Is this the first totaled 1199?

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This 23-photo sequence shows South African Superbike rider Chris Leeson crashing his Ducati 1199 Panigale in Turn 1 at the Kyalami Race Track. Chris was entering the turn at high speed when he lost the front over the track’s notoriously bumpy pavement. No major injuries, to the rider at least. As you can see in the photos, the Ducati sheds pretty much every major sticky-outy part.

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  • jp182

    damn…..a friend of mine lives in SA and it’s my mission to visit him AND do a trackday there but I wonder how bumpy is bumpy.

    • http://hellforleathermagazine.com Wes Siler

      It’s still a race track, all things are relative.

    • http://www.postpixel.com.au mugget

      If it turns out to be more bumpy than you’re used to – you should still ride as you always should. And that is to ride according to the conditions.

  • austin_2ride

    I believe rear wheel counts as a major sticky-outy part!

  • aristurtle

    I can see it now:

    johanessburg.craigslist.org

    DUCATI 1199 LOW MILEAGE –

    For sale is a nearly-new Ducati 1199 Panigale. Race exhaust! Never crashed, some minor scratches on the side from when it was dropped in a parking lot. Includes free helmet! Cash only. $18,000 OBO.

    • rohorn

      Just needs flat black paint, DC Shoe sticker, and spikey bar ends.

    • AHA

      Original rear wheel available separately.

  • Dani Peral

    One point about the Panigale being so extremely compact, is that when it crashes, every piece damaged is an important one…That had to hurt, indeed.

  • http://www.muthalovin.com the_doctor

    Now everyone else can feel free to lowside on their way to Starbucks without feeling like a total fool.

    • http://hellforleathermagazine.com Grant Ray

      Exactly.

    • http://www.postpixel.com.au mugget

      Yep, pressure is off. No one else has to worry about being first.

  • Kirill

    At least he seems to be ok. That Duc will make a nice cube.

  • Pete

    the swingarm appears to have snapped off. +1 for double-sided swingarms?

    • http://hellforleathermagazine.com Wes Siler

      SSSAs are every bit as strong as traditional ones, but they typically weigh a little more. Advantages are looks and easy wheel changes for racers.

    • http://www.postpixel.com.au mugget

      Also, swingarms (entire motorcycles, in fact) are designed to be ridden – not crashed. So no one should really be surprised that things break when the motorcycle exceeds it’s design limitations… such as flipping through a gravel trap at high speed.

  • jonoabq

    ow.

  • T Diver

    I wonder how it would have faired with a frame. I guess they can make the first Panigale stunt bike. or not.

  • Coreyvwc

    I’m interested to see how this pans out next year in WSBK with the ONE bike rule. It’s an amazing and stunningly beautiful machine, but that bitch has glass jaw like no other!

    • aristurtle

      They will “repair” their “one bike” with “spare parts”. (Read: they will take the one intact muffler off of the crashed bike and bolt it on to the spare bike — sorry, collection of pre-assembled spare parts).

    • http://www.postpixel.com.au mugget

      I’m sure that they will use stronger parts if required. Actually, now that I come to think of it… don’t they all change the swingarm anyway? Can’t think of any bike in WSBK that uses the stock item…?

  • Shaun Power

    Shiiiiiiiit….expensive. The Achilles heel of this truly beautiful and exciting motorcycle, it ain’t very crash-able. I was on a track day today at Donington park in England, and a Tri-colour version Panigale was present. The rider rode in the novice group at a pretty sensible pace a ( a bit wet and cold) but you have to wonder if these bikes will be the preserve of the pretty rich and brave. Bless ‘em!
    Shaun

    • http://www.postpixel.com.au mugget

      Not very crashable, nope. But then anyone whose bike selection criteria includes ‘crashability’ should not be considering any exotic bike like a Panigale… stick to an old Jap four which are basically a disposable item…

      • Kevin

        At what price point between $15K (for say, a ZX-10) and $18K (Panigale) does a bike go from disposable to exotic?

        • David

          when the parts for the ZX-10 are interchangeable with a half dozen other Kawasaki’s (I don’t know this for sure, just experience with say, Suzuki)and the Panigale’s parts each cost 1/10th the price of the bike – which they were designed exclusively for (again, not sure, but Ducati…)

  • James

    Oh my

  • JMcMahon

    Clicking through the photo gallery reminded me of the slow motion crashes in “On Any Sunday.”

    I could hear the slasher music and Bruce Brown’s voice over. “At Kyalami Race Track in South Africa Chris Leeson crashed his Ducati through a 4×4 fence.”

    Glad Chris is alright!

    • http://www.lgdm.fr stempere

      Works even better animated.
      (i took the pics from here, hope it’s all right guys)

      • hops

        thanks, that was faster than my browser could refresh :)

  • caferacer

    FIRST!

    No? Too soon?

  • http://lightsoutknivesout.tumblr.com/ Scott Pargett

    Do teams/riders carry any sort of insurance or is it just part of budget/expenses?

    • http://www.postpixel.com.au mugget

      Not that I’ve ever heard of… usually when you see a rider who keeps crashing the cameras will cut to the team garage – the boss usually has his head in his hands, because that’s more damage he has to pay for. All the commentary I’ve heard seems to back that up as well.

  • Bryan Whitney

    “…lost the front…” deja vu?

    Glad Chris is alright.

  • JTourismo

    No argument that Panigales’ make the most beautiful yardsales! However, I don’t think any “framed” bike fairs better in an end over end crash in regards to the comments above.

    Definitely miss Kyalami on the WSBK calender.

    • James

      The best part is you never have to worry about a bent frame after a crash.

    • ontheroad

      Agreed. I don’t imagine Biaggi could catapult an RSV4 through the kitty litter like that and just fold a lever back down and ride her back to the pits. Although it might make for a good interview.

      “Thank’a goodness for’a the strong frame of our RSVee Four. When I crash very hard in turn 1 during Superpole, the frame hold’a the bike together very good, and I put in best lap in the next go around.”

  • DoctorNine

    While I do appreciate the wonderful photos of the 1199 exhaust system cans, I probably would have gone with a simpler method of making them more visible to the camera.

  • Mr.Paynter

    I hope to all the goodness in the Universe that he specified track-days on his insurance!

    • Coreyvwc

      Track days are “rider improvement courses”. Take my word for it ;)

  • Archer

    Looks like DOT tires- perhaps OEM? Seems odd not to have slicks on there.

  • dux [87 CBR600, 95 XR600R]

    Fiat makes a truck?

    • Kirill

      Its more of a FWD subcompact with a truck bed.

  • NickK

    ~ pic #7: Photographer, “Hmm, maybe I should take a step to the left?”

    ~ pic #9: “Nah. Carry on.”

  • http://www.anotherdamndj.com evilbahumut

    I think I was the first to total a Streetfighter S in North America. True story :(

  • mcfaite

    That’ll probably buff right out…

    Ouch.

  • Keith

    As I’m clicking from one pic to the next, all I can think is …ouch…ouch…ouch..oh that’s gonna hurt later…OUCH!
    And he gets up and walks away.

  • AHA

    Glad nothing detached and went looking for him. Looks like that wheel went closest.

    Not nice to watch the bike appear in every new frame weighing quite a lot less.

  • raphmay

    Good to know that the Panigale turns to dust when it crashes! one of the few bike crashes (where the person walks away) that you could just clean up with a broom!