It’s not every day that a major manufacturer launches a new sportbike that makes 20% less power and laps a given racetrack slower than the model it’s about to replace. But that’s what Ducati has done with the all-new and totally rethought 2025 Panigale V2. It makes a claimed 120 hp to the 955 Panigale‘s 155. And for some that will be enough to say no thank you and goodbye. But wait a minute. The V2 may lose out in a dyno room shootout but that is because it is coming at life from an entirely different direction. Unlike the 955, which is essentially a sleeved-down 1190 superbike, the new Panigale is, from the ground up, a thoroughbred middleweight. It embraces the essence and spirit of the supersport class: lightness, agility, and just enough grunt and go to make things exciting. Corner speed supplants brute force. A new emphasis on rideability and rider comfort makes it easier to ride at pace for most people. And, coming back to that lap time, Ducati also says that while an elite race-spec rider might wring more from the older 955, most of us will go significantly quicker on the new V2.

It’s available in two variants: the V2, which rides on a Marzocchi fork and Kayaba shock, and the premium V2 S, which has an Öhlins NIX 30 fork and Öhlins shock. The S also carries a lighter lithium-ion battery, gets a pit lane limiter and Ducati Power Launch added to its box of electronic goodies, and at a claimed 388 pounds without fuel weighs 6.6 pounds fewer than the base machine. In the US the price difference is $3000: $15,995 for the V2 and $18,995 for the V2 S.

The V2 S, which we have here on test, has already impressed Cycle World on track. Light steering and agility plus a generous spread of V-twin torque make it an absolute blast. It is accurate, stable, and stunning on the brakes while its rider aids are, as you’d expect from a new Ducati, among the most effective you’ll find on any sportbike.But this is a road test, not a track test. And there is no escaping the fact that the older bike’s Superquadro desmo churns out significantly more power and torque. When you can’t carry copious amounts of corner speed and when there are trucks and campers to pass quickly and efficiently, good old-fashioned muscle is as useful as ever.

I also need to declare a bias. Like many, I have a lot of love for the 955. It is one of the great Ducatis, to my mind one of the sweetest blends of handling and V-twin grunt yet built. And now, with the two bikes side by side, the 955 has aged well too. It still sits on its wheels just so. Oozes class and purpose in equal measure, and has that sculpted single-sided swingarm, as opposed to the lighter double arm of the MY25 V2 S, which has become a much-debated issue in some corners of the internet.

The newer bike, meanwhile, looks thoroughly modern and sleeker. Those twin exhausts under the seat are a visual delight. The bike is more compact, more integrated, and up close, its refined switch gear and bright and clear dash suddenly make the 955 look somewhat dated. Road Test I’ve ridden the new V2 Panigale on a few occasions recently, so opted to jump on the 955 first. The plan was to start in Ducati’s home in Bologna, Italy, negotiate the city streets, then head north to Modena and into the twisty hills nearby, where Ferrari develops its supercars. Before leaving, both bikes were fitted with similar rubber (Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV, Corsa spec on the 955). My riding partner Eduardo and I would swap seats throughout the day and hopefully feel the differences. We also agreed that while both Panigales have multiple rider modes, lean-sensitive rider aids including ABS and TC, we would leave both bikes in the standard Sport mode to make comparisons as valid as possible. The 955 was built as an unapologetic sportbike and as soon as you start to move, it feels it. The bars are low, your chest is positioned over the fuel tank, the seat is minimalist and quite unforgiving. There is instant focus.

The standard Showa/Sachs suspension—there’s no semi-active luxury on these machines—is a little harsh and hard work on poorly surfaced roads, but that is exactly what I was expecting from such an aggressive Italian sportbike. (Ducati didn’t sell an S version of the 955, just the rare Bayliss Replica and the $28,000 Final Edition model.)On faster, smoother roads heading toward Modena, Eduardo and I make more use of the bikes’ power and torque. Traffic is relatively heavy, so we can’t ride as briskly as we’d like to, but the 955 picks up and drives like only a Superquadro can. Rev on toward its 10,750 rpm peak and it’s still ridiculously quick. I tuck in and drink in the surging drive and glorious sound of this great engine.

On the fast and sweeping road into Modena, I’m thinking the V2 S might be outgunned. We are punching past lines of cars, driving hard out of slower turns. At times there truly is no substitute for horsepower. The older Panigale needs good surfaces and plenty of room to express itself but excels when conditions are right. My only complaint is a familiar one for Panigale owners: Heat pouring off the exhaust and engine is slowly cooking my legs in traffic. We swap bikes, and the new V2 instantly feels like an update. A clearer TFT dash and elegant switch gear welcome me aboard; the bars are higher, the bodywork is larger, the pegs are lower, and the seat is a fraction lower and softer. I settle in and instantly my knees, wrists, and neck approve.

