ducati 899 panigale malaysia

When the Ducati 899 Panigale made its debut at last year's MotoGP race, it was announced that Naza will be bringing in an ASEAN-assembled version by mid 2014. As promised, here's the Ducati 899 Panigale from the Italian company's Thai factory, now on sale in Malaysia.

The reason for Thai-assembly is cost savings from reduced taxes, and the 899 Panigale is now priced at RM93,888, with an exclusive offer of RM89,888 for the first 50 buyers. The Italian-made supermid was going for RM108,000, so the savings are pretty substantial.

The 899 is the younger brother of the 1199 Panigale superbike. Built around a monocoque chassis concept and featuring the new 899 Superquadro L-Twin engine with 148 hp, the bike is said to give riders the best of both worlds by providing the thrill of the flagship model with the refinement of an everyday street bike.

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Rider confidence is enhanced through Ducati's Riding Modes and by combining numerous class-leading tech including the latest-generation sports ABS system, Ducati Traction Control (DTC), Ducati Electronic Suspension (DES), Ducati Quick-Shift (DQS), Ducati's new race-derived Engine Brake Control (EBC) and Ride-by-Wire (RbW).

Ducati Malaysia also announced that by end 2014, 3S centres will be opened outside of the Klang Valley in Penang, Johor, Kelantan, Padang, Sabah and Sarawak. Owners can also expect group rides, track days, and trips, all of which are on the cards.