Decisions Decisions

Also, let me know when you are near a track in my neighborhood (NJMP?). I would love for you to see my 1199 Panigale rear tire from the seat of your S1000rr. I can ask you how it's wearing.

Both BMW and Ducati dealers in my area offer test rides.

Which bike is for you depends on a whole bunch of personal factors and preferences. Except for those who buy these bikes as mechanical jewelry, the way to make the best informed decision is to test ride them and buy whichever one you prefer, or if you have the finances and feel so compelled, buy both of them.

Who cares what the magazines write, or what others think. It isn't their money or life.

Thank God I'm not alone

duckyduc said:

was in the same situation in 2011 when i was trying to decide between a new CBR1000RR or a 848 EVO, i went for the CBR, that was a mistake! the fix: Panigale
in short, bike purchase are not like car where you weight pro and cons with your brain, i DONT need a fast reliable practical bike, i NEED something that make my heart race and laugh stupidly inside of my helmet.
hope you dont make the same mistake as i do
1,200 miles of heaven time with the Duc, and never looked back on the CBR

Click to expand...

That's what I'm talking about make my heart race and laugh stupidly inside my helmet, I thought I was the only one who did this..
Last Year It took lot of courage to purchase Ducati 2011 1198SP while owning a Suzuki GSXR 1000 2006. I fell in love with the Duc ridding was awesome, the only thing I didn't like about 1198 was the short 1st gears and the heat if you stayed on the bike while stopped,other than that it felt great. Now I went all out my way and traded it for the 1199 s tri and the compliments I get on this bike is more than ten times. For the Ride its better than anything I rode before 1st gears are longer, the power is there and now after up-map and slip ons, its a beast, about heat problem not as much as 1198 when in traffic and all bike produce high heat on the hot summer days remember your engine is running @ 220 degrees, I don't regret the the Upgrade. ask me if I'll do it again. HFY in a heart beat. I look good ridding my Tricolore ..

Here's my 2 cents from my own experience...

In 2009 I really wanted a Ducati 1198 but couldn't justify and didn't have the $ to get the Ducati. So, I settled for the 08 CBR1000RR which was an awesome bike but not my dream machine.
Then I saw the Panigale... End of story. Once I laid eyes on her I knew in my heart that was the one. Went and put $ down on the Tricolore without hesitation and never looked back.

I didn't wait for first rides or reviews cause it didn't matter to me and I don't regret it one bit! I get all fluttered like having my first crush on a school girl each time I prepare to ride. Once I'm on and down the road it's all smiles and giggles from there...

Go with your heart. You only live once! IMHO

I think you already know the answer. If you're the practical type that looks at cost and efficiency and the sensible choice you'll be on the Beamer. If you go with your heart you're on the Duc. Both machines can only be tamed by national race level riders so it'll come down to whether you think you've got a better bike for lower cost.
Here's my example of why I sold my K1300S (fantastic bike) to get the 1199. My bikes arrived on the transporter yesterday morning from Ms. I let the two guys get both bikes off just in case. First bike off is track prep'd GSXR 750 with race system and sounds crazy loud and has the most wonderful backfire on the overrun. Started it up and rode into garage with no issues. Then the 1199 came off and I couldn't wait to throw a leg over it. Ignition on, watch the dash, thumb the starter and..........there it goes - it thunders into life and I get stupid grin on my face, both the guys stop and look out of the truck and wife tells me the neighbors are going to explain. Just in that one start after five weeks of not being on bike was worth the recalls, the loose bolts, etc, etc.

B747 said:

After combing through this forum and reading and watching videos about the 1199 I'm starting to be on the fence about owning one. It has been a dream to own a Ducati, but from the things I read here on the forum I'm starting to lean towards buying a BMW S1000RR. Some of my concerns:

1. Heat issues from the header
2. Needs to be ridden aggressively on the street to have any enjoyment or feedback.
3. Bolts coming undone.
4. Starter issues.
5. Almost $9,000 more than BMW

All of these things almost become meaningless, when I look at it, so my heart says get it but my brain says buy the BMW because I'll enjoy riding it more. This is not a thread to figure out which bike is better because that's subjective but am I making too much of these issues? When you add up all of these "negatives" and add on top of it the cost difference, brain says BMW heart says Ducati. What do you guys think?

Click to expand...

Look dude, I have had exactly the same questions as you. I was stuck for a very long time on the decision making (months). And I came from riding a RSV4, R1, S1000RR before I made the jump. I made the jump because I rode all of them, and to be honest only the 1199 gets my heart going (at least during the test ride on a loan machine).

1. Heat issues from the header
Definitely heat is an issue but i got used to it within minutes. I dont mind less heat though, will definitely be workign on it with my base.
2. Needs to be ridden aggressively on the street to have any enjoyment or feedback.
The bmw is the one that needs to be ridden aggressively to have feedback. Trust me. With the pani.. I have to really tame it..
3. Bolts coming undone.
No comment on that yet..
4. Starter issues.
So far, none on my end. Many reports around the forum but hey, people only shout when there are problems.

5. Almost $9,000 more than BMW
The good thing (and it was a decision breaker for me) was that in my country, the BMW sells for exactly the same price as the Pani base model. So it really was easy for me

The BMW will, and will always appeal to the purist. When I say purist, I mean people who love paper and drag-performance. It is also more subtle and takes someone to know it to love it. I still love the BMW and its a really comfortable ride. On the other side, the pani is loved by almost everyone. My advice to you is, test ride the two of them, for as long as you can, try out the different conditions, max out the tacho, get stuck in traffic, and then make your decision. Ultimately, for me at least, its the ride that counts, not the paper.

