The 1980 Pantah 500SL had a plain bearing crankshaft and the same bore and stroke as the old 500 racer, 74 mm x 58 mm, but the head had a 60 degree included valve angle. The engines were noticeably lacking in bottom-end and mid-range torque, but theyrevved freely enough. The suspension seemed less precise than earlier Ducati models, and the 35 mm front forks lacked rigidity. Some riders found the final gearing too tall, and the intake and exhaust restrictive; but when these were changed for higher flow items with lowered gearing, it gave a performance increase.