anybody considering another bike instead of the 1199 for next spring?

I've been looking at and drooling over the newest RC8R for about 9 months.





The other bike that is drop dead gorgeous is the new MV 675 serie oro



Both formidable, possible substitutes for the 1199.

But both bikes are missing something that the 1199 has loads of and that's information and a community.

The KTM website is dedicated to dirtbikes and has disappointingly little information about the RC8, just some BS marketing crap.
The KTM forum is even worse! I mean this bike has been out since what... 08? And the RC8 portion of the forum has like 20 users.

I've been a member of the MV forum for about 5 years and this forum is already more active and interesting than that one.

The thing is, this type of community that we have here supports each other with information and ideas. It's a very important part of the ownership experience to me.

Living in a climate that limits my riding to about 6 months a year I need something like this community to feed my thirst for involvement with these bikes.
And Ducati has a big family of enthusiastic and active people. That means something to me.

I love these other bikes but I'm afraid I'd be missing this part of the whole experience with them...

I have my trepidation about the new 1199; will it have first year growing pains? do I really want all this nanny control electrickery?
Will it be a top-end screamer and not as fun on the road as the 1198?

What do you guys think?

Nope, 1199 all the way, but I hope I can wait a year, let everyone else "Test" it and discover any problems.
The KTM, I like more now than when I 1st saw it but I've never seriously considered it.
The F3 is pretty but I'd rather have the F4 and, only in addition to a Duc as a 2nd bike.

1199 for me......but alot of my fellow aussies are choosing either an aprilia rsv4 or the new bmws1000rr. Mainly becuase of the new cost ot the 1199 here.

Well, I put a deposit on a tricolore today!

I'm glad I don't live in Oz cuzz I wouldn't be able to afford one if I did

I could talk for hours on this conversation topic...

MV Agusta
Admittedly, I stopped by the local MV Agusta dealership last week, and I was not impressed with MV's latest sportbike/superbike offering. The fit, finish, and build quality seemed considerably less than what I've seen coming out of Ducati's camp. I'm not trying to brand bash MV, as this is coming from a guy who has, for a significantly long time, been enamored with both Ducati and MV Agusta as the finest machines on two wheels. I really want to like the MV, as it has some wonderful elements incorporated into the bike's design, but when you get up close and really look at how things are put together, the build quality does not impress me. As I left the MV dealership, I felt much more comfortable about walking away from owning an MV and closer to owning the 1199.

Service and Support
While I enjoy working on my motorcycle, having a local dealer which provides great service and support is extremely important to me. I have a wonderful relationship with my local Ducati dealership. I expect dealerships to do both good and bad, but it's how they handle the bad that separates them from other dealerships. I know if I buy an 1199 that I'll have a good Ducati dealership that will be there as I need things.

Community
It's important for me to be part of a community of riders who ride the same machine as I do. There are several online forums out there, dedicated to the various makes and models out there, but I can get turned off really quick when they seem to be more about business than community. Just in the last couple weeks, being a part of this 1199 forum, the community here continues to reinforce my decision to own an 1199. Yes, I want and will get a Panigale, but I feel better knowing there is a community here I can interact with - to read and process and digest and ask questions and learn and share in the experience together. Bikes enrich our lives, and community transcends the bike into more than just a machine, but something we're all a part of and in this together. This may not matter to most riders, but this matters to me.

Concerns
I do have some reservations about the 1199. I haven't seen and sat on one yet, but I will have a chance to next month when it appears at IMS. I would like to hear how it sounds, and more importantly, I'd like to ride one. I'm always concerned on the first year run of a model bike, as the second year usually has all the bugs worked out. I'm concerned for the first batch of 1199's that arrive in March - will there be any recalls as these bikes get into rider's hands? I am not excited about the monocoque frame because this will severely limit the amount of adequate crash protection available for the bike which limits my confidence for taking the 1199 on long road trips.

As it stands, I plan on getting an 1199 S with ABS. And I look forward to learning more about the bike along with everyone here.

Having looked at the RC8R on the stands in both Milan and the recent UK NEC show, I cant see the attraction of the KTM, as the whole bike looks very agricultural in terms of the build quality. For me it is and always will be in the detail, and this is where so many brands fall down. I was at the NEC show yesterday with a friend who is new to motorcycling and looking for a bike that will not overwhelm him. Due to his budget constraints we looked at mostly Japanese offering and also BMW. Of all the models he had shortlisted the ONLY one that looked half decent in terms of fit and finish was the new Honda Cross Runner and I was surprised at just how poor the componentry was on many of the others we looked at particularly the Kawasaki and even more so Suzuki products.

I cant imagine they would last long unless they were the subject of constant care and attention and even then it would be hard to maintain them in a reasonable state as the quality of the parts were so obviously poor. One of Ducati's major weaknesses with all its products, has always been the standard of their electroplated parts and fasteners. Given the price they charge, you should reasonable expect better or stainless steel alternatives. The other major fault is the quality of the paint on the crankcases of their air cooled engines, which literally flakes and falls of at the merest sign of a stone chip or moisture. Just look at any Hypermotard or 2-3yr old Monster. Why they cant properly key the surface first and apply a decent etch primer then top coat is beyond me, save for the obvious explanation of cost. Thankfully shielded from the elements somewhat, it is less of an issue on the faired water cooled bikes. Though I generally fit a fully enclosed bellypan to my bikes to protect the exposed underside of the engine, which is a natural target for dirt and corrosion.

flynbulldog said:

Well, I put a deposit on a tricolore today!

