In 1984, Ducati unveiled its first-ever Tricolore model with the 750 F1, kicking off a long line of limited-edition motorcycles that continues to this day. As the moniker suggests, Tricolore bikes have always sported red, green, and white liveries — colors borrowed from the Italian flag. Now, more-than-four-decades after the debut of the first-ever iteration, Ducati has rolled out its latest addition to the special edition lineup and it’s almost certainly the most noteworthy to date, being the most high-end, the most exotic, and the first Tricolore Ducati not to wear Italy’s national colors. Introducing the Panigale V4 Tricolore Italia.
An All-Italian Homage
To fully wrap your head around the Panigale V4 Tricolore Italia, you need a quick history lesson. In 2018, Turin-born racer Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia won his first Moto2 championship title. This led to Pecco being offered a seat aboard Ducati’s factory race bike in the Premier Class in 2019. He’d then go on to win the MotoGP world championship title in 2022, before repeating the feat the following year. Having won the latest title, Bagnaia returned in 2024 for another successful season.
The 7th round was held at Ducati’s home circuit of Mugello and the race day happened to fall on Italy’s Republic Day, so his Ducati Lenovo Team bike was wrapped in a special Azzurro (blue) livery that mirrored the colors worn by Italy’s Olympic and national sports teams. When the lights went out, Francesco proceeded to put on a masterclass in race craft, eventually finishing on the top of the podium, just ahead of his teammate and fellow Italian Enea Bastianini. And it’s this illustrious feat that the new Panigale V4 Tricolore Italia pays homage to.
The Livery
Unveiled at the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy, the Panigale V4 Tricolore Italia wears a livery that’s borrowed from the Desmosedici GP24 that Pecco rode to victory at Mugello last year. This Azzurro scheme comes complemented by Ducati Lenovo’s various sponsor logos, plus its tank has been autographed by Bagnaia. The bike also comes with a custom Alcantara seat, and a custom cover as well.
A Race Bike That Doesn’t Just Look The Part
The new Tricolore Italia-spec model is based on the Panigale V4 S that Ducati unveiled last summer. As such, it’s already an incredibly advanced and extremely high-performance motorcycle. Of course, that hasn’t stopped the team in Italy from further upgrading the two-wheeler — and doing some with help from Ducati’s actual factory MotoGP team. On top of the livery, the motorcycle has also been treated to a plexiglass windshield, an onboard GPS module, a billet aluminum fuel cap, a 6.9” TFT display, adjustable billet rear-sets, and a 4-into-2-into-1-into-2 exhaust. Ducati has also bestowed the motorcycle with a cutting-edge suite of electronics and rider assists including multiple ride modes and power modes, the Ducati Vehicle Observer system, traction control, wheelie control, slide control, engine braking control, launch control, and a pit limiter.
Carbon On Carbon
Further improving performance is a set of 17” five-arm split-spoke carbon fiber wheels that come shod in Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP-V4 rubber. The model has also seen a plethora of other standard bits swapped out for carbon items, including carbon fiber fenders fore and aft, a carbon chain guard, carbon swing-arm protectors, a carbon exhaust heat shield, carbon front brake cooling ducts, and a carbon generator cover. There’s also an open carbon cover for the bike’s dry clutch — a signature Ducati touch that you can hear coming from a mile away.
GP-Grade Running Gear
If one set out to equip a superbike with the most high-performance, state-of-the-art components available with zero concern for cost, that parts list would be nearly identical to that of the Panigale V4 Tricolore Italia. In terms of suspension, the thing gets an Öhlins NPX 43mm fully adjustable fork with electronic compression and rebound camping, and a fully-adjustable TTC36 mono-shock — both of which benefit from the use of Ohlins Smart EC 3.0 and Ducati Electronic Suspension. Braking hardware comes in the form of Brembo’s new GP4 Sport Production calipers, which are milled from billet, anodized, and then paired with Brembo’s race-spec 338.5mm T-Drive finned discs — marking the very first time that GP4 Sport Production calipers have been offered on a production motorcycle.
A Signed & Numbered Limited Edition
The fork comes slotted in a steering head that’s machined from aluminum billet and decorated with a silk-screened plaque displaying the limited edition model’s name and production number. This main plaque is flanked by an illustration of the Mugello circuit on the left, and info on Bagnaia’s historic achievement on June 2, 2024 (including setting a lap record). The serial number of each specimen also appears in a custom animation on the dash upon startup.
A Suit To Match
Alongside the motorcycle itself, buyers of the Panigale V4 Tricolore Italia are also being treated to a Panigale V4 Tricolore helmet and jacket that match the bike’s livery. Buyers are also being given the option to have a custom-fitted, limited-edition kangaroo leather professional race suit made for them to go with the bike, as the suit’s design mimics the bike’s livery.
Straight From The Horse’s Mouth
“I remember with great emotion the Mugello race last year, which ended with the unforgettable victory in ‘Azzurro’ on our home track, right on Republic Day,” relays Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati. “A success full of meaning and transformed into something tangible for our Ducatisti thanks to 163 unique bikes –– 1 like Pecco’s first place and 63 like his race number in MotoGP – which embody Italy’s passion and sporting soul, expressions of our uniqueness on the international scene. On behalf of Ducati, I thank Minister Urso and MIMIT for hosting us and making this occasion even more important.”
Why We Love It
When it comes to what we love about this motorcycle, it’s hard to even know where to begin. For starters, Ducati has done an exceptional job of recreating its MotoGP prototype. Sure, it’s based on a Panigale and not a real GP24, but it’s been outfitted with true GP-grade hardware before being draped in a replica race livery. The minor odds and ends like the signature on the tank, special startup animation, and silk-screened plaques are just the icing on the cake. And, while it may sound a little ridiculous, there’s just something really cool — and really exclusive — in our eyes about the fact that this motorcycle costs more than a new Audi RS 5 or BMW M4. We realize the majority of the 163 units will never actually be tracked, but it’s still hard not to appreciate what Ducati has done here, as this really isn’t your average tricolor. We also really like that, despite being the epitome of a track-ready bike, this new model is still road-legal.
Spec Sheet
Class: Hyper Limited Edition Superbike
Road-Legal: Yes
Model Year: 2026
Brand: Ducati
Model: Panigale V4 Tricolore Italia
Engine: Liquid-Cooled 1,103cc 90° V4
Power: 209HP & 89.5FT-LBs
Wet Weight: 414LBs (w/o fuel)
Wheelbase: 58.5”
Production: 163 Units
MSRP: $85,000
Pricing & Availability
The 2026 Ducati Panigale V4 Tricolore Italia is limited to just 163 units worldwide, though each one has already been spoken for. Pricing for the hyper limited edition has been set at $85,000.
Recap
2026 Ducati Panigale V4 Tricolore Italia
Ducati celebrates the success of its MotoGP team and two-time championship-winning factory rider Francesco Bagnaia with a hyper limited edition race-spec superbike that costs more than a new BMW M4.
