The use of the DUCATI Panigale name for the new bike suggests that another term trademarked by Ducati – Superquadro – will be used to describe the all-new engine it uses. The Superquadro name translates to 'Super Square' in reference to the cylinders' hugely over-square bore and stroke dimensions.
Ironically, the teaser for the Panigale – the first production bike to use Ducati's monocoque frame design derived from the Desmosedici racer – has been revealed on the same day that Rossi is expected to test a conventional alloy beam framed version of the GP bike in an effort to solve the handling woes that have marred his season so far.
It's also certain to be a concern for Ducati's marketing department, which was hoping to have at least a handful of Rossi/Ducati wins under its belt in preparation for the Panigale's launch.
The Ducati 1199 Panigale will race in next year’s Superstock Championship and then eventually in 2013 make its way into World Superbikes.
The Italian motorcycle manufacturer Ducati has revealed the name of its next-generation superbike: the Ducati 1199 Panigale. The name is taken from the district of Bologna which the Ducati factory calls home – pronounced Pan-ee-gah-lee – while Ducati prefers the reference to the 1199cc engine to be pronounced eleven-nine-nine.
Ducati promises the new model will deliver “record performance, breathtaking design and technical innovation”.
Ducati has announced its 2012 superbike will be named the Ducati 1199 Panigale, and it will be unveiled during the EICMA International Motorcycle Show, which will be held Nov. 10-13 in Milan, Italy. Ducati has released at video of the motorcycle at www.ducatiusa.com and on Ducati Motor Holding’s official YouTube channel.