Aprilia RSV4R Factory versus 1199
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I've waited 6 months for my white panigale to get in and now that it has I'm having second thoughts. Is the 1199 really that hard to live with? I plan on logging 10k miles a year on her but all the issues I'm hearing is kinda pushing me towards the ape/ bmw :/.....it'll be my only bike but yeah I'm on the fence.
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don't know why anyone would go with the ape over the bimmer. if it's not about the sexy-ass looks of the pani -- it can't lose to any competitors there, or the ducati soul -- once again, nothing else comes close -- the s1000rr has to stomp every other bike. especially if you want reliability and performance. the hp4 is miles away from anything else on those levels. ease of service = BMW dealer. those guys treat every customer like the king.
edit: i had an s1000rr last year and i adored it, but i'm 6'3'' and it's a little tight for me, i felt it was a bit heavier than the pani to toss around the turns at the track, plus i wanted more ducati feeling. but i miss that blue fire when i'm scorching my thigh and stalling out in street traffic.
edit: i had an s1000rr last year and i adored it, but i'm 6'3'' and it's a little tight for me, i felt it was a bit heavier than the pani to toss around the turns at the track, plus i wanted more ducati feeling. but i miss that blue fire when i'm scorching my thigh and stalling out in street traffic.
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go and ride the aprilia. It feels a bit smaller but riders very well. If you like it, it fits you and moves your soul - get it. .. I like the panigale as it rides very well for me and I enjoy it. Most people have never even seen an Aprilia APRC Factory so that is one advantage. It sounds and looks pretty nice if you ask me, but I go for what moves me. And right now, bike wise, the panigale is the bike that moves me. It's actually second, but the first one really stirs the soul but isn't one you would want to ride/track all the time.
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If you want reliability and parts availability you honestly should steer clear of ANY Italian or German bike. While some people never have issues, they are always going to be more prone to having issues since the companies are so much smaller than the Japanese counterparts.
Honestly you need to ask yourself what is important to you:
Reliability? Speed? Handling? Looks? Exclusivity? Price? Dealer support?
I don't think there is a bike out there that has all of those....believe me I have tried...lol.
I can't comment on the Aprilia, I have never had one. I have owned MV, previous ducatis, the S1000, and Japanese bikes. I find the Pani my favorite ride out of any of them.
Honestly though...my next favorite? The Gen 4 ZX10r. That bike is bar none the best bang for the buck out of anything out there at the moment. It feels light and nimble like a 600 (almost as light as the pani) and has that smooth inline engine that maybe is "boring" but is very smooth at any rpm and has a killer top end push. To top it off they are inexpensive, have all the traction control and abs, and they actually designed them to be easy to work on. You can change the oil filter easily, remove fairings easily, etc etc. Kawis are always reliable as hell and it's just a killer package that you can mod to your hearts content to get a really really awesome and fast bike. Only thing it lacks is exclusivity....and maybe looks (even though I like it).
Here is mine
And yes....it has an Austin Racing exhaust and it's Badass. Also have the ECu flashed to remove the USA restrictions.....although now there is Ivan's wire mod (look it up) you can do for free.
BTW....does aprilia still have plastic gas tanks that can warp with ethanol gas like on the first gen RSV4?
Honestly you need to ask yourself what is important to you:
Reliability? Speed? Handling? Looks? Exclusivity? Price? Dealer support?
I don't think there is a bike out there that has all of those....believe me I have tried...lol.
I can't comment on the Aprilia, I have never had one. I have owned MV, previous ducatis, the S1000, and Japanese bikes. I find the Pani my favorite ride out of any of them.
Honestly though...my next favorite? The Gen 4 ZX10r. That bike is bar none the best bang for the buck out of anything out there at the moment. It feels light and nimble like a 600 (almost as light as the pani) and has that smooth inline engine that maybe is "boring" but is very smooth at any rpm and has a killer top end push. To top it off they are inexpensive, have all the traction control and abs, and they actually designed them to be easy to work on. You can change the oil filter easily, remove fairings easily, etc etc. Kawis are always reliable as hell and it's just a killer package that you can mod to your hearts content to get a really really awesome and fast bike. Only thing it lacks is exclusivity....and maybe looks (even though I like it).
Here is mine
And yes....it has an Austin Racing exhaust and it's Badass. Also have the ECu flashed to remove the USA restrictions.....although now there is Ivan's wire mod (look it up) you can do for free.
BTW....does aprilia still have plastic gas tanks that can warp with ethanol gas like on the first gen RSV4?
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My last bike was the new ZX-10r and I have to say that I absolutely loved that bike. i had it for 2.5 years and took it to the track a lot.....just wanted to get something new so I bought the R. The ZX-10r can compete with any bike out there on the track with the right mods.
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STW, not much more to add other than sharing my personal experience having had both at the same time, both set up for the track, and would often ride them back to back in the same track session. Before ultimately deciding on the Pani as my race bike.
Both clocked similarly fast lap times, just accomplish the task in different ways. Out of the box, the Ape was much faster and easier to set up. However, after spending a lot of time and money in the Duc, it's clocking favorable times.
- Handling, turn in and exit are similarly excellent. Mid-corner speed and stability goes to the Ape. Flickability is a tie.
- Top speed and torque, Duc wins. Power and torque curve, Ape out of the box but my Bazzaz-tuned Duc is smooth, very smooth.
