10yrs away, time to ride again. V4 or V4S?

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Sig600

Sig600

Joined
May 14, 2020
Messages
29
Location
NV
All,
Been away from riding for too long and it's time to tell the wife I'm buying another bike. I've had a litany of sport bikes over the years (anyone here ever own a YZF-750?), but most recently a 1098 and then a 1098S. The later of which was sold about 10 years ago and I've not been on a bike of my own since then.

Wow have times changed.... full electronic suspension? Traction control? Wheelie control? (Where's the fun in that?)

Anyway, there are some good deals floating around on left over 2019s, and I'm wondering if the S is worth the price of admission. Most of the comparisons I can find are either geared towards track use... or written by noobs on their first bike. The system is impressive on paper, but what say the real riders out there? My track days are largely over... mainly because I'm 40 but also because there isn't a track within a few hundred miles of me. The majority of my riding would be taking the long way home from work, and a lot of back road twisties in the mountains with frequent stretches of interstate to get there and home.

At 6'3" and 230, I get the impression the V4 is one of the more comfortable super bikes Ducati has built (I rode my 1098S from Santa Barbara to Reno in a day once)... so I'm expecting this to be even better. Just want some experienced opinions on which way to go.
 
There r some GREAT deals on leftover 2019s

07B2B294-ADC5-491A-B22E-4C6B50548A4C.jpeg
 
I have a '20 S so not sure if it relates to a 19 but...

I like the S for the variety of riding I do... You can set the Dynamic Suspension parameters per ride mode, so Street for commuting you can have it relatively soft to soak up some bumps, Sport can be harder for the canyon/twisty carving and Race you can turn Dynamic off and go full(ish) manual and set it how you like.

Then all you have to do is a quick ride mode change to change the suspension as well. Instead of getting out the screw driver and playing with the clickers.
 
I have a V4S

before i had an r6

the diference i Can see is that i Can change suspensión settings easily

but you still need to do preload manually

apart from that, i would be perfeclty fine with a BASE V4

the bike is great after you get your suspension and electronic settings sorted

Also Getting used to all the power

you wont be disapointed with Neither of them
 
RODOLFO said:
I have a V4S

before i had an r6

the diference i Can see is that i Can change suspensión settings easily

but you still need to do preload manually

apart from that, i would be perfeclty fine with a BASE V4

the bike is great after you get your suspension and electronic settings sorted

Also Getting used to all the power

you wont be disapointed with Neither of them
Click to expand...

Ok so you still need to get it dialed in for the rider, then the electronics will adjust accordingly?

Is it overkill if I’m never taking it to a track? Pretty sure my days of scrubbing the chicken strips off are over. The big attraction to it is it’s ability to adjust to the multitude of road conditions we can see here over a few miles and some elevation change (smooth asphalt to shaky concrete and everything in between).

DucatiKev said:
Haha who cares just buy one and tell us what ya got
Click to expand...

Ha! Legit, will do. They’re asking $21k for a new ‘19 S which seems fair given the MSRP... I’ll see if I can beat them up a little bit more, maybe get a tail tidy and some other goodies out of them.
 
Last edited:
Sig600 said:
Ok so you still need to get it dialed in for the rider, then the electronics will adjust accordingly?

Is it overkill if I’m never taking it to a track? Pretty sure my days of scrubbing the chicken strips off are over. The big attraction to it is it’s ability to adjust to the multitude of road conditions we can see here over a few miles and some elevation change (smooth asphalt to shaky concrete and everything in between).



Ha! Legit, will do. They’re asking $21k for a new ‘19 S which seems fair given the MSRP... I’ll see if I can beat them up a little bit more, maybe get a tail tidy and some other goodies out of them.
Click to expand...
“Seems fair” u better do it dude, that price is unheard of!

now, get the S and then FaceTime with Dave Miss. he charged me less than $100 to get my 1299S suspension dialed in.

oh and make them throw in a rear stand and either an oil change kit or the full 600 mile first service.

good luck!
 
It's a really good question.

