Maverick Viñales talks about the upcoming 2020 MotoGP restart, the arrival of Fabio Quartarato, and having Valentino Rossi as a teammate. Last season his racing number changed from 25 to 12.
Ducati is at EICMA 2018 with a substantial number of new or revised models, but the real piece of supreme engineering is the Panigale V4 R, a 998cc version of the 90 degree V-4 that last year claimed the title of most powerful street-legal, naturally aspirated bike, extracting 214 hp from its 1,103cc unit. We all knew that the final target of the Panigale V4 project was to create the ultimate Superbike series contender—the bike that would bring the World SBK championship back to Borgo Panigale. Indeed, the just unveiled Panigale V4 R seems to be ready to stand up to those expectations.
Take sportbike performance, give it more upright ergonomics, and top it off with Ducati’s treatment of a ride-by-wire electronic rider aids suite and the 937cc Testastretta twin cylinder engine and the 2020 Supersport is Ducati’s sport-touring machine more befitting of everyday riding while still capable of hitting apexes at the track or on canyon roads. The Supersport S version is even more athletic with fully adjustable 48mm Öhlins fork (base has 43mm Marzocchi) and Öhlins single shock (base is equipped with Sachs). The S also adds an up and down Quickshifter and passenger seat cowl as standard equipment.
After being dropped from KTM’s lineup in 2017, the 500 XCF-W has returned for the new decade as the Austrian brand’s flagship four-stroke enduro bike. Sharing many of the same components as the KTM 500 EXC-F dual sport, the 500 XCF-W is an off-road-only model and is spec’d accordingly.
