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Which Italian Steed to be added to my Stable

  • 2017 Panigale 1299

    Votes: 29 74.4%

  • 2017 Aprilia RSV4 RR

    Votes: 10 25.6%
  • Total voters
    39
  • Poll closed .
jpiwko

jpiwko

Joined
Jul 16, 2017
Messages
28
Location
Huntsville, AL
So I am on the fence truly between the 1299 & I know... RSV4 RR

I literally stuck in the middle to which bike to get emotionally and geographically. :)
I live in Huntsville, AL so either I drive north to TN (120+ miles one way) for the Aprilia Dealership who's been less then forth-giving on information much more than is on their dealer site. OR the complete 180; drive 90+ miles south, to hands down one of the most helpful, social and friendly dealership (Big #1 Motorsports) I have ever dealt with in 12+ years of riding (and no I have 0 affiliations with them I just had the pleasure of working with Jime explaining all my issues and why I am on the fence).

So here goes

Looks over the RSV4.... I believe Nuff said here. D 1. vs. A 0

Price D 1 vs. A 1
(to get a comparable bike you're looking at the 959 which has nowhere
close to the electronics that is standard with the RR)

Comfort... D 1 vs. A 1
well I have yet to sit on a 1299 but, I owned an 07' 1098 for 3 short months in Hawaii before it was stolen (R.I.P. :mad: :mad:)
TBD

Reliability. D 2 vs. A 1
I have seen many MANY issues with both but, the dealer support network thus far is highly favored to Duc. Aprilia seems to be sketchy.

Upgrade goodies. D 3 vs. A 1
way more aftermarket available for duc. from factory to other vendors.

Power D 3 vs. A 1
I have seen mixed numbers.. but I haven't had the pleasure of driving either... so the butt dyno has yet to swayed either way. (4 fly wheel hp diff isn't really something you can truly "feel")

Highway rideability D 3 vs. A 2
(Aprilia has cruise control & better mpg.. EST lol, long high straights might be awesome for land speed record attempts IF you don't enjoy your low insurance rates :):D )

Total cost of ownership D 3 vs. A 2
(I saw the youtube video about the 22,000 mile 1299 review but nothing on the RSV)

So... Let's here it from the masses.... I am looking at pulling the trigger on this in the 2-4 weeks.
 
There are several members with both bikes so hopefully they chime in.

I will just talk about dealership and dealership support since I have little bit of experience in that.

This was one of top importance to me as I move A LOT and Aprilla is horrible. Particularly in numbers of dealers. When they have limited number of dealers, they tend to not care about the customers since they have the "monopoly."

In California, there are so many Ducati dealers and "little" more Aprilla dealers so you can go wherever you want so Dealers have to compete with good customers service. However, states like La, GA, SC, NC, KY, TN, KS, and smaller states dont have that luxury.

When I lived in La, I drove 5 hours to get to Dallas to get to the dealer.

Warranty works tend to be Dealer depended so having a good dealer is essential.
 
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TBH, it sounds like you want the Ducati. You will no be disappointed by either.

Couple things to think about.

1) Aprilia is smoother/less thump

2) Long term ownership cost lower fir Aprilia. Think Desmo vs valve adjustment cost

3) Ducati can get cruise control with Tuneboy if you really want it.

4) Personally I think the Aprilia is ugly.

5) Ducati an easier bike to ride fast on street with the torque

6) Just pick one. Lol
 
AmpForE said:
TBH, it sounds like you want the Ducati. You will no be disappointed by either.

Couple things to think about.

1) Aprilia is smoother/less thump

2) Long term ownership cost lower fir Aprilia. Think Desmo vs valve adjustment cost

3) Ducati can get cruise control with Tuneboy if you really want it.

4) Personally I think the Aprilia is ugly.

5) Ducati an easier bike to ride fast on street with the torque

6) Just pick one. Lol
Click to expand...

Well, The wife and I are trying for babies, so this is going to be my last 'man' purchase for quite some time, so I really don't want to have any hesitation. I know my 1098 / dry clutch and 0 fancy rider assist to choose from. So.. it was pretty rough at times in Hawaiian Traffic. so I know some of the Desmo "quirks" but again it was stollen @ a little over 3 months of ownership :( and my insurance check didn't get me where I needed so I downsized to the Japanese variety.

I have seen a bunch of threads mentioning the "tuneboy" software. Do you use it? Is the OBD interface on the IMU/ ECU pretty straight forward? Thanks again man!
 
youngR said:
There are several members with both bikes so hopefully they chime in.

I will just talk about dealership and dealership support since I have little bit of experience in that.

This was one of top importance to me as I move A LOT and Aprilla is horrible. Particularly in numbers of dealers. When they have limited number of dealers, they tend to not care about the customers since they have the "monopoly."

In California, there are so many Ducati dealers and "little" more Aprilla dealers so you can go wherever you want so Dealers have to compete with good customers service. However, states like La, GA, SC, NC, KY, TN, KS, and smaller states dont have that luxury.

When I lived in La, I drove 5 hours to get to Dallas to get to the dealer.