I have a '19 V4S. I've ridden for 25 years, and am also 40(+), but have only had a handful of track days. I've always bought sports bikes that are slight overkill for my use... because I like them. I didn't test ride either bike, so can't really compare the base model, BUT, my reasons for going S over base:

1. I felt that electronic was the way forward. I'll probably have this bike for a long time, and I didn't want to not have current electronics;
2. I've never played with suspension... having it at my finger tips has allowed me to play around with it a bit easier. Note, I did get the sags setup by a suspension guy;
3. I liked the wheels (I know :oops:);
4. Don't know about this one... but I was talking to someone who said 'perhaps' on the street with more imperfections than the track it could be beneficial? I know I was talking to a Australian Superbike guy, and they wouldn't go electronic, as they'd replace the hole thing and set it up themselves.

Anyway... let us know when you get it ;-).
 
Any bike that I would buy now is just a placeholder till the 100th anniversary Panigale is available

we’re gonna get some Champaign popping off we make it that far but we probably won’t do u better buy this V4S and really enjoy whatever is left

@Sig600 seriously, buy the bike. You’re gonna piss urself the first time you work up enough courage to open the throttle completely and once u get done shouting in pure joy inside your helmet... you’ll understand y this bike is worth so much more than you were actually able to purchase it for.
Just make sure you get the extended, extended warranty. 48 month unlimited mileage is good and check into free roadside & towing so u don’t have to deal with it if the time ever comes
 
DucatiKev said:
Any bike that I would buy now is just a placeholder till the 100th anniversary Panigale is available

we’re gonna get some Champaign popping off we make it that far but we probably won’t do u better buy this V4S and really enjoy whatever is left

@Sig600 seriously, buy the bike. You’re gonna piss urself the first time you work up enough courage to open the throttle completely and once u get done shouting in pure joy inside your helmet... you’ll understand y this bike is worth so much more than you were actually able to purchase it for.
Just make sure you get the extended, extended warranty. 48 month unlimited mileage is good and check into free roadside & towing so u don’t have to deal with it if the time ever comes
Click to expand...

That was my reaction the first time I rode the 1098 coming of what was only a 3 year old GSXR1K at the time. It actually scared me and I loved it.
 
IMO, the V4S is better for the street. For the track, buy a V4 and take the savings and upgrade the suspension for the track. I would say the V4S is not designed for significantly better performance on the track, it is designed for adaptability if you are going to use the bike for street and track. Set your sag for your weight, and then you can use the electronics to adapt the bike to how you are using it.

I bought the S and I felt it is worth it, but I'm a mix of commute, mountain trips, and a little bit of track.
 
I'm only 500km into this new bike but already glad I bought the S. The electronics are way beyond me and for now lets just say everything is set to "safety" while I ease into things. I have lots to learn but plenty of time. My first few rides have been fun but let me tell you, living in rural outskirts of Sydney, my back was copping a hammering. A couple of times I nearly got punted into the scrub. And balls...fxxx me!!! The bike tracks perfectly but the seat is pummeling my gonads. So yesterday in desperation I went thumbing through the menu and I think I found compression damping for the rear. Really I've got no idea. Whatever it was it was on the default middle (set to zero) and I dialled it back to the "comfort" max , -5. I didn't touch the front. What a difference. Today's ride was bliss. I would never have touched a manual shock - over the last 25 years have just accepted what my mechanic suggested - but with this I can play at will. I can set the three modes (Street, Sport and Track) with different suspension settings and toggle to each at will. So Street will be my comfort mode. My riding is all on the road and DES really is great for me.
 
Pete T said:
I'm only 500km into this new bike but already glad I bought the S. The electronics are way beyond me and for now lets just say everything is set to "safety" while I ease into things. I have lots to learn but plenty of time. My first few rides have been fun but let me tell you, living in rural outskirts of Sydney, my back was copping a hammering. A couple of times I nearly got punted into the scrub. And balls...fxxx me!!! The bike tracks perfectly but the seat is pummeling my gonads. So yesterday in desperation I went thumbing through the menu and I think I found compression damping for the rear. Really I've got no idea. Whatever it was it was on the default middle (set to zero) and I dialled it back to the "comfort" max , -5. I didn't touch the front. What a difference. Today's ride was bliss. I would never have touched a manual shock - over the last 25 years have just accepted what my mechanic suggested - but with this I can play at will. I can set the three modes (Street, Sport and Track) with different suspension settings and toggle to each at will. So Street will be my comfort mode. My riding is all on the road and DES really is great for me.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I live semi-rural a couple of hours south of you. I know what you mean about the roads you mean. I yelped early on. The rear is real stiff. The suspension dude I went to said I could probably go down one rating on the rear spring. I recon ride it for a bit, then take it suspension guy.
I’m 11K in and still learning safely lol ;-)

enjoy.
 
