With the recent reveal of the seventh generation 2025 Ducati Panigale V4S, the Italian motorcycle maker’s halo superbike, purists and aficionados were raising Cain about its swingarm. Gone is the single-sided swingarm that became a signature of Ducati superbike design in modern times, replaced by a conventional double-sided unit.
Howls were heard across the Internet, with keyboard warriors pounding their keyboards, foaming at the mouth. “That’s not a Panigale!” and “if I wanted a Japanese looking motorcycle I would have bought one!” were amongst brickbats read on screen right after the launch.
Here’s the thing, the author was right there when the new Panigale V4S was launched in Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli during World Ducati Week 2024. As in, sitting in a second row seat after being greeted by Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali, and him whispering in my ear, “I think you will like what we have here today.”
You don’t get a better introduction to a brand new superbike than that. Right after the curtain was raised on the Panigale V4S and Claudio kissed the tank, that double-sided swingarm was noticed by selected media.
There is something that needs to be remembered. The original single-sided swingarm for Ducati first made its appearance on the 1994 Ducati 916. There was Honda’s Pro-Arm used the RC-series and VFR road bikes as well, and it should be noted the reason the single-sided swingarm existed then was for rapid tyre changing during endurance racing.
Endurance motorcycle racing going by-the-by, Ducati retained the single-sided swingarm as a signature for its top-of-the-line superbikes. Beginning with the 916, through the 996/998, followed by the “modern” Panigales right up to the sixth generation Panigale V4, Ducati always had the single-sided swingarm.
The exception was the Pierre Terblanche designed 999 but in the words of Ducati test rider Allesandro Valia in a private conversation with the author, “we don’t talk about the 999.” However, from an engineering point of view, the single-sided swingarm is flawed.
More weight, more cost, harder to produce for only the added benefit of easier wheel changes and the sexiest rear end since Jennifer Lopez, not to mention the weirdness of having your suspension geometry change every time you adjust the chain. So, why did the boys from Borgo Panigale elect to go for a double-sided swingarm for the seventh generation Panigale?
First off, during the technical presentation of the new Panigale V4S, Guilio Fabbri, the Ducati project lead, said both swingarm configurations were tried. During testing, it was found the double-sided unit was stronger while providing more feedback to the rider.
By the numbers, the new swingarm is 37% less stiff laterally while being lighter by 2.7 kg. This cast alloy unit features relief holes in the swingarm body.
If you examine the swingarm closely, you can see where the load paths and stresses are, giving you an idea of how much engineering has gone into it. For those asking, “how can a less stiff swingarm be better?” the answer is, just because you’re riding a fast bike, doesn’t mean the frame and suspension has to be stiff and unyielding.
In the case of the Panigale V4S, the frame is deliberately designed with a certain amount of flex to give feedback to the rider, working in conjunction with the frame and suspension. Considering the latest Ducati superbike was developed with input from the firm’s current crop of MotoGP and WSBK riders, we’re pretty sure they know what they’re doing.
There are two main stresses acting on the swingarm in any motorcycle – lateral and torsional. For torsional stress, this is represented by a twisting motion that wants to flip the wheel over.
As can be expected, this is less than ideal for the motorcycle’s handling and most Malaysian riders first encounter this riding a kapchai and feeling the frame and swingarm flex and wallow when taking a corner at speed.
Lateral stress, on the other hand, is the wheel wanting to move sideways in the swingarm. Too much sideways movement makes the motorcycle feel unstable in corners or in a straight line for that matter, and too little makes the rear end of the bike feel harsh and “dead”.
Readers of paultan.org who ride high-end carbon-fibre bicycle frames will have experienced this when selecting frames for specific types of riding. A climbing frame with extremely stiff rear stays is great for transfer of power to the rear wheel, but can be harsh and unyielding when cruising at quicker speeds on the flats.
The same applies to the less laterally stiff swingarm on the Panigale V4, the designed amount of flex allowing the bike to track true in the corner while providing feedback to the rider. Additionally, the Panigale V4s’ suspension software is designed to work with the swingarm (and frame) to provide what Ducati says is a better handling and easier to ride superbike.
Other design changes in the swingarm include one piece chain adjusters to speed up the process of reinstalling the rear wheel. The swingarm cutouts further reduce weight and add a unique touch to the design of the Panigale V4S.
