A Legend Deserves a Legendary Bike

A Brief Background on Troy

Twenty years ago, Troy Bayliss gave Ducati a great gift, and now Ducati is repaying the kindness. Back in 2001, Bayliss rode a Ducati 996R to the first of three World Superbike championships he would deliver for the Italian company, followed up with titles in 2006 and 2008. While that’s one championship short of Ducati’s legendary ensign Carl Fogarty, Bayliss remains number one in the hearts of the Ducati SBK enthusiasts for his charming personality, his superb and daring riding style, and his overall versatility. (Don’t forget that at the end of the 2006 season, with his second World Superbike title in the bag, Ducati gave him the opportunity to ride a Desmosedici in Valencia, at the last MotoGP of the year. In a stunning display Bayliss won the event, astonishing the entire MotoGP contingent.)

In the grand tradition of having a rider sign his bike’s fuel tank, the Bayliss Edition offers Troy’s signature, his race number, and the years of his three World Superbike championships.

Bayliss has always remained very closely connected to Ducati, always available as a technical consultant, as a spokesman for the brand, and has even participated in secret prototype testing. It was Bayliss who first tested the original Ducati Panigale 1199 SBK racer at Mugello. He rode the bike extensively over a period of many days, and his accurate report about the new racer’s shortcomings (as a whole package) was confirmed by Carlos Checa, who rode the 1199 in a limited number of events and then quit.

Worth Celebrating!

And now, to celebrate the great Australian champion and his unique personality, Ducati is offering a special edition celebrating its last twin-cylinder Superbike, the Panigale V2 Bayliss 1st Championship 20th Anniversary edition.

The Panigale V2 Bayliss 1st Championship 20th Anniversary edition (a mouthful—from here on we’ll just call it the Bayliss Edition) will come in a special serial-number range, with limited production. Ducati starts with a stock Panigale V2—which is to say they’re off to a great start. From there, Ducati’s styling department has gotten busy with a strong graphic treatment: Using a background of (naturally) Ducati Red, they’ve added Troy’s racing number (21), along with a wide green band surrounded by a pair of narrower white bands, an obvious homage to Italy’s tricolor flag. Red, white, and green flashes also grace the front of the fairing and the single seat’s cowl.

Sure, it’s a commemorative model, but the Bayliss Edition is every inch—er, every millimeter—a world-class sportbike, meant to be ridden as Bayliss would ride one.

But the Bayliss Edition is more than just a pretty face. On the technical side, it sports some genuine chassis improvements, especially when it comes to suspension. Up front we have an Öhlins 43mm male-slider NIX 30 fork, with a matching Öhlins TTX 36 shock absorber in the rear. Both units represent the top of the line in road and track suspension units, and definitely give the Bayliss Edition the final touch of refinement it deserves.

Special Suspension, Race-Spec Package

The Panigale V2 is the last of what we can define as the ultimate V-twin Superbike species, powered by the most advanced Ducati twin ever. Displacing 955cc (100mm bore and 60.8mm stroke), in Euro 5-compliant trim, it’s capable of an impressive 155 hp at 10,750 rpm and 76.7 pound-feet of peak torque at 9,000 rpm. That translates to no-prisoners performance in a package like this. A special carbon fiber/titanium exhaust silencer is standard equipment.

The bike also features an equally advanced chassis. Based on a pyramidal sheet-aluminum structure, the chassis construction helps keep the dry weight down to 384 pounds, and returns extremely high torsional rigidity. A lightweight lithium-ion battery helps shave weight even further compared with a standard Panigale V2. The chassis provides a very sporting 56.6-inch wheelbase; the steering axis set at 24 degrees; trail is 3.9 inches; seat height 32.9 inches.

In addition to the one-off tribute graphics, the Bayliss Edition also comes with premium Öhlins suspension, a custom triple clamp, and special exhaust.

Brakes: Naturally, the Bayliss Edition uses all-Brembo componentry, with twin 320mm rotors and Brembo M32.4 calipers up front, and managed by Brembo’s EVO system featuring cornering ABS. The electronics suite is the same as the Panigale V2 and is extremely advanced in the best Ducati tradition—don’t forget, Ducati started out as an electronics company. Included in the most current suite of riding aids are three integrated riding modes, along with a 4.3-inch color TFT display.

In addition to the dedicated graphics and special technical components, the Bayliss Edition features a few additional, extra-refined touches: The bike’s name and its series-production number are engraved on the billet upper triple clamp. Troy’s signature is on the top of the tank, and his race number is embroidered into the seat. The bike was officially unveiled in front of the public at the SBK race in Assen, on July 25, 2021, and the approval was very strong. Price in Italy will be 20,990 euros, and includes a double seat and passenger-peg kit. Sales start in September.

The 1199′s Legacy Lives On

When they were introduced, I had the great fortune of taking the 1199 and all its derivatives apart and checking every piece. That engine was the product of superb engineering and had potential to do anything Ducati wanted. But someone thought that it was time for a V-4. Today, the Panigale V2 still proves the greatness of that original project, and this special edition adds an emotional touch. Good luck and Godspeed—the Panigale V2 Bayliss 1st Championship 20th Anniversary edition deserves to succeed.

Browse our inventory of the Ducati Panigale V2 Bayliss Edition.

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