This Modified Ducati Is Almost Too Pretty To Ride, Almost

I’m a huge sportbike guy, and typically, whenever there’s something new and performance-oriented on the market, I’m quick to check it out and gush all over it. It doesn’t really need to be a top-tier superbike, either. Even small to mid-displacement sports and naked bikes are enough to fire up my ADHD for all things sporty.

So, naturally, when Ducati unveiled its brand new Panigale V4 and V2 not too long ago, I was absolutely hooked. But interestingly, I find the V2 more interesting, not because of the tech or the lightweight package it brings to the table per se, but rather because of how much more accessible and usable it has become.

And while I can’t wait to see the new Panigale V2 up close and personal, the topic of today’s story is the outgoing version of Ducati’s middleweight sportbike—and it’s been given quite the sendoff by the folks over at GP Products.

In case you weren’t familiar, GP Products just has to be one of the best when it comes to modifying and customizing high-performance machinery. We’ve talked about them in the past and how they masterfully made the already epic M 1000 R even more epic. And this time around, they’re giving a Ducati Panigale V2 similar treatment, with a combination of bolt-on upgrades and custom work to make this thing really stand out.

Like before, the inspiration for the custom build comes from the automotive world—more specifically, the Audi RS6 Homage, yet another project by GP Products which in itself was meant to pay homage to the iconic Audi RS2.

Naturally, the first order of business was to take everything apart. The fairings were sent to the paint shop to be painted in the same shade of blue as that of the Audi RS6 Homage. Meanwhile, the suspension was sent to Buxur Suspension to be taken apart, repainted, and refinished to match the bike’s new aesthetic.

Up next, we get a glimpse of the paintshop and how they work on the bodywork. The entirety of the Panigale V2’s matte black paintwork is sanded away exposing bare plastic—quite a painful thing to watch, but wait and see, it’ll all be worth it.

Meanwhile, we’re shown all the fancy bolt-ons that are going onto the bike. Chief of which just has to be the full-titanium Akrapovic exhaust system. Apart from making this thing sound and look good, it also puts it on a massive diet, shedding more than seven kilograms (15.4 pounds). The whole exhaust system weighs just 6.3 kilograms (13.9 pounds)—less than half that of the stock at 13.9 kilograms (around 31 pounds).

With everything that needed to be painted already painted in a deep, glossy blue finish, it was time to put it all together. GP Products pretty much changed all the bolt-on accessories of the bike, fitting things like a Rizoma race-ready quick-release fuel cap, a whole bunch of Ilmberger carbon fiber goodies, and Evotech fender eliminator kit (a must-have for any sporty build), Rizoma reservoirs, a Puig windscreen, and a whole bunch of other blingy accessories.

At the end of it all, it was clear that this thing is by no means your run-of-the-mill Ducati Panigale V2. Heck, I’d even go as far as saying that it’s almost too pretty to ride. All in all, the upgrades and all the work done to this bike bump this superbike’s price tag to north of 51,000 euros, or around $54,000 USD—quite the eye-watering price tag.