Warranty works tend to be Dealer depended so having a good dealer is essential.
Click to expand...

Well thus far, The Birmingham Dealer is hands down looking like the better customer service department. The sales rep even told me to take my time and don't choose until after their demo day they're hosting the first week of Aug. But, he did say they ONLY have 959's to demo. But I don't expect to get on a brand new/ non-broken in Superbike and thrash even though Barbers is literally 10 mins away lol. :( The Aprilia guys haven't so much as given me a solid answer on what they have available to see and test (before I drive 2 hours to check it out). So on the customer relation department, Hands down goes to the Ducati front. :D
 
Do they have an RSV4 demo? You need to ask them straight out, Do you have a demo I can ride, yes or no. If the say yes ask them when you can ride it. Don't drive the two hours unless you have made the decision to buy it without riding it.

Personally you need to ride both and that will ultimately help your decision. If Aprilia dealer says no then ride the Ducati and choose, make sure you tell Aprilia dealer you bought Ducati because you were between bikes and Duc had a demo and you didn't, and that made your decision easy.
 
AmpForE said:
Do they have an RSV4 demo? You need to ask them straight out, Do you have a demo I can ride, yes or no. If the say yes ask them when you can ride it. Don't drive the two hours unless you have made the decision to buy it without riding it.

Personally you need to ride both and that will ultimately help your decision. If Aprilia dealer says no then ride the Ducati and choose, make sure you tell Aprilia dealer you bought Ducati because you were between bikes and Duc had a demo and you didn't, and that made your decision easy.
Click to expand...

Honestly, I guess living in Hi for so long, I was kinda blessed that they have pretty much all the heavier hitters on Oahu. So they would jockey for your business, opposed to the latter... But Jime (Duc sales rep @ Big #1 Motorsports) that on the Ducati demo days coming up they will have everything except the 1299, and they only have 959 demo bikes... but looking online the ergo's are exactly the same.. The heart of the two beasts, however, beat to completely different drums.

I really REALLY want a bike with wheelie control for corner exiting & launching on tack days. Although pinning the right hand on any modern era supersport anything is something that almost always yields big wheelies/butthole puckering effect lol.
 
Does not sound like much emotion in your decision process, all facts and figures. Not a fun way to buy a bike in my humble opinion.

I bought my 1199 back in 2012 without ever even sitting on one. Wheelie control has never been an issue. It does not have one.

Btw I went to Huntsville back in 99 parachuting with the 20th SF Group. DZ was a big paddock next to a place called space camp.

Went to hooters there too
Great time

Buy the 1299
 
bradp51 said:
Does not sound like much emotion in your decision process, all facts and figures. Not a fun way to buy a bike in my humble opinion.

I bought my 1199 back in 2012 without ever even sitting on one. Wheelie control has never been an issue. It does not have one.

Btw I went to Huntsville back in 99 parachuting with the 20th SF Group. DZ was a big paddock next to a place called space camp.

Went to hooters there too
Great time

Buy the 1299 ��
Click to expand...

Yeah I am retired Army and playing with the civilian side of things traveling a bunch keeping to the Avn side of things. But, as far as the bike choice, I really wish I had approval from Household 6 to get both One could be the full-time track bike the other could be my Sexy Street machine. Both bikes have their strengths.. I haven't even looked for / posted in an Aprilia Forum so I am fairly certain my mind is leaning towards the Pani... But I have had engrained into my life you always plan at least 3 contingencies plans prior to execution.

Does anyone take their 1299 on a long road trip? (here lies the non-rational choice of always rocking super bikes.. yes, they are meant for the track, but, I can rock a cruiser when I am retired ;) )

I am fortunate in my line of work has me out of the loop traveling for 60 days of hard work and 60 days off to enjoy the finer things. So the wife & I make a habit of traveling a lot. :)
 
jpiwko said:
Does anyone take their 1299 on a long road trip? (here lies the non-rational choice of always rocking super bikes.. yes, they are meant for the track, but, I can rock a cruiser when I am retired ;) )
Define long trip? I have put 300 miles on my 1299 in a day of mountain carving. I would probably just get bored long before getting tired on a long trip down the interstate.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Mrdcook2 said:
jpiwko said:
Does anyone take their 1299 on a long road trip? (here lies the non-rational choice of always rocking super bikes.. yes, they are meant for the track, but, I can rock a cruiser when I am retired ;) )
Define long trip? I have put 300 miles on my 1299 in a day of mountain carving. I would probably just get bored long before getting tired on a long trip down the interstate.
Click to expand...

The last bike I racked up a bit over 22k in 10 months before it was stolen (2 months were at Q course so really that's about 8-8.5 months of just finding new and exciting roads with views / taking in the scenery). Longest I have done was Cali > New York > Maryland > Alabama (a smidge over 4500 miles in 10 days on a 08' Gsxr-1k)

mordor said:
If you want to read about long road trips on the Panigale, you should take a look at Antihero's trips across the US and Europe:

Coast to Coast (and back?) with an Italian Supermodel | Adventure Rider

Personally I have done some 2-3 day (around 400-450km a day) trips with the Panigale, and it works fine for me, with some stops during the day and avoiding long & straight freeways :)
Click to expand...

