Aprilia RSV4R Factory versus 1199

Capt CF said:

Yep. 23k miles. They said it would be "really hard to move at that mileage".

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I hope you never return to that dealer???

One good thing about buying the last year of a model line but sucks when you like the new bike too can't win lol

yep, what he says, ducs with 20+k miles on them are not highly sought after most people are used to finding three year old garage queens with 2500 miles on them. I've never considered trading the SF as I know it'd hurt my feelings when they'd offer me 5-7k for it. Since it's paid for and has thousands and thousands of miles left in it I'll keep her!

Capt CF said:

Yep. 23k miles. They said it would be "really hard to move at that mileage".

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zvez said:

yep, what he says, ducs with 20+k miles on them are not highly sought after most people are used to finding three year old garage queens with 2500 miles on them. I've never considered trading the SF as I know it'd hurt my feelings when they'd offer me 5-7k for it. Since it's paid for and has thousands and thousands of miles left in it I'll keep her!

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She was insulted at the $5k. I could hear a faint rumble from the termis.

zvez said:

so I guess you sold the SF? Mine's in for it's 24k service right now. I'm also finally getting the reflashed ECU redline motorsports does for the rotten fueling under 4k rpm

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I never owned an SF, I wish though. I had 05 Gixxer 1K for commuting before and loved it, Pani is a nightmare for commuting in Tampa weather, SPs are hazardous here. I also would cry if she was left out in the rain while i was working . I read nothing but praises on how smooth and comfy it is on the road, sounds really really good to me

Is the SF a bike you either get (not in the buying sense) or you don't?? I have never rated the bike...the S was way too expensive and never felt like a $19k bike to me....

Stw said:

Is the SF a bike you either get (not in the buying sense) or you don't?? I have never rated the bike...the S was way too expensive and never felt like a $19k bike to me....

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To me the SFS is a nice compliment to the 1199.
Almost like the opposite side of the same coin.
They're both very different in terms of experience but equally satisfying in their own right.

Besides the SFS is the last of the dry clutches with an engine that's reached the pinnacle of its development and reliability
The torque curve's great too

Brad said:

To me the SFS is a nice compliment to the 1199.
Almost like the opposite side of the same coin.
They're both very different in terms of experience but equally satisfying in their own right.

Besides the SFS is the last of the dry clutches with an engine that's reached the pinnacle of its development and reliability
The torque curve's great too

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I can see that...But it was horribly expensive for a bike with not much tech... No??

Stw said:

I can see that...But it was horribly expensive for a bike with not much tech... No??

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Low tech can be good too, and sometimes it's worth the premium.
Especially if it's in a unique package not available in anything else on the market. I think DUCATI knows that and charge accordingly.
For me it was the only thing that fills the bill in that segment.
It must be remembered that's a very low volume bike, and they had some unique engineering to do on it (the swing arm is one aspect). Also they did a lot of tidying up of things on it to make it look more appealing.
When one compares a 1098/1198 with the fairings off to the SF, you can see the work they put into it.
There is simply not another narrow L twin on the market with gobs of torque down low with lots of rev potential, and that is also lightweight with good fuel capacity.
It's simply a unique machine that's well sorted out.

I've got to admit that I didn't even like it at first.
It took me a couple of years after it came out to come around to it.
I was looking for something for a few years with the same technical attributes and specs. IMO there was really nothing until it came along that had technology that was sorted out.
So I bit the bullet and got the one that I thought was the least unattractive between the red and black.
I was initially quite surprised at how good of a ride it was and it kept on getting better.
You could say the light went on in my head. You've got to ride one with an open mind to understand. The SF makes sense on a lot of levels if your looking for an honest hoon machine that's hard to tame.
Like your typical DUCATI, it's very engaging, and honest (there's no ........).
I think you will find a lot of loyalty for it among owners.
It's certainly a keeper for me

I do acknowledge that it's probably an acquired taste, but not to the same extent of the S 1000 RR

I bought the base model SF and it was around $15k I think. I was thinking the S was around $17k when it came out in 10. I know it was cheaper than the 1198.

Most of the people that don't like the SF have never ridden them or ridden them much. It's a blast and to have liter bike power on a bike you can tour on is pretty cool. I've done a number of track days with mine and it's a blast!

Stw said:

I can see that...But it was horribly expensive for a bike with not much tech... No??

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zvez said:

I bought the base model SF and it was around $15k I think. I was thinking the S was around $17k when it came out in 10. I know it was cheaper than the 1198.

Most of the people that don't like the SF have never ridden them or ridden them much. It's a blast and to have liter bike power on a bike you can tour on is pretty cool. I've done a number of track days with mine and it's a blast!

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+1 - mine is a base as well.

to think that the Streetfighters didn't come equipped with ABS....imagine that . the S model's price tag was close to $20k ...and they're still buying/selling them today in the secondary market. yes, I owned one.

Brad said:

Like your typical DUCATI, it's very engaging, and honest (there's no ........).

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Just curious, what do you mean by that? What sporting bikes have "........" in their character, meaning...

i love the SF! if the 1098S had ABS=perfection for street riding!

SF for actual street would be ideal with ABS actually [no roll eyes]. the brakes are grabby and ABS a nice safety feature on an otherwise incredible street machine.

oalvarez said:

to think that the Streetfighters didn't come equipped with ABS....imagine that . the S model's price tag was close to $20k ...and they're still buying/selling them today in the secondary market. yes, I owned one.

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zvez said:

Most of the people that don't like the SF have never ridden them or ridden them much. It's a blast and to have liter bike power on a bike you can tour on is pretty cool. I've done a number of track days with mine and it's a blast!

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I feel the same way. I've got the SFS and the 1199. I love the SFS on the street and the 1199 on the track. The SFS can be fun on the track as well but I'm spoiled by the 1199.

I'm not getting rid of either any time soon.

VAST said:

SF for actual street would be ideal with ABS actually [no roll eyes]. the brakes are grabby and ABS a nice safety feature on an otherwise incredible street machine.

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incredible street machine for sure. the non-ABS Brembo monoblock brakes were great (i'm a big fan), just like those found on the base model 1199s. and to think that people bought them then and still do today!

can someone retrofit some ABS on a SF for me?

VAST said:

can someone retrofit some ABS on a SF for me?

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How about a Speed Triple??? That's got Abs...

The aprilia is the better bike by a large margin.Pani...better looks...and that's it! Haven't missed my 1199 one bit and love the RSV4 every single ride.No comparison!