- Braking, Duc wins for power but not by a wide margin. Ape has better braking feel.
- Electronics - Ape
- Ergos - Duc
- Sound - slight advantage to the Ape on the track. But Duc on the street for sure. Guys I race with say the Ape sounds absolutely pissed off on the front straight but they call the Duc with Termis "The Panty Dropper" on the street or track.
- Looks - who gives a sh*t as long as you like it. I personally think the Ape is beautiful. The Pani is, however, universally gorgeous.
If you want a change, go for it man. The Ape is a freaking awesome bike. I would've kept it but 90% of my riding is essentially on the track and on the bike I'm racing so makes no sense in having it sit around.
Last thing I'll say is ignore the magazine tests for making a final decision (not saying you're not). I recall one of the mags ranking both the Honda and Kawi liter bikes above the Pani. I've been peripherally involved in some of these so-called "shoot-outs" and a fellow-racer buddy was involved in the 2012 shoot-out when the Pani debuted. They're faaar from academic or unbiased. Half the time the bikes aren't even set-up properly which was the case with the Pani in almost every mag test. I remember one tester saying "I'll always choose an inline 4 over a twin no matter what". Well um ok, then why are you a bike tester in this shoot-out again? The CBR engineer in charge of jury selection?
I know guys, very fast and successful racers, that jumped on the Ape and were blown away and could drop near identical lap times on it out of the box as they could on their personal race bikes that have had tens of thousands of dollars and countless hours of set-up time invested....that's a real-world testimony to just how legitimate that bike really is.
Both clocked similarly fast lap times, just accomplish the task in different ways. Out of the box, the Ape was much faster and easier to set up. However, after spending a lot of time and money in the Duc, it's clocking favorable times.
- Handling, turn in and exit are similarly excellent. Mid-corner speed and stability goes to the Ape. Flickability is a tie.
- Top speed and torque, Duc wins. Power and torque curve, Ape out of the box but my Bazzaz-tuned Duc is smooth, very smooth.
- Braking, Duc wins for power but not by a wide margin. Ape has better braking feel.
- Electronics - Ape
- Ergos - Duc
- Sound - slight advantage to the Ape on the track. But Duc on the street for sure. Guys I race with say the Ape sounds absolutely pissed off on the front straight but they call the Duc with Termis "The Panty Dropper" on the street or track.
- Looks - who gives a sh*t as long as you like it. I personally think the Ape is beautiful. The Pani is, however, universally gorgeous.
If you want a change, go for it man. The Ape is a freaking awesome bike. I would've kept it but 90% of my riding is essentially on the track and on the bike I'm racing so makes no sense in having it sit around.
Last thing I'll say is ignore the magazine tests for making a final decision (not saying you're not). I recall one of the mags ranking both the Honda and Kawi liter bikes above the Pani. I've been peripherally involved in some of these so-called "shoot-outs" and a fellow-racer buddy was involved in the 2012 shoot-out when the Pani debuted. They're faaar from academic or unbiased. Half the time the bikes aren't even set-up properly which was the case with the Pani in almost every mag test. I remember one tester saying "I'll always choose an inline 4 over a twin no matter what". Well um ok, then why are you a bike tester in this shoot-out again? The CBR engineer in charge of jury selection?
I know guys, very fast and successful racers, that jumped on the Ape and were blown away and could drop near identical lap times on it out of the box as they could on their personal race bikes that have had tens of thousands of dollars and countless hours of set-up time invested....that's a real-world testimony to just how legitimate that bike really is.
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King of what ? I'm here because exactly that didn't happen . My 2012 S 1000rr was one with the dodgy conrod bolts BMW HQ couldn't care less and after three months of waiting I sold it and bought a panigale .
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I would like to ask an even bigger question... Have you tried the Aprilia yet? Everything else aside.
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Tri: what if you threw half the money you did into the Pani into the Ape? What then? If say you dropped that cash into the Ape's engine would you get superior top speed/torque?
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Panigale... Aprilia... either way I look at each of them I climax to orgasm
TMI, man, TMI...
j/k
As has been said many times, buying a motorcycle is about the furthest thing from a rational purchase. Especially if you're into Euro bikes, it probably is even more of a "passion" thing. Buy the one that "speaks" to you the most.
If you've had problems with both your Ducs, as was mentioned early on, a lot of people would empathize with you. If the Ape is speaking to you now, go for it. You only live once and hell, after all it's a hobby and it's your money.
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I had a RSV4 before my BMW . I prefer the Panigale over all of them and my lap times agree .
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I am considering...Don't flame me.. Selling my 1199 and buying an '13 Aprilia Rsv4r Aprc Abs Factory ....
Obviously this is a Panigale forum so views will be biased but they will also be on the Ape forum too... so I have to start somewhere...
Can anyone give me any input on this bike?? It has Ohlins ..Carbon.. Adjustable swing arm.. adjustable steering geometry..Abs.. Brembos and its (Imo) a sweet looking bike...
I was considering a Hp4 but I rode a S1000 Saturday with an Akra pipe and whilst that bike is wicked..so wicked in m any ways.. It has very little torque and even less personality... Very disappointing actually..
So at the risk of getting beaten up..Aprilia??? Good bad or indifferent??
Mate you need to ask this on the Aprilia forum you will get the answers you are looking for there. I am sure they will tell you its a great bike and then you will feel good about buying it. Easy.
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