Good read thank you :) and more and more it's leaning towards the 1299 :).

I really want to drive a 1299 first though because I have read A LOT of stories on here (and you tube ;) ) that this monster doesn't behave herself on the day to day riding. The riding position... It's a superbike.. No super bike is actually "comfortable" ;). But, I have seen multiple owners complaining about the engine at sub 8k rpms or sub 100mph... So I want to experience it first hand to know what I am getting into before dive in. The Aprilia is supposedly a smoother street machine. FULL DISCLAIMER!!! I haven't ridden either and that is my make/break point.

The V4 tech is now going to be Ducati's new flag ship motor... But I have only seen RSV4's online.. not one in person.. The Ducati though it's single sided swing arm / looks like it's going mach 1 sitting still... It's truly a personal struggle I think only a bit of seat time will finally lay to rest lol.

Thank you all again. And I am still hoping a few people who do / have owned both could chime in w/ their thoughts opinions on the case.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
this may be a first for me but go get the ducati. i have a few buddies that like the aprilla and i am not saying it isnt a great bike, however lots of these purchases are emotional purchases and i think the APE looks like a honda. yes i said it.

i believe the APE may have the best electronics but what does that really mean. i know ducati isnt that bad. you also have the dealer network.

so of the 2 if the msrp isnt your main deciding factor get the ducati.

now if we are talking a loaded s1000rr thats a different story.

enjoy the ducati
 
I'd still recommend taking the 959 for a spin to get a baseline of the 1299's road manners. The ergos are basically the same so you can determine if those are tolerable. Engine-wise, keep in mind you can switch between power modes and the 1299 in Wet mode is roughly what the 959 feels like normally. I bump mine down to Wet whenever I'm in town, traffic, etc. just to take the edge off the throttle and it makes it perfectly tolerable if you're already used to the general jumpiness of any modern sportbike throttle IMHO. Plus if you're looking at the S model, you can have the suspension soften up in Wet mode too to make it even more tame.

Riding position aside, the only other two problems for slow riding for me are the extremely tall first gear (seems to be a standard Ducati feature, which is to say it's probably just a sprocket swap away from being mostly addressed) and the heat under the seat and on the back of your legs. Not much you can do about that one so just consider it penance for all the power you get.

Kinda sounds like the 1299 is speaking to you a little more though and you just need a ride to seal it. Tool around on that 959 for a bit and if it seems like you can deal with the overall road character of the thing, an extra 50 hp will add a whole new dimension of silliness.

And who knows, maybe you'll find the 959 suits your needs just fine? The leftover funds would buy a pretty bitchin set of CF wheels and a Tuneboy with a smoother engine map and cruise control...
 
How about the naked version of the RSV4? That would be more comfortable than the two you're looking at. Otherwise I'd go for the 1299 with the dealer support. Sketchy dealer support gets old real fast.
 
I would go with the Duc, multiple reasons, dealer support at the top, look at the maintenance schedule of both bikes the RR Aprillia is DAUNTING at best. Then you get down to the COOL factor, two bike in this world make you instantly cool through ownership, and one of them is a Ducati Superbike, the other a big twin Harley Davidson.
 
I wouldn't get either because they are both terrible street bikes if you're riding more than 14 feet down a public road. Get a monster R or a Tuono. Plenty fast and 10X as comfortable. Buy a scuffed up/salvage title Panigale for the track.
 
centeroff said:
I would go with the Duc, multiple reasons, dealer support at the top, look at the maintenance schedule of both bikes the RR Aprillia is DAUNTING at best. Then you get down to the COOL factor, two bike in this world make you instantly cool through ownership, and one of them is a Ducati Superbike, the other a big twin Harley Davidson.
Click to expand...



obviously you have never seen the south park about harley riders. one of the best ever and so so true.

[youtube]QHEflMDg9tE[/youtube]
 
Last edited:
http://ducati1299.com/ducati-1199/29077-1199-vs-rsv4-factory.html#post287458

I just posted that comparison there.

I can add:

Comfort - RSV4. The 1299 is freaking hot, it's narrow, and I hurt worse from riding it. The ergonomics on the RSV4 feel a bit better and for riding 200 miles, I hurt less... Still hurt and not super comfortable.

I think both bikes are sexy, but I'm biased. I own the 1299 S, my wife owns the RSV4 (2016). The 2017 has the sexy dash, but otherwise it mostly the same between the 16 and 17.

If you ask on this forum I would bet most answers are the 1299. If you ask on the Aprilia boards, you are going to get RSV4.


Like I said in the other post, which one gives you the biggest chubby/smile?
 
Not 1299 but I just went through the 1199 vs RSV4 Factory decision. I bought an 1199 last night, to me the Ducati is just a sexy thing it's narrow light and looks the goods from my perspective.

Nothing wrong with the Ape I think it's nice but I couldn't walk past the Pani. Thanks also to the RSV4 forum for good no ........ advice.
 

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