I'm glad I don't live in Oz cuzz I wouldn't be able to afford one if I did

Click to expand...

yeah it sux...i'm selling everything i own to get a tri too

topolino said:

Having looked at the RC8R on the stands in both Milan and the recent UK NEC show, I cant see the attraction of the KTM, as the whole bike looks very agricultural in terms of the build quality. For me it is and always will be in the detail, and this is where so many brands fall down. I was at the NEC show yesterday with a friend who is new to motorcycling and looking for a bike that will not overwhelm him. Due to his budget constraints we looked at mostly Japanese offering and also BMW. Of all the models he had shortlisted the ONLY one that looked half decent in terms of fit and finish was the new Honda Cross Runner and I was surprised at just how poor the componentry was on many of the others we looked at particularly the Kawasaki and even more so Suzuki products.

I cant imagine they would last long unless they were the subject of constant care and attention and even then it would be hard to maintain them in a reasonable state as the quality of the parts were so obviously poor. One of Ducati's major weaknesses with all its products, has always been the standard of their electroplated parts and fasteners. Given the price they charge, you should reasonable expect better or stainless steel alternatives. The other major fault is the quality of the paint on the crankcases of their air cooled engines, which literally flakes and falls of at the merest sign of a stone chip or moisture. Just look at any Hypermotard or 2-3yr old Monster. Why they cant properly key the surface first and apply a decent etch primer then top coat is beyond me, save for the obvious explanation of cost. Thankfully shielded from the elements somewhat, it is less of an issue on the faired water cooled bikes. Though I generally fit a fully enclosed bellypan to my bikes to protect the exposed underside of the engine, which is a natural target for dirt and corrosion.

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I have no idea what you're talking about man. My bikes never see an ounce of dirt, water or corrosion.

My SF has over 10,000 miles on it and there's not a speck of dirt on it.

Here it is at the Ducstock show at Barber motorsports park. People couldn't believe it had ever been ridden at all much less with that many miles on it.

(I had just mounted it's 3rd set of new tires on it before the show and did not ride the bike so the tires looked like they just came out of the mold)



This was the day after the show and, as you might imagine, the tires no longer look new



My least concern on a bike is how it deals with dirt or corrosion. I don't keep it in the swamp out back.

anybody considering another bike instead off the 1199 for next spring?

Answer: not just no but.... heck no!!!
Just not sure if I grow the stable or sell one

I ´m always considering any bike with the word DUCATI on the gas tank ..... im addicted, the ktm rc8 is fine but i ´ll never give her a second thought, the bmw has lots of bad finishing (to me) ..... I ´m considering to add a new bike to my collection but we have several problems to import bikes to the country since 2008. If i could i will consider of course a 1199 panigale S tricolore, or a multistrada 1200 touring or pikes peak, more suitable for the kind of roads we have.

Jeanbike said:

I ´m always considering any bike with the word DUCATI on the gas tank ..... im addicted, the ktm rc8 is fine but i ´ll never give her a second thought, the bmw has lots of bad finishing (to me) ..... I ´m considering to add a new bike to my collection but we have several problems to import bikes to the country since 2008. If i could i will consider of course a 1199 panigale S tricolore, or a multistrada 1200 touring or pikes peak, more suitable for the kind of roads we have.

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Jean, you can't go wrong with the Multistrada1200, It's a fantastic bike.
I think it's by far the best in it's class.

No definitely no

Might get an 848 first, for track use.

Was considering getting a Kawi Z1000 ....for the price + all around performance....

I was selling my 1098S for the KTM RC8R, especially after riding one at Jennings. Then, particularly certain about it when I was at Mid Ohio with Filmore doing some shake down runs. The bike is awesome!

But no one took me up on my bike, so I kept putting the miles on her....then BAM!

Miami, end of September and I get to throw a leg over the 1199! BAM! no more thought of a KTM!

Nope... 1199 for me (had looked over the summer at the Aprilia RSV4, but glad I waited to see this new Ducati offering - deposit is in!)

Trinity636 glad you stayed away from the RSV4 - an absolute nightmare and their dealerships and Piaggio Group/Aprilia suck! But I am biased as I have one and never again will I buy anything from that company!

Maybe an S1000RR or a ZX-10R. Dad works down at the Kawi shop so i can get one for a good deal and S1000RR because german engineering is excellent. But neither does anything for me next to the 1199.

Local dealer has two leftover 1198S'. 2009 Red and 2010 Black w/ red frame. About 18K.
Tempting.

I needed some money about six months ago , so I sold my 07R1. In late Aug. my Wife said she couldn't take it anymore , I needed to get another bike ! ( She rides her own 08ZX10R ) I started looking , and it was a toss up between the sweet looking black and orange KTM RC8R , and the Ducati ( 1198 ) that I have always wanted. While trying to decide , I heard about the 1199 ! I had pretty much decided to wait for the 1199 , when my Wife told me she'd pay the deposit on the 1199 for my Birthday ! Decision made ! I'm third on the list for a standard , and after seeing all the recent pics , I'm VERY happy with my decision ! I can't wait to get this bike !