ ergonomics that helped make this motorcycle so successful remain unaltered: what has changed is the chassis set-up, characterized by a new tubular steel Trellis frame that goes perfectly with another Diavel hallmark, the 17″ inch rear wheel with its 240 mm wide tire.

A sportier S version of the Diavel 1260 is also available: features include fully adjustable Öhlins suspension at front and rear, dedicated wheels and an even higher-performance braking system. Moreover, the S version mounts Ducati Quick Shift up & down Evo (DQS) as standard to allow clutchless shifting.

The new livery on the Panigale V4 S Corse aroused enthusiastic interest. Created using official Ducati MotoGP team colors, it mirrors the special version with the exact same color scheme that Michele Pirro rode to victory in the Race of Champions at WDW2018. Twelve lucky enthusiasts in a global auction that attracted record-breaking bids won that bike and the other 11 variants that competed in the race.

Nevertheless, the undisputed star of the Ducati World Première 2019 – and aspiring candidate for the title of ‘best-looking bike of EICMA2018’ – was the Panigale V4 R.

Compared to previous R versions, the Panigale V4 R is now even more specialized and bristles with technology taken directly from MotoGP. The modifications extend far beyond the engine and suspension set-up: they also include the fairing, designed and developed by Ducati Corse in close collaboration with the Ducati Style Center to improve aerodynamic efficiency. The new fairing also incorporates the aerofoil appendages developed for the MotoGP prototypes. Constructed of carbon fiber, the aerofoils increase stability throughout the ride to allow for reduced reliance on electronic controls; boosting confidence to help riders achieve the pinnacle of performance.

The Panigale V4 R is, to all intents and purposes, a road-legal WSBK category competition bike and constitutes the technical foundation for the official Ducati Superbikes that will compete in the World Championship as from the 2019 season.

The Desmosedici Stradale 1103 cm3 engine has been replaced with the 998 cm3 Desmosedici Stradale R to comply with displacement limits set by WSBK rules. Unlike the larger V4 – designed to provide fluid power delivery and excellent low-rev pulling power for optimal road use – the 998 cm3 Desmosedici Stradale R offers more extreme performance as power delivery has been designed with the track in mind. Moreover, it’s characterized by lighter internal components (which reduce overall bike weight by 2 kg compared to the Panigale V4S, bringing kerb weight down to just 193 kg). Greater air intake efficiency allows faster engine ‘rev-up’ and shifts the rpm red zone higher to ensure improved acceleration. The result is 221 hp (162 kW) of power at 15,250 rpm (EU homologation values), 2,250 rpm higher than the point of peak power on the 1103 cm3 V4. These impressive figures can be taken even higher by fitting the full-racing Ducati Performance exhaust by Akrapovič, which boosts maximum power to 234 hp (172 kW) at 15,500 rpm. In short: the most powerful Ducati factory motorcycle ever!