Ducati’s 1199 Panigale Hollywood Premier
When is a motorcycle sexy enough for it’s own Hollywood premiere? When it’s Ducati, that’s when. The Italian manufacturer’s all new superbike, the 1199 Panigale, fresh from it’s introduction and “Most Beautiful Bike” award at the EICMA Show in Milan last week, made it’s American debut in a scene set for a star Friday night…red carpet, paparazzi and all.
There was no shortage of glam at Drai’s Nightclub in L.A., where moto-press and industry insiders sipped champagne and mingled with models dressed in the latest Ducati fashion while adrenaline-charged videos of Ducatis tearing up the urban landscape splashed across the silver screen of the blank building wall next door.
The 1199 Panigale premier at Drai's Nightclub atop the W Hotel Hollywood. Uber-cool under the Hollywood skyline and giant video of riders tearing up the streets on Ducatis.
The bike itself, a 200-hp juggernaut of carbon fiber beauty was introduced by none other than Ducati’s own MotoGP racer Nicky Hayden, who described the 1199 Panigale in his best laid-back Kentucky drawl as “trick” and “ahead of it’s time”, and later mingled with guests like a regular guy. After all, the bike was the star of the show.
The star of the show: Ducati's all new superbike, the 2012 1199 Panigale.
With phase one of the 1199 Panigale intro firmly under way (hello; want me?), riders response will be the next step. A blockbuster list of features, like separate modes for street and track, traction control, ABS, an obscene amount of power (200-hp) in an insanely light package (414-lbs soaking wet) put the 1199 Panigale at the top of the wish list for A-list riders, but you’ll have to wait out the long, cold winter: the 1199 Panigale is set to hit Ducati showrooms in April. Savor the wait; looks like a star is born!
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