Aprilia RSV4R Factory versus 1199

southeastduc said:

STW, I think xbox was passing a warning on that Aprilia's warrantee support has been questionable in the past. Personally, I attribute this to smaller scale dealers in the past. I don't know if this has changed. You should definitely sit on one & hopefully test ride it. I think they are fine for shorter riders, but a 6' rider may feel cramped.

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What i hear from friends that work at dealers is that the factory will not approve anything that isn't absolutely 100% broken.

Now, if I am referring to some very basic preventative steps that a dealer wants covered, where the factory would rather, for example, leave an engine to possibly seize, than change a few more parts and some more oil...... I would be worried.

Yes, I did own an Aprilia, yes they wouldn't change anything, so this resonated for me.

forget the MV... they do not have the resources to fine tune whatever they make. look ont the reviews of theF4 and the F3... it is now better bit still not optimal..

APE, yest if you really want to go fast on track... but if it's reliability your running away from, going italian is by definition not the place to be.. and i'm very curious about how long it takes to get parts if something does go wrong.. imho .. looking at sheer size of operations, beemer is the only comp in a better position to give good service than Duc.. and running from a perhaps fickle beauty to a nonlooker that is evenly fickle.. is the last thing i would do...

it's like walking away from a moody topmodel to a moody ugly woman... if you din't want moody and don't mind ugly, go for steady and ugly...in thjis case : the beemer...

kope999R said:

forget the MV... they do not have the resources to fine tune whatever they make. look ont the reviews of theF4 and the F3... it is now better bit still not optimal..

APE, yest if you really want to go fast on track... but if it's reliability your running away from, going italian is by definition not the place to be.. and i'm very curious about how long it takes to get parts if something does go wrong.. imho .. looking at sheer size of operations, beemer is the only comp in a better position to give good service than Duc.. and running from a perhaps fickle beauty to a nonlooker that is evenly fickle.. is the last thing i would do...

it's like walking away from a moody topmodel to a moody ugly woman... if you din't want moody and don't mind ugly, go for steady and ugly...in thjis case : the beemer...

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+1 - I think he nailed it. I wouldn't run from the arms of one problem Italian into another one. I'd either accept and deal with it and keep the Pani or flip to the HP4 unless you really want an Italian bike with a Deltabox.

ride the APE and mail your experiences to Gobmeyer.. they are trying to figure out how to make a deltabox ...

We all have opinions but I would like to think that the journalists, although not unbias at least have real seat time on all the bikes, back to back, which allows for much better evaluation than all of our monday morning quarterbacking.

These quotes seem to sum it all up pretty well. And keep in mind, this has nothing to do with the bikes problems, just which one is the best to ride.

New Fast Bikes Magazine review of the 2013 RSV4R/Factory
A few select quotes:

"We've lost count of the number of Panigales traded for RSV4s, after owners stumbled upon the 1199's "interesting" attributes and utter brutality.

As with most sensible systems, the Aprilia's (ABS) can be turned off, but it was never obtrusive during Estoril's barrage of braking zones.

Braking is now an area the RSV4 bosses, as the all-new Brembo M430 calipers don the 2013 models. Braking from sixth gear... I doubt even Rossi could outbrake the RSV4.
...now you would swear there were four wheels and active suspension on corner entry, such is the stability of this revised machine.

Regardless of engine repositioning and chassis tweaks, there's still nothing that can hang with an RSV4 when it comes to sexy handling. Running deep into an apex with insane mid-corner speed, trailing the brake, with unfathomable levels of front end punishment, only the new Daytona 675R exudes the same confidence-inspiring heroics.

If you haven't ridden an RSV4, you simply haven't experienced how a bike should handle.


It (extra horsepower) doesn't sound significant, but the change is tangible, with the bulk of the power increase dumped in the midrange and surging towards the top. This means an angrier delivery, fiercely revving and chomping gears quicker than before."

Enough said. But hey, the Pani is more beautiful.....

kope999R said:

ride the APE and mail your experiences to Gobmeyer.. they are trying to figure out how to make a deltabox ...

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I didn't know Aprilia made a naked version. Finally a decent replacement for the Streetfighter!

Capt CF said:

I didn't know Aprilia made a naked version. Finally a decent replacement for the Streetfighter!

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Is this configuration its weight is comparable to the Panigale.

Trauma said:

Is this configuration its weight is comparable to the Panigale.

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I think they fixed the heat issue with this open configuration. Hard to tell from the pic, but the rear brake fluid doesn't appear to have darkened at all on the Ape. I might spring for rearsets though. That brake looks hard to reach on the stockers.

From what I've read on the factory, the traction control can be adjusted on the fly at full boil. No backing of the throttle or having to stop. This has always drawn my attention.

Stw said:

Ok...Hard question... If you had to pick??? Which one??

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Though question!! I am mostly a street rider and although I find the ape easier around town and more comfortable to ride in a commute I will go with the duc as my first choice because of looks and twin power. If you were mostly a track day rider I think you would prefer the ape better because of the electronics and smoth power delivery, although I did not find much of a difference in braking and cornering, I must admit I am just a amateur rider. I must say the ape dash is antique compared to the 1199. and yes you can adjust the tc on the fly with the ape. The best thing to do is go to your dealer and take a demo out for a ride

Stw said:

So at the risk of getting beaten up..Aprilia??? Good bad or indifferent??

