Ducati 1299 Panigale FE review: It’s the last of its kind but is this special edition a fitting end of the line?
The old engine is being phased out so Ducati have given it one last hurrah with the 1299 Panigale - and it looks awesome
THE Ducati 1299 Panigale FE is the last of its breed – a sportsbike with a large-capacity V-twin engine that is being phased out for the new V4 powerplant.
The question on everyone’s lips then: Is this special edition a fitting send off for the classic Panigale? We spent a week with the bike to find out.
There’s no escaping the fact that the FE is a bit of a parts-bin special. It’s a mixture of the R, S and old 1299 — two thirds Superleggera for half the price.
Or is it? We decided to put it on a dyno to see how it compares to those bikes.
Despite the strangulations of Euro 4, the overall power figure of the FE matches the R at 185hp.
It does lose out to the Euro 3 1299S, but fit a decent exhaust system and it will easily smash through 190hp.
Panigales have never been the easiest to ride hard – they buck, weave and slide – and the FE outdoes them all.
The Ohlins forks taken from the R are too hard out of the box. At a smooth track such as Silverstone this might have been fine, but at bumpy Castle Combe the bike was jumping all over the shop.
Even so, the FE is just joyful on track. Wheeling off every bump, popping in third and fourth, it’s entertaining in ways other bikes aren’t.
And those Brembo M50 brakes are perfection. Soft initial touch, then as much power as you want.
Out on the road, riding a Panigale is cool. It turns heads and that colour scheme adds to its flare.
In town, at 20-30mph, it isn’t as easy as the old 1299, and in top gear at 50mph it chugs a little, but get above 4,000 rpm and the power is creamy-smooth.
You think you’ve run out of revs but another twist and it’ll probably wheelie.
The electronic system is the new EVO version of the Ducati traction control and the anti-wheelie is one of the best we’ve ridden.
We complain that a Panigale isn’t as nice to use as an RSV4, R1 or ZX10, but that’s not the point.
You have to be a little careful riding fast on the road, as it will slap a bit and we admit we turned the steering damper right up.
But a Panigale should punch you in the face and wake you up – it is like an Italian girlfriend – beautiful but can also be a nightmare.
Push her too far and she’ll punish you like no other. But when you get it right, it feels very special.
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