On the move, heat from the motor and exhaust is still noticeable but not uncomfortable and far more pleasant at slow speeds. The V2 engine development team controversially ditched desmodromic valve timing of the Superquadro and introduced electronic Intake Variable Timing (IVT), which progressively varies the valve timing to optimize torque output across the whole rev range. It’s noticeably smoother. There are far more concessions to comfort and everyday riding. It behaves like a sportbike for the road rather than a race-developed machine adapted for road use. Legal speeds are to be enjoyed rather than endured.

But seriously, who buys a Ducati Panigale for the daily commute? Eduardo overtakes and leads us into the hills for some proper sportbike riding. I contemplate the numbers: The 955 makes 155 hp and weighs 425.5 pounds, wet without fuel, and the V2 S makes 120 hp and weighs 388 pounds, wet without fuel. Based on these claimed Ducati figures the 955’s power-to-weight ratio is 0.37 hp/pound, the V2 S’s is 0.31 hp/pound. So it’s no surprise that half an hour later, with the switchbacks coming thick and fast, the older Panigale was in its element. Its racy riding position encourages you to hang off in turns, using your body position to steer the bike. It wants to be ridden hard.

Any danger that the V2 S might be outclassed and outgrunted was quickly dismissed however. All that newfound usability made it more effective than the older bike. It is more forgiving, the ride is more compliant, and the more relaxed ergonomics are more suited to road riding. The Öhlin’s suspension is far more compliant and manages road imperfections with a level of sophistication beyond the 955’s Showa units. On the older bike, poorly surfaced roads transmit their bumps through the stiffer suspension into the chassis, which, after a few hours in the saddle, takes its toll on the rider. Not so on the newer V2.

I rode the same section of road several times on both bikes to get a true back-to-back test, and the new V2 is lighter, smoother, and gives more confidence and rider feedback. Yes, the older Ducati still works superbly, more so the harder and faster I rode. An experienced rider or a sportbike purist may prefer its racy handling, but the majority of riders are going to prefer the new V2.This despite the fact that the older Panigale makes 35 hp more, peaking at 155 hp at 10,750 rpm compared to 120 hp at 10,250 rpm. It also cranks out a peak of 76 lb.-ft. of torque at 9000 rpm compared to V2 S’s 69 lb.-ft. at 8250 rpm. The majority of this test was run on roads featuring first- or second-gear switchbacks and relatively short third- and fourth-gear straights where a wide spread of torque and an agile, lightweight chassis are the most sought-after attributes.

The 2025 V2 makes its peak power and peak torque lower in the rev range than the 955, with 80% of that torque available between 4000 rpm to 11,000 rpm, and you certainly feel that on the road. The newer V2 has more drive from lower down, which allows you to get on the power just that fraction earlier. When the road opens up and you’re away from the watching eyes of local police, then, yes, the older Panigale has the legs. But we were working the midrange, between 4000 rpm and 9000 rpm, and here in the real world is where the V2 S excels.Moving to the brakes, it’s 320mm discs and Monoblock M4.32 calipers on the 955, 320mm discs and M50 calipers on the V2 S, but the new bike is stopping less weight. The older bike’s Brembos are sharp and progressive, but again, the softer setup and plush feeling of the new Panigale’s fork transmit more feedback to the rider, meaning that for everyday riding, the V2 S is preferred, which also has more sophisticated ABS-assisted braking.Panigale 955 vs. Panigale V2 S Verdict

The 955 Panigale will still float plenty of boats. The harder you ride it, the easier and better it becomes but, realistically, that means you have to find a racetrack to get the best out of it. For 90% of the time on this road test, nearly always you wanted to be on the more sophisticated V2 S. In fact, I grabbed the bike for the ride back to Bologna, then watched in guilty silence as my good friend Eduardo tried his utmost to prevent his reproductive bits from cooking.

The new V2 S is a better road bike: more comfortable, more spacious, less tiring, and far more accessible for less inexperienced riders. The suspension acknowledges that roads have bumps and lumps without sacrificing support and control when the pace hots up. And, I know from experience, a few clicks on the damping adjusters bring it quickly up to trackday spec. It’s worth noting, too, V2 S is more frugal with longer service intervals.

We all like a large handful of horsepower (some things will never go out of fashion in these parts), but the extremely accomplished 2025 Paniagle V2 S is proof again that usability is a key to a quick and satisfying sporty road ride, just as much as big numbers. If the option is to choose a ride for a Sunday blast to the hills, then it would without doubt be the new Panigale V2 S.2025 Ducati Panigale V2 S Specs