Ducati's 1199 Panigale S special edition honors Ayrton Senna

The special edition Ducati 1199 Panigale S Senna was debuted at the Salao Duas Rodas motorbike show in Sao Paulo. (Image: Salao Duas Rodas)

Ducati is paying homage to the Brazilian F1 pilot with a special edition of its 1199 Panigale S sports bike, revealed at the Salao Duas Rodas motorbike show in Sao Paulo.

The limited-edition bike will be sold in the Brazilian market in 2014, with a portion of proceeds going to the Instituto Ayrton Senna, the charity set up after the pilot's untimely death.

The 1199 Panigale S Senna differs from the standard version mainly through its grey fairing and red rims. The motorcycle packs a 1198cc engine with 195hp.

Only 161 bikes will be produced in this special edition, a figure that corresponds with the number of Formula 1 Grand Prix races that the three-time world champion participated in from 1984 to 1994.

The model is slated to hit the Brazilian market in June 2014.

In 1994, shortly before his death, Ayrton Senna personally approved the development of a limited-edition Ducati 916.

Notwithstanding the pilot's fatal accident, the Italian brand moved forward with the plan and produced a bike bearing the "Senna" name during the late 1990s.

The Instituto Ayrton Senna is a non-profit organization aimed at promoting educational initiatives for underprivileged children.