Alright... so I finally had some free time and went and test rode the V4S. They still have that 2019 sitting around.

Impressions: the thing is a monster. It’s a little unwieldy at slow speed around corners and traffic. It’s definitely top heavy and holy crap is it wide compared to my old ducks. With some more riding I think I could get more confident on it but over all it was surprisingly comfortable. Once you get it up to speed you can feel all the weight just sort of fall into place and it balances out beautifully. Only gripe was the clutch, it lets out almost all the way then just grabs, hard to feather. My biggest disappointment (and I know I’ll get flamed for this), was that it reminded my of all the other liter bikes I’ve ridden, but it sounded like a Ducati. You really have to wind it up to get any power out of it. It goes from zero mid range (am I in 6th gear?), to ok here we go, to holy ....! I really wanted to love the bike.... but I just didn’t. At least not yet.

So there was a lone 2020 V2 sitting back in the shop and I said let’s fire that one up. They’d just unboxed it and had put about 6 miles on it. As soon as I sat down on it, it was instantly familiar, but more comfortable. I clicked it into first and let the clutch out and thought, oh yeah this feels right. Took it out for a ride and it was like my old 1098 and 1198s. It was more refined, and more comfortable, but I was instantly smiling as I was ripping it around town. Got on the freeway and that low end grunt was there I was missing from the V4. I could’ve spent all day on it.

Now I’m home and sitting on my couch, with my wife all nervous because she hates motorcycle... trying to decide whether to pull the trigger.
 

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Sig600 said:
Alright... so I finally had some free time and went and test rode the V4S. They still have that 2019 sitting around.

Impressions: the thing is a monster. It’s a little unwieldy at slow speed around corners and traffic. It’s definitely top heavy and holy crap is it wide compared to my old ducks. With some more riding I think I could get more confident on it but over all it was surprisingly comfortable. Once you get it up to speed you can feel all the weight just sort of fall into place and it balances out beautifully. Only gripe was the clutch, it lets out almost all the way then just grabs, hard to feather. My biggest disappointment (and I know I’ll get flamed for this), was that it reminded my of all the other liter bikes I’ve ridden, but it sounded like a Ducati. You really have to wind it up to get any power out of it. It goes from zero mid range (am I in 6th gear?), to ok here we go, to holy ....! I really wanted to love the bike.... but I just didn’t. At least not yet.

So there was a lone 2020 V2 sitting back in the shop and I said let’s fire that one up. They’d just unboxed it and had put about 6 miles on it. As soon as I sat down on it, it was instantly familiar, but more comfortable. I clicked it into first and let the clutch out and thought, oh yeah this feels right. Took it out for a ride and it was like my old 1098 and 1198s. It was more refined, and more comfortable, but I was instantly smiling as I was ripping it around town. Got on the freeway and that low end grunt was there I was missing from the V4. I could’ve spent all day on it.

Now I’m home and sitting on my couch, with my wife all nervous because she hates motorcycle... trying to decide whether to pull the trigger.
Click to expand...
Wide and tall!

I have to jump off to back my bike into its parking spot. Can’t tippi toe. But that makes cornering better

Just pull the trigger dude. You’re gonna love it. Then hit up @cycler for discounts on important things like radiator guards, fender eliminator, clear clutch... etc
 
DucatiKev said:
Wide and tall!

I have to jump off to back my bike into its parking spot. Can’t tippi toe. But that makes cornering better

Just pull the trigger dude. You’re gonna love it. Then hit up @cycler for discounts on important things like radiator guards, fender eliminator, clear clutch... etc
Click to expand...

They took off a few bucks for military discount and threw in some Duc parts. Picking it up tomorrow.
 

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