We take the legendary and still fast Ducati 996 and ride it back to back with the Ducati V2 Panigale Bayliss Edition. Check out our fun feature! Pics: Heather Ware HMC/Winston Taylor
It’s not often you get to line up a piece of Ducati history alongside its modern-day tribute, fire them both up, and spend the day swapping them on the road. But that’s exactly what we did — one day, two very different eras of Bologna brilliance… Ducati 996 and Panigale V2 Bayliss.
Lapping The Farm on a mint 996 was great, it reminded me of my first magazine track test, which was on the 2001 996R for Two Wheels… the 996 hasn’t got the suspension of the 996R, but it is still a brilliant bike, a proper racer…
The reason for this pairing? The Panigale V2 Bayliss celebrates Troy Bayliss’s first WorldSBK Championship in 2001 — and the bike he rode that season was the factory 996 R. My ride for the day wasn’t the R-spec racebike, but a road-going original 2002 996 that captures the spirit of that era in every nut and bolt. It was stock standard and in mint condition… If you can find one, expect to pay anywhere between $18,000 for high km to $26k – plus for mint low km… A bargain, to be fair.
I spent the day on the 996 with Jason Chaplin, brother of the owner, my buddy Paul, who has had a few bikes featured with us over the years… Winston came along to help out, and we headed up the Old Road, Peats Ridge, Bumble Hill, Kulnura, Mangrove Dam and home again up the Old Road. A top ride. We swapped bikes a few times, to get an idea of how far things have changed in two decades. The Panigale Bayliss was released in 2022, as a 2021 tribute, but this one is a 2024 compliance, got it?
Two decades apart and aside from all of the electronics, and wild modern styling, the two bikes definitely have a familiar feel to them, and you can tell they are related. Both offer a unique ride you can’t get on a Japanese bike…
Troy Bayliss’s journey to Ducati legend status is as unorthodox as it is inspiring. Born in Taree, NSW, he cut his teeth on dirt tracks and motocross before moving to road racing in his 20s — well after most factory riders had already been through junior GP classes. He raced 250 Proddies here on a Kawasaki KR-1S, not the popular RGV at the time, then he moved to Supersport and Superbike here, where he pretty much ran at the front from the word go.
His big break came in 1997 when he caught Ducati’s attention as a wildcard in the Australian Superbike Championship. By 2000, he was in the World Superbike paddock, replacing an injured Carl Fogarty mid-season. What followed was the stuff of racing folklore: a maiden WSBK crown in 2001 on the Ducati 996 R, a year-long battle with Colin Edwards, and a riding style that combined precision with elbows-out aggression.
Troy Bayliss has a bunch of extras fitted to his own one, which is number #21 of course. Here he is enjoying an Aussie meat pie out on a ride on his bike… Pic: Bayliss archives.
Bayliss would go on to win two more WSBK titles (2006, 2008), amassing 52 wins and becoming one of the most beloved riders in Ducati’s history. He even took a surprise MotoGP win at Valencia in 2006 as a wildcard — a feat few riders could dream of. Read more details on his career here…
Troy in 2001 aged 32. Pic: Ducati Racing Archives.
The 2024 Panigale V2 Bayliss 1st Championship 20th Anniversary Edition exists because of that breakthrough 2001 season — a rolling tribute to the Aussie battler who became a world champion.
Read our full review on the Ducati Panigale V2 Bayliss here…
A Moment in Time – The 996
A race bike with lights pretty much sums up the 996 on the road. Whether that’s a compliment or a criticism depends on your tolerance for commitment. This is a bike that lives for smooth tarmac, late braking, and clipping apexes — not city commuting. I have a real soft spot for the 996, 996R and the 998 as the 996 was the first bike I was tasked with track testing as a young moto journo at Two Wheels back in 2001. I tested it at Eastern Creek (now SMSP) and could not believe how good it was. I was a competitive A Grade racer then and got into the 1:39s on the street registered bike, what a machine.
The 996 is to this day one of the most sought after Ducati models, along with the 916 and 998. they handle superbly, have loads of grunt, and look stunning.
The example I rode was fitted with Termi mufflers and making all the right mechanical music. The dry clutch rattle dominates when the lever’s pulled in, while the exhaust note has that deep V-twin boom that only a Ducati of this era can deliver. Every traffic light was an excuse to behave badly: front wheel skimming the tarmac, slick shifts through the close-ratio box, and a soundtrack that makes pedestrians spin their heads.
Visually, the 996 is still a stunner. The red paint, single-sided swingarm, and slim fairing panels give it a lean, purposeful look. The SHOWA forks gleam, the trellis frame shouts “race-bred”, and the stance says “don’t waste my time unless you’re serious”. Yeah, it feels soft by today’s standards, but the geometry is so good that the soft suspension doesn’t matter, just makes it comfy! The 996 takes a bit of wrestling from full lean to full lean, but boy has it got some grunt off turns. There is no way the Panigale V2 could keep with the 996 off corners on the day…
The 996 feels a bit top heavy by modern standards, and needs a good heave from full lean to full lean, but loves corner speed and handles on rails. This is Chappy up at The Farm having a blast.