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Haven't ridden one. Back about a year and a half ago I went and looked and considered getting one. Kept thinking about. Kept looking. Kept sitting on them. etc. Just never could quite find the desire to commit to it.
I like the looks. Have always liked Aprilia. But I kept waiting for something to click and get me enthused enough to sign for one and it never did.
Service was a concern. But since I have other M/C to ride, it wasn't an over-riding one.
When buying a M/C it usually requires a visceral reaction to one before I'm willing to commit. The RSV4 has everything you'd want in a M/C - style, well built, quality, real presence, etc. I just never quite got that gut reaction ("gotta get one of these") that I usually have when I decide to buy.
The Panigale evoked that reaction when I first saw one. And again when I first heard one and blipped the throttle (first Ducati that had done that since the 748/916 and their evolutionary iterations). The RSV4 just didn't grab me that way.

VAST said:

correct! from my above Edit3:

for below that say parts are an issue -- there's this place called http://www.af1racing.com and they generally have all the parts you need assuming dealer is out. they also have a forum where you can confirm that you shouldn't have issue getting parts -- the whole fear of parts supply is utter legacy nonsense fears from like circa mid to late 90s...

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...and your favourite exhaust supplier is banned from there so you should be safe

I actually went to look at a RSV4F and F4 yesterday but didn't ride one, the dealership was so 'low rent', the sales people didn't once come over and ask if they could help despite being there for a while, and I heard them giving short shrift to a customer who was asking about a problem with his bike.

Anyway the Ape used to look small but now to so much having owned the Pani. I'm also thinking about a second hand one as a track bike.

They are totally different looking bikes which I kind of love. Both look amazing in there own right. The RSV4 is hands down my second choice. I was also contemplating switching due to the more compact design of the RSV4 for a smaller guy like me. The BMW does nothing for me visually. The RSV4 feels more exclusive to me if that matters to you. It's more unique. Here in PNW, both of our dealers sell boat loads of 1199's.

I agree with the statement mentioned above how its easier to move around on the RSV4. Especially for smaller people. Hence why I was considering it.

I love the no mirrors, no tail look of the RSV4.

the looks you may want to be focusing on are the ones where the world rushes you by as you look past the bubble of the easier to ride (fast) machine.

catch those frame sliders?

Nice track bike!

Just looks mean. I like!

Very few professional Aprilia technicians out there, fewer dealer points, you will need a lot of $$$ to get the 1199 Panigale power out from a RSV4. The RSV4 is my 3rd choice to the 1199 and the Teutonic Cleanroom feeling of the s1000rr.

George Villar

Hi Stw,

A couple of things to consider.

First, i would say that if you have to ask our opinions then you are not totally convinced to change bikes in your own heart.
You originally wanted the HP4. Understandably it didn't do it for you, now you're entertaining the thought of the Ape.
IMO from what you have said to date in this thread, you are running away from the 1199.
It's really just the dash issue isn't it?

I think most of us here have got that issue running through our minds if we are honest.
Don't forget that DUCATI are on to it, and have been from the start without hesitation.
They had problems with the early 1098 dash if i remember correctly. It got sorted.
I don't know where the replacement cost of the 1199 dash being $2000 came from. You probably should talk to your dealer regarding how much to replace it after warranty to get a realistic figure. It may be more cost effective than you think.
My dealer and i were discussing it as i'm laying down the ground work in regards to going forward with the 1199, and here in the land of OZ he was talking about it being about $1100 or less. It will be cheaper in the US.
To get to a point of no return for the dash issue, you'll need to draw a line in the sand, but i'm personally not there yet.
Once crossed then the 1199 will have to go, and make it a clean break
Still it's easier for me to say that because i'll always have my Streetfighter to fall back on, with a view to picking up a new Panigali 1200S when they come out or at the end of the run when the SP is released. Which should be packaged up much the same as the current R version.
Provided they've fixed the dash issues with all updates and revisions to the bike

Secondly, i think you will find it hard to go away from the twin cylinder power and be satisfied in the long run. Your hooked on the spirit of the 1199 and it's engine. Have you suffered from the V twin grin?
Have you ever ridden it and marvelled at how agile it is?
Have you ever got off it and had a goofy look on your face whilst admiring how good it looks?
If so, then if you leave i reckon you will always be missing it.
You'll be back. They always come back

I know in my heart, that i'm stuck with DUCATI because i'm a confirmed V twin man.
I've come from the other side of the tracks, and there's no going back for me.
At all
I know what makes me happy, and why it makes me happy.
Good luck with your quest

Cheers

I like it too, I was considering that before the HP4 and ultimately the 1199. I would have liked to test ride one. The problem is that service/dealers are too far away. Although I am still very happy with the 1199, it's everything I could've hoped for in a bike.

I looked at the Aprilia as it has done well in tests and has a lot of features. I also happen to like the looks. I went to the dealer here in Houston a while back and honestly my impression is that the dealer reminds me of dealers that aren't around for long. I hope that is not the case, but I go with my gut.

For me, and many of us, I don't race the bike and I don't ride on the street at anywhere near a race pace. I ride it fast, I take curves fast. But I don't ride a race pace. Having raced competitively in the past, I know the difference. There is a huge difference between a fast street pace and a race pace where you brake extremely hard setting up for a corner, and you are hard on the gas as early as you can, and you are on the ragged edge most of the time.

When I read the magazine tests on a bike like these I don't worry about what they say about how a bike handles or reacts at or near the limits. As long as the bike is not a train wreck waiting to happen, I'm am happy running the bike near it's limits and my comfort zone.

Point being that unless one is a serious track junkie - and is concerned about having a bike that you think you might want to be competitive on, it comes down to more subjective factors as to which one we buy. Subjective certainly can be that some folks want the bragging rights of having the bike that has the fastest times in magazine tests, or that the pro riders claim to be the cat's ass. Truthfully, I could have probably enjoyed any one of the liter bikes equally from an objective standpoint. So I bought the one that makes me feel good knowing that I bought one that is extremely competent, has most of the latest features, and makes me smile inside when I look at it in the garage and when I tell people "I have a Ducati Panigale".

If another bike gives someone else that same smile, then that's the one they should buy.