Hi B747,

I am having exactly the same dilemma. I have alway had a soft sport for the "unique" style of the S1000RR and now that there is a HP4 love it. However my heart rules and you need to be able to get on the bike each day and say I love this bike warts and all. Most of the issues can be fixed.

A lot will depend on what sort of riding you will be doing. If the Panigale can out drag a Porsche GT2RS, then it doesn't need to be thrashed to have fun..there is easily enough power.
Heat wise, I am going to get the Zircotec treatment - heat issue gone. As other have said, check your nuts & bolts and all will be OK. Start issues are minor - hey its a small starter montor, may take an extra turn or two. Price, its all relevant. How much can you spend as opposed to what do you want sitting in your garage?

Panigale 1199 Tri or S everytime.

get the BMW!

B747 said:

After combing through this forum and reading and watching videos about the 1199 I'm starting to be on the fence about owning one. It has been a dream to own a Ducati, but from the things I read here on the forum I'm starting to lean towards buying a BMW S1000RR. Some of my concerns:

1. Heat issues from the header
2. Needs to be ridden aggressively on the street to have any enjoyment or feedback.
3. Bolts coming undone.
4. Starter issues.
5. Almost $9,000 more than BMW

All of these things almost become meaningless, when I look at it, so my heart says get it but my brain says buy the BMW because I'll enjoy riding it more. This is not a thread to figure out which bike is better because that's subjective but am I making too much of these issues? When you add up all of these "negatives" and add on top of it the cost difference, brain says BMW heart says Ducati. What do you guys think?

Click to expand...

I think you should buy the BMW....you don,t sound like a Ducati person to me. Buy the BMW and then you can walk around with a pile of magazines in your hand and show people you have the best bike.

Don,t buy the latest copy of Rapid Bike though because the 1199 wins that one.

All jokes aside you really need to make up your own mind.

The bike made its second world debute at the Sydney Motorcycle show on Nov25 and after seeing it in the flesh I put down a deposit and was one of the first couple to get one in Australia. Now it goes for a recall to correct some really minor issues. Anyway don,t waste your time reading any more forum stuff I am sure there are a few more magazines out there for you to buy to tell you which bike to buy.

Buy the new BMW HP4 S1000RR. BMW has added some of the Panigale features to it's Superbike. There's getting to be too many Panigale's on the road now so get the beemer.

George Villar said:

Also, let me know when you are near a track in my neighborhood (NJMP?). I would love for you to see my 1199 Panigale rear tire from the seat of your S1000rr. I can ask you how it's wearing.

Click to expand...

good one +1

If you are a practical person, you should get the S1000RR.
If you are passionate about owning a Ducati, go for Panigale.

Thanks to all of you who gave me some great input on your own experiences on the 1199. In the very end, my heart wins this battle. I forgot to add that I recently had some back problems so the idea of riding full out all the time didn't quite appeal to me but as I get better and the prospects of riding the 1199 draws very near I'm excited to buy one. Technically, the BMW is a marvelous machine, but the Ducati stirs the soul and that's a huge plus in my book since this might be my last sport bike.

A while back I couldn't afford one, I now own an S.



And happier than ever!

B747 said:

Thanks to all of you who gave me some great input on your own experiences on the 1199. In the very end, my heart wins this battle. I forgot to add that I recently had some back problems so the idea of riding full out all the time didn't quite appeal to me but as I get better and the prospects of riding the 1199 draws very near I'm excited to buy one. Technically, the BMW is a marvelous machine, but the Ducati stirs the soul and that's a huge plus in my book since this might be my last sport bike.

Click to expand...

Dont make it your last sport bike, there will be many more to come dude. The tech will get better, and all the other makers should churn something fantastic out. Your back should get a full workout on the duc.. and maybe it will miraculously heal

No shame having both, one for the kitchen, one for the bedroom

Are you riding it on the street or will you track/race either of them? And what percentage of each?

If mainly street riding and your budget allows, there's no point in not listening to your heart. I owned both and raced both and even in that scenario I sold the Beemer and picked up a base model. I'm (at the moment) logging significantly slower laptimes on the Pani, it's a bitch to setup and I'll need to invest a decent amount of time and money to get it to baseline BMW performance....but I was smiling in my helmet the entire time. And to me, when your racing for a plastic trophy, that's all that matters.

Because my heart wasn't into the bmw, my mind followed and lost interest in the bike too. Go with your heart AND mind.

B747 said:

After combing through this forum and reading and watching videos about the 1199 I'm starting to be on the fence about owning one. It has been a dream to own a Ducati, but from the things I read here on the forum I'm starting to lean towards buying a BMW S1000RR. Some of my concerns:

1. Heat issues from the header
2. Needs to be ridden aggressively on the street to have any enjoyment or feedback.
3. Bolts coming undone.
4. Starter issues.
5. Almost $9,000 more than BMW

All of these things almost become meaningless, when I look at it, so my heart says get it but my brain says buy the BMW because I'll enjoy riding it more. This is not a thread to figure out which bike is better because that's subjective but am I making too much of these issues? When you add up all of these "negatives" and add on top of it the cost difference, brain says BMW heart says Ducati. What do you guys think?

Click to expand...

If these things have you in two minds please don't buy a 1199, you will end up hating it, you'll be much happier with a BMW.