On my local test road — tight, bumpy in places, and flowing elsewhere — the 996 surprised me. The forks feel soft by modern standards, but the chassis still talks to you. The rear SHOWA shock keeps the tyre in touch on the faster sections, and when the road smooths out, the 996 dances through bends with poise. It rewards aggression; the harder you ride, the better it feels. With fewer gear changes than on the V2 Panigale, and more bottom and mid-range, the 996 was actually the quicker bike through half of the road, it wasn’t until the Panigale could wind out that it was quicker, it needed revs.
The Brembos of the time don’t have the instant bite of modern anchors, but they’re progressive and full of feel. Keep the revs between 4,000 and 7,500rpm for strong drive, with the last couple of thousand rpm reserved for when you really mean business. Fuelling from the Marelli injection is clean, even from closed throttle, and while it can handle town speeds, the 996 is happier posing at the café than crawling in traffic. From mid-range onwards, it’s clean and fast. And there is no quick-shifter here, it’s just an old fashioned manual shift, with not much clutch slip into turns, so you can really use the engine braking.
“There is no quick-shifter here, it’s just an old fashioned manual shift, with not much clutch slip into turns, so you can really use the engine braking.”
Fast Forward – The Panigale V2 Bayliss
Climbing onto the Panigale V2 Bayliss is like stepping into a parallel universe where Ducati kept all the passion but smoothed off the rough edges. Ergonomically, it’s surprisingly familiar — still narrow at the waist, still with a purposeful reach to the ‘bars — but the seat is more forgiving, the controls lighter, and the dash a full-colour TFT bursting with info.
“Climbing onto the Panigale V2 Bayliss is like stepping into a parallel universe where Ducati kept all the passion but smoothed off the rough edges.”
Under the fairing, the 955cc Superquadro L-twin puts out 155hp and 104Nm, with Ride-by-Wire throttle and a full suite of rider aids: traction control, wheelie control, cornering ABS, engine brake control, and an up/down quick-shifter. Where the 996 demands total focus to manage grip and power delivery, the V2 Bayliss gives you the confidence to explore its limits earlier in the ride, and let it do the work.
Modern rubber, Ohlins suspension, it’s pretty easy to do this these days… back in the 1990s and 2000s, on the 996, it took a lot more patience and, I dare say skill, riding at knee down level on the roads…
Suspension is where the Bayliss edition really shines compared to the standard V2 — Ohlins NIX30 forks and a TTX36 shock give a more controlled, composed ride over any surface. Combined with the lighter weight from the lithium battery and single-seat tail, it feels agile, planted, and easy to place.
The braking performance is simply on another level. The Brembo M4.32 monoblocs bite hard and haul you down with far less lever travel, backed up by the safety net of cornering ABS. You can trail brake deep into a corner without that little voice in your head worrying about a front-end tuck.
“You can trail brake deep into a corner without that little voice in your head worrying about a front-end tuck.”
Back-to-Back: How They Feel
Jumping between the two on the same road is like switching between vinyl and high-res streaming audio. The 996 gives you every crackle and imperfection — sometimes beautiful, sometimes brutal — and demands you play an active role in every input. It’s physical, mechanical, and absolutely raw.
Jumping between the two on the same road is like switching between vinyl and high-res streaming audio!
The V2 Bayliss is smoother, faster, and more forgiving. It’s more comfortable over distance, easier to ride quickly with less effort, and safer in marginal conditions. Yet, it still has that Ducati DNA in the way it steers, the way it drives off corners, and the way the engine pulses through the chassis.
The 996 gives you every crackle and imperfection — sometimes beautiful, sometimes brutal — and demands you play an active role in every input. It’s physical, mechanical, and absolutely raw.
After a day on both, the differences are as stark as you’d expect from 20 years of development. The 996 is a purist’s bike: uncompromising, demanding, and deeply rewarding when you’re in sync with it. It’s the sort of machine that makes you feel like you’ve earned every corner exit.
Jason and Jeff spent the day swapping between the 996 and the Panigale V2. In the end, it was decided we all need to keep one of each bike!
The V2 Bayliss, meanwhile, is a modern sportsbike done right — blisteringly fast, but with the safety, comfort, and refinement that let you ride harder for longer. It’s a celebration of Bayliss’s legacy that you could comfortably ride to the track, do a session, and ride home again.
These are two bikes that would be welcome in the shed, that’s for sure. One for Saturday, one for Sunday!
If I had to choose? For day-to-day riding, it’s the V2 Bayliss hands down. But for those perfect Sunday blasts when you want to feel every mechanical heartbeat and smell the fuel, the 996 still has a magic that no amount of electronics can replicate, in fact, I enjoyed the old riding style, it suits me…
Ducati 996 and Ducati Panigale V2 Bayliss Specifications
Special thanks to Ducati ANZ and Chappy…
Ducati 996 and Panigale V2 Bayliss Gallery
Ratings | V-TWIN Tuesday | Old vs New: Ducati Panigale V2 Bayliss vs Ducati 996
Legendary!
We take the legendary and still blindingly fast, raw and exciting Ducati 996 and ride it back to back with the latest Ducati V2 Panigale Bayliss Edition. Check out our fun feature for Throwback Thursday!
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