2023 Ducati Panigale V4s - loose front end

sudo · Feb 28, 2023

Hello everyone!

Just got my first ever Ducati, a Ducati Panigale V4S 2023 a couple of days ago... loving the bike!

Just have one question. She feels a bit loose above 100km/h in the front - What do you guys recommend me to check? Could it be some suspension settings? I'm riding on the "Street" mode (still breaking in the bike).

Thanks guys!

Vicati · Mar 1, 2023

reste suspension settings to stock/factory and then increase stiffness in steering dampener and ride it and see how you like it.. Steering dampener has to deal with front end.

sudo · Mar 1, 2023

Vicati said:
reste suspension settings to stock/factory and then increase stiffness in steering dampener and ride it and see how you like it.. Steering dampener has to deal with front end.

Thanks! I'll do some research on how to play around with the steering dampener!

RickD996 · Mar 1, 2023

Is the bike shaking, or just less confidence from the front?

BP PanigaleV4S · Mar 1, 2023

Did you get the bike setup for your weight?

Jolly Roger V4 · Mar 1, 2023

Loose as in front end light? Maybe just a Panigale thing if you haven't ridden one before. They do feel different at speed than most sport bikes.
Almost less stable feeling due to it's inherit design, Takes a little time to get used to it.

Alkhater · Mar 1, 2023

@sudo how much do you weigh?

Paul G · Mar 1, 2023

sudo said:
Thanks! I'll do some research on how to play around with the steering dampener!

The steering damper is there for one main reason only, tank slappers. Best to look at basic setup, your weight, sag, tire pressure etc.

JOS · Mar 1, 2023

In the street mode I found the suspension to be very soft in the setting, I was thinking there was something wrong on mine compared to the V2 I was trading in. Put it into another drive mode and you will see! Different bike!

sudo · Mar 1, 2023

Thanks for the replies guys!

RickD996 said:
Is the bike shaking, or just less confidence from the front?

Not shaking, just less confidence indeed.

bp_SFV4 said:
Did you get the bike setup for your weight?

I did not... how do I do that?

Jolly Roger V4 said:
Loose as in front end light? Maybe just a Panigale thing if you haven't ridden one before. They do feel different at speed than most sport bikes.
Almost less stable feeling due to it's inherit design, Takes a little time to get used to it.

Yes, light front end. I have not ridden one before, that's true... maybe it is the way the bike feels, just very weird. I had a GSXR before and it's very different!

Alkhater said:
@sudo how much do you weigh?

~ 105kg

Paul G said:
The steering damper is there for one main reason only, tank slappers. Best to look at basic setup, your weight, sag, tire pressure etc.

Yeah... Also from what I've seen you can't adjust the steering damper manually? only electronically?

sudo · Mar 1, 2023

JOS said:
In the street mode I found the suspension to be very soft in the setting, I was thinking there was something wrong on mine compared to the V2 I was trading in. Put it into another drive mode and you will see! Different bike!

Will definately play around with the different riding modes more! Thanks for the heads up!

Alkhater · Mar 1, 2023

sudo said:
~ 105kg

Yeah... Also from what I've seen you can't adjust the steering damper manually? only electronically?

This might be one of the reasons.

You could maybe add some spring preload to your shock to remedy this but probably better to change the spring to suit your weight.

Also yes, the steering damper on the S model can only be set electronically through the dash. It’s very easy… select the riding mode you want to change, then DES, then steering damper. I believe the setting goes from comfort to stability… just move the setting to the right for more stability.

I don’t weigh much but still like it set more towards the stability extreme… front gets a little flighty and I don’t like head shakes that happen during up shifts.

sudo · Mar 1, 2023

Alkhater said:
This might be one of the reasons.

You could maybe add some spring preload to your shock to remedy this but probably better to change the spring to suit your weight.

Also yes, the steering damper on the S model can only be set electronically through the dash. It’s very easy… select the riding mode you want to change, then DES, then steering damper. I believe the setting goes from comfort to stability… just move the setting to the right for more stability.

I don’t weigh much but still like it set more towards the stability extreme… front gets a little flighty and I don’t like head shakes that happen during up shifts.

