With the current reveal of the seventh technology 2025 Ducati Panigale V4S, the Italian motorbike maker’s halo superbike, purists and aficionados had been elevating Cain about its swingarm. Gone is the single-sided swingarm that grew to become a signature of Ducati superbike design in trendy instances, changed by a traditional double-sided unit.
Howls had been heard throughout the Web, with keyboard warriors pounding their keyboards, foaming on the mouth. “That’s not a Panigale!” and “if I wished a Japanese trying motorbike I’d have purchased one!” had been amongst brickbats learn on display screen proper after the launch.
Right here’s the factor, the writer was proper there when the brand new Panigale V4S was launched in Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli throughout World Ducati Week 2024. As in, sitting in a second row seat after being greeted by Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali, and him whispering in my ear, “I believe you’ll like what we’ve got right here at present.”
You don’t get a greater introduction to a model new superbike than that. Proper after the curtain was raised on the Panigale V4S and Claudio kissed the tank, that double-sided swingarm was observed by chosen media.
There’s something that must be remembered. The unique single-sided swingarm for Ducati first made its look on the 1994 Ducati 916. There was Honda’s Professional-Arm used the RC-series and VFR highway bikes as effectively, and it ought to be famous the explanation the single-sided swingarm existed then was for speedy tyre altering throughout endurance racing.
Endurance motorbike racing going by-the-by, Ducati retained the single-sided swingarm as a signature for its top-of-the-line superbikes. Starting with the 916, by the 996/998, adopted by the “trendy” Panigales proper as much as the sixth technology Panigale V4, Ducati at all times had the single-sided swingarm.
The exception was the Pierre Terblanche designed 999 however within the phrases of Ducati take a look at rider Allesandro Valia in a personal dialog with the writer, “we don’t speak concerning the 999.” Nevertheless, from an engineering viewpoint, the single-sided swingarm is flawed.
Extra weight, extra price, more durable to supply for under the additional advantage of simpler wheel modifications and the sexiest rear finish since Jennifer Lopez, to not point out the weirdness of getting your suspension geometry change each time you modify the chain. So, why did the boys from Borgo Panigale elect to go for a double-sided swingarm for the seventh technology Panigale?
First off, in the course of the technical presentation of the brand new Panigale V4S, Guilio Fabbri, the Ducati challenge lead, mentioned each swingarm configurations had been tried. Throughout testing, it was discovered the double-sided unit was stronger whereas offering extra suggestions to the rider.
By the numbers, the brand new swingarm is 37% much less stiff laterally whereas being lighter by 2.7 kg. This forged alloy unit options aid holes within the swingarm physique.
Should you study the swingarm carefully, you’ll be able to see the place the load paths and stresses are, providing you with an concept of how a lot engineering has gone into it. For these asking, “how can a much less stiff swingarm be higher?” the reply is, simply since you’re driving a quick bike, doesn’t imply the body and suspension needs to be stiff and unyielding.
Within the case of the Panigale V4S, the body is intentionally designed with a specific amount of flex to provide suggestions to the rider, working at the side of the body and suspension. Contemplating the most recent Ducati superbike was developed with enter from the agency’s present crop of MotoGP and WSBK riders, we’re fairly positive they know what they’re doing.
There are two most important stresses appearing on the swingarm in any motorbike – lateral and torsional. For torsional stress, that is represented by a twisting movement that desires to flip the wheel over.
As might be anticipated, that is lower than ideally suited for the motorbike’s dealing with and most Malaysian riders first encounter this driving a kapchai and feeling the body and swingarm flex and wallow when taking a nook at velocity.
Lateral stress, then again, is the wheel wanting to maneuver sideways within the swingarm. An excessive amount of sideways motion makes the motorbike really feel unstable in corners or in a straight line for that matter, and too little makes the rear finish of the bike really feel harsh and “useless”.
Readers of paultan.org who trip high-end carbon-fibre bicycle frames can have skilled this when deciding on frames for particular varieties of driving. A climbing body with extraordinarily stiff rear stays is nice for switch of energy to the rear wheel, however might be harsh and unyielding when cruising at faster speeds on the flats.
The identical applies to the much less laterally stiff swingarm on the Panigale V4, the designed quantity of flex permitting the bike to trace true within the nook whereas offering suggestions to the rider. Moreover, the Panigale V4s’ suspension software program is designed to work with the swingarm (and body) to offer what Ducati says is a greater dealing with and simpler to trip superbike.
Different design modifications within the swingarm embrace one piece chain adjusters to hurry up the method of reinstalling the rear wheel. The swingarm cutouts additional cut back weight and add a singular contact to the design of the Panigale V4S.
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