- Joined
- May 11, 2015
- Messages
- 577
- Location
- USA
My wife and I took a vacation to Italy for our 25th Wedding anniversary. One of our trips while in Italy was a trip to the Ducati factory. Our tour was an English speaking tour with only two other couples. I told our host that I expressed an interest in buying the V4R in 2019. She made a call on her phone and by chance we had our tour changed to highlight the building of the V4 motor and the assembly of the V4 bike. The normal tour would have shown the V4 motor but not the production line of the V4 bike.
So back to the tour. The motor itself is very compact looking and seeing the cylinders for the 1st time was kind of strange. Was I really looking at a Ducati motor. The piston were so much smaller than looking at two massive piston for so long, it took a bit for my mind to re-calibrate this look. We watched as the daisy were being trained on the new motor as well as established Ducati workers by what I take were master builders. It was all very satisfying to watch. Inches from my face, in front of me there are at least 4 completed motors awaiting their boxes and other in various stages of completion. As our little group tour moved on. We got to see the marriage of motor and frame. Speaking of frame. Two things come to mind. It looks as if we no longer need to remove the tank to change out the air filter. It appears to have a space on the side of the frame to change this out now. And all of the electronics are on top of the airbox. It looks just like a MOTO GP bike in this fashion. I was also very surprised to see V4 on the same assembly line as 1299FE's. I asked about the V4 Speciale but no one had heard much about it. I thought this was strange. I didn't see the bike any where either.
As our tour was ending. We passed an area that they run the bikes. Not the rolling road but more of a test bench area. There was a V4 running and it definitely had it's own sound. Hard to make much of it with the exhaust tubes running to it but nice to hear none the less. As we walked out of the factory. Two test riders on V4S' has just returned. And this was my only chance to walk up and see a completed bike up close. And as the title says I was not blown away the same way I was the first time I saw the 1199 or the 1299. I am not saying its a bad look or unbalanced it just didn't have that. I want to forget all my other bills and buy this thing NOW look. Just seeing it in person was very underwhelming to me. I hope this all changes with the V4R. I was told by people at the factory it is going to be a VERY VERY special bike and have a much different look than what we are seeing with the V4 and V4S. My take on that is, it will ditch the single sided swinarm and have a redesigned fairing. Here is hoping that the V4R will pull at my visual heart strings the way the 1199 first did and make me buy the 1299 when I was ready. (or should I say my wife buy the 1299)
So back to the tour. The motor itself is very compact looking and seeing the cylinders for the 1st time was kind of strange. Was I really looking at a Ducati motor. The piston were so much smaller than looking at two massive piston for so long, it took a bit for my mind to re-calibrate this look. We watched as the daisy were being trained on the new motor as well as established Ducati workers by what I take were master builders. It was all very satisfying to watch. Inches from my face, in front of me there are at least 4 completed motors awaiting their boxes and other in various stages of completion. As our little group tour moved on. We got to see the marriage of motor and frame. Speaking of frame. Two things come to mind. It looks as if we no longer need to remove the tank to change out the air filter. It appears to have a space on the side of the frame to change this out now. And all of the electronics are on top of the airbox. It looks just like a MOTO GP bike in this fashion. I was also very surprised to see V4 on the same assembly line as 1299FE's. I asked about the V4 Speciale but no one had heard much about it. I thought this was strange. I didn't see the bike any where either.
As our tour was ending. We passed an area that they run the bikes. Not the rolling road but more of a test bench area. There was a V4 running and it definitely had it's own sound. Hard to make much of it with the exhaust tubes running to it but nice to hear none the less. As we walked out of the factory. Two test riders on V4S' has just returned. And this was my only chance to walk up and see a completed bike up close. And as the title says I was not blown away the same way I was the first time I saw the 1199 or the 1299. I am not saying its a bad look or unbalanced it just didn't have that. I want to forget all my other bills and buy this thing NOW look. Just seeing it in person was very underwhelming to me. I hope this all changes with the V4R. I was told by people at the factory it is going to be a VERY VERY special bike and have a much different look than what we are seeing with the V4 and V4S. My take on that is, it will ditch the single sided swinarm and have a redesigned fairing. Here is hoping that the V4R will pull at my visual heart strings the way the 1199 first did and make me buy the 1299 when I was ready. (or should I say my wife buy the 1299)