Thanks heaps! Will give it a try

Paul G · Mar 1, 2023

At 105 you're overweight for the stock setup which from memory is for a 78kg rider (dont take that personally there's plenty of big guys on Pani's!)
The 22 with the nix 25/30 forks are softer with longer travel which is great on the street but you will need firmer springs if you ride fast. I would start with the easy bit first, set the sag and adjust the dynamic suspension for more support. For most "normal" riding that will be enough, one you start bottoming out the forks then do the springs. Honestly the DES is amazing, it really does compensate pretty well for poor setup, but once you have the basics right its a magic carpet on the street.

SuperDomestique · Mar 1, 2023

My front end is always loose

haha!!!

Agree w Paul. Is this 105 in street clothes or w gear? Either way your front and rear spring are too light for your weight. When preload and spring aren't right your rear shock is probably compressed too much which slacks out the front end making the bike not want to turn. And then when you get on they brakes you blow through the front fork travel which makes it super twitchy.

I'd follow this graph for front springs. Stock front springs for the 22 are 9.5/9.5. You probably need 10 or 10.5's. The stock rear spring is 8.5. You probably need 9 or 9.5.

sudo · Mar 1, 2023

SuperDomestique said:
My front end is always loose haha!!!

Agree w Paul. Is this 105 in street clothes or w gear? Either way your front and rear spring are too light for your weight. When preload and spring aren't right your rear shock is probably compressed too much which slacks out the front end making the bike not want to turn. And then when you get on they brakes you blow through the front fork travel which makes it super twitchy.

I'd follow this graph for front springs. Stock front springs for the 22 are 9.5/9.5. You probably need 10 or 10.5's. The stock rear spring is 8.5. You probably need 9 or 9.5.
View attachment 48486

Thanks!

I'll play around with DES see if it helps - The only Ducati dealership in my country has suffered flooding and won't open for another month, so gotta wait to get the new springs ordered/installed.

Cheers!

Steven31371 · Mar 4, 2023

Jolly Roger V4 said:
Loose as in front end light? Maybe just a Panigale thing if you haven't ridden one before. They do feel different at speed than most sport bikes.
Almost less stable feeling due to it's inherit design, Takes a little time to get used to it.

Took me a year but I dialed that out of mine. Front end almost felt like it was tramlineing. When I eventually got the front and rear ride height set right and the rear end sprung right fir my weight and having a Pierobon swingarm it got rid of 80% of it, then when I put the Superleggera wings on there it got rid of the final bit of it…bike feels very stable in high speed accelerations now.

Steven31371 · Mar 4, 2023

sudo said:
Thanks for the replies guys!

Not shaking, just less confidence indeed.

I did not... how do I do that?

Yes, light front end. I have not ridden one before, that's true... maybe it is the way the bike feels, just very weird. I had a GSXR before and it's very different!

~ 105kg

Yeah... Also from what I've seen you can't adjust the steering damper manually? only electronically?

You’re a bigger guy like me, you need a heavier spring on the rear shock, under hard accelerations the rear end will sit down too much for you and make the front end light. Start with getting the right springs for your weight, these bikes come setup for maybe a 74 kg rider.

Then get the sag and suspension settings correct.

Taz · Mar 4, 2023

Yeah, 105 kg is about same as me. I went with 105 N/mm in the rear and 2 x 12 N/mm up front. The stiffer rear spring helped a lot with squatting and the bike feeling loose under acceleration out of corners.

Steven31371 · Mar 4, 2023

Taz said:
Yeah, 105 kg is about same as me. I went with 105 N/mm in the rear and 2 x 12 N/mm up front. The stiffer rear spring helped a lot with squatting and the bike feeling loose under acceleration out of corners.

That might be a lot of spring up front for your body weight brother. I’m 6 to 8 kg heavier than you and both Ohlins and my suspension tuner told me to keep the front spring rate between 11 and 12. But cautioned me against going with 12 unless I really had to. Toward the higher end of that range you gain a bit of stability on braking and turn in, but you loose a lot of mid-corner feel grip and stability. So I have an 11 in one side and a 12 in the other side to blend out to 11.5.

2023 Ducati Panigale V4s - loose front end

Help Support Ducati Forum:

sudo

Vicati

sudo

RickD996

BP PanigaleV4S

Jolly Roger V4

Alkhater

Paul G

JOS

sudo

sudo

Alkhater

sudo

Paul G

SuperDomestique

sudo

Steven31371

Steven31371

Taz

Steven31371

Similar threads

Register CTA

Recent Discussions