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Ducati 899 Panigale Superbike: The Asian Full-Product Launch

Motodeal

This event spearheaded Ducati’s biggest-ever product launch in Asia, and coincide with the 899 Panigale’s start-of-production at the Ducati Motor Thailand Factory, slated this month. Prior to this, an entire week of activities were held from June 29th to the 4th of July. Exclusively for the Asian motoring media, Ducati owners, and Ducati Asian Importer Network from 14 countries across the continent, these activities include media-dedicated product presentations and track tests, a full training and track testing for the Ducati Asian Importer Network, and for the Ducati owners – a two-day’s worth of fun and excitement-filled Ducati Riding Experience (DRE)..

Being one of the most popular brands of superbikes here in the country, Ducati Philippines was also among the proud guests of the Italian motorcycle maker’s 899 Panigale Asian product launch. Attendees were Darby Villaruz, Ralph Reyes, and Marc de Joya of Ducati PH. Together with them as VIP is Gelo Roa of the Ducati Desmo Owners Club Philippines.

This Asian debut underscores the 899 Panigale as an express ticket to access the exclusive realm of the Ducati Superbikes via its everyday-streetbike nature, and its much more refined appearance and characteristics while still providing the exhilarating thrills of its highly-successful inspiration – the Ducati 1199 Panigale.

“We are very proud of this event here in China because it confirms a number of keystones in our structure. Firstly, we are delighted to provide an opportunity for so many members of the media to test this exciting machine on the track. It gives us a chance to share the passion that we have for our products and enjoy the thrill of riding a Ducati. Secondly, we have been able to complete a full training and test-ride program with our Network of Importers, therefore continuously enhancing the ownership experience for our customers. And finally, we are proud to have completely filled our DRE Riding School on the 899 Panigale. With the cooperation of technical partners such as Dainese and Pirelli, we have further underlined our commitment to Performance Safety. Providing tuition from our Official DRE Instructors and personnel has given our customers an opportunity to “get closer to our company”, further strengthening the incredible bond with our owners.” – Pierfrancesco Scalzo, Ducati general Manager for Asia

The Asian premiere of the 899 Panigale Superbike further demonstrated Ducati's continued investment in the region

Riding a global momentum which continues to soar, the Italian motorbike maker’s 2013 record-sales went up even further by leaps and bounds, especially in the Asian region, thus establishing a solid foundation, which have attracted a passionate and loyal following. The Asian premiere of the 899 Panigale Superbike further demonstrated Ducati’s continued investment in the region, and its intention to stay as a premium class brand in the increasingly competitive market of performance motorbikes.

What is it about the 899 Panigale Superbike? For starters, this new addition to Ducati’s fleet is a way of proving an easier, yet equally thrilling access for many performance superbike aficionados to the Italian motorbike maker’s high-performance line.

Derived from the awesome 1199 Panigale, this “Supermid” superbike’s Superquadro engine belts out 148 horses and a ride-enhancing 73lb-ft of pulling power. Tipping the scale at around 169kg in dry weight, the 899 Panigale’s monocoque construction enables it to achieve an impressive power-to-weight ratio and lightning-fast agility with a dry weight of just 169kg.

The 899 Panigale takes its family DNA at heart with its silhouette showcasing a “Mini Me” version of its big brother 1199 Panigale. Other features include the Ducati Quick Shift (DQS) and the integrated riding mode technologies of its Ride-By-Wire system, plus a tri-stage ABS, Ducati traction Control (DTC), and Engine Brake Control (EBC). These all work in unison to raise the bar higher than ever before, and continue to benchmark innovations introduced by the award winning Ducati Panigale lineage.

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