The best way to describe a Ducati 1299 Panigale is as a beautiful monstrosity. Everything about it is impressive (to say the least), from the stunning appearance and reliability, all the way to its phenomenal performance and colossal power!
For instance, Ducati’s 2017 Panigale is powered by an enormous four-stroke Superquadro L-Twin mill with a displacement of no less than 1285cc. This nasty animal was capable of producing an outstanding 205 hp at 10,500 and up to 107 pound-feet (145 Nm) of torque, which is simply mind-boggling.
It is fitted inside a monocoque aluminum frame. In turn, the chassis is supported by Marzocchi 50mm adjustable forks at the front, while its rear suspension is equipped with a fully adjustable Sachs unit, along with a single-sided aluminum swingarm.
As to braking, Panigale’s front brakes feature 330 mm (13") double floating discs and radially mounted four-piston calipers, accompanied by a single 245 mm (9.6") disc and two-piston calipers at the rear. The whole thing sits on three-spoke lightweight alloy wheels and, despite Panigale’s intimidating power, it had a dry weight of no more than 367 lbs (167 kg). Finally, this bad boy would comfortably reach a top speed of 175 mph (282 kph).
Long story short, this creature means business! And just when I thought this machine couldn’t possibly get any better, Thornton Hundred Motorcycles came along with a spectacular custom 2017 Ducati 1299 Panigale to completely blow my mind.
Jody Millhouse’s Thornton Hundred Motorcycles specialize in designing and assembling some of the world’s most fascinating personalized motorcycles for their customers. The firm is based in Hanslope, United Kingdom and never fails to amaze with their unbelievable displays of meticulous craftmanship.
When this workshop got their hands on the Panigale, the first step was to strip it naked of all panels, with the intention of transforming the beauty into a café racer that blends modern and classic to form a unique masterpiece.
“I noticed that the engine was actually quite pretty,” explains Millhouse. “You never really get to see an engine on a Panigale 1299.” At the front, we now see exposed Ohlins forks and a custom-built alloy mudguard, as well as a one-of-a-kind 3D printed headlight housing that replaces its fairing. The lighting source within consists of a pair of high-intensity LEDs that’ll do the job just fine, while Paningale’s handlebars wear Rethal and Motogadget components.
Customized side panels hide the bike’s countless sensors and electronics. The L-twin powerplant itself received a new oil cooler on the opposite side of where you’d normally find it, giving the engine a much neater look. Jody Millhouse even claims that as many as 70 painstaking hours have gone into building a new titanium exhaust system from scratch!
At the rear, we notice a polished CNC milled subframe supporting the curvy tail, which also incorporates Panigale 1299’s taillights. The suspension was tweaked and an Ohlins shock is now joined by an adjustable Ducabike linkage. Finally, a fine touch of performance tuning increased its power output to a humungous 220 bhp.
Thornton Hundred Motorcycles’ ferocious 2017 Ducati Panigale is finished in Volkswagen Pure Grey and stands out as a jaw-dropping piece of utter creativity, mixed with a very healthy dose of precise engineering.
“I thought that if I’m going to build something, I’m going to build a showstopper,” says Millhouse. We must admit that this Panigale achieves that goal without breaking a sweat.
#Moto #Bike #Custom #Ducati #Panigale
