Help me choose 959 1299 or 1299s (Opinions Please)

So I need some personal opinions/experiences

I am tossing up between
959 Panigale
1299 Panigale
1299 Panigale S

I only ride road I say ill go to the track but never actually do so its only realistically a road bike.

Here are my pros and cons, I have ridden the 959 and found it fun and actually usable on the road. I previously owned a 2013 1199 Panigale S and while I loved the sexiness I often felt like id accelerate to 3 gear and pretty much sit idling alone and never actually using the bike unless I punched it to licence losing speeds (to me Panigale S sucked under 120kph) but saying that...

959 Panigale
Pros:
Usable road power.
very cheap to buy so can replace it sooner.
Can add accessories or exhaust and keep it under 30k (Australian)

Cons:
No clutch less down shift.
No sexy TFT screen
Does look cheaper made than a 1299.
Going to less power is usable but not as fun.

1299 Panigale
Pros:
Full powered engine.
Has all the looks of the 1229s minus Ohlins and some electronics.
can add extras to it and keep the price reasonably ok.

Cons:
No ohlins or full electronics package

1299 Panigale S
Pros:
Full package without going to a Panigale R
That feeling you get knowing you have the better one

Cons:
No very usable on the road.
Constantly worried about people touching or stealing it.
Expensive insurance and repayments.
very expensive once you add accessories.

So coming From a Panigale S (which admittedly I had a love/hate relationship with) I dont know what to do, If I buy a 959 its cheap so I can replace it in 3 years and not really mind.I currently own a Monster 1200 and I always kicked myself that I didn't spend the extra and buy the S model so I don't want to buy the 1299 Panigale (base) then spend the next few years crying that I just didn't spend that bit more and get the S model. I am a regular guy not rich enough to pay cash so if I finance it the bike I choose means.

959 = have lots of spare money and can live.
1299= have some spare money and can live.
1299s= have no money for food so have to live on the thrill of the ride.

I just want some personal opinions preferably from people that have ridden them and why they would choose/have chosen the choice they did

If you CAN afford the 1299s the smoothness of that ride on the street will trump all, if you can't afford a 1299 period... Don't do it, take my word for it the other services alone will gouge your pockets... I'm 2000mi away from the 15,000 mark which is the mark to adjust the valves... And Ducati Newport said it will cost roughly $2,200...... [emoji15] considering I'm almost a year into owning this bike.... To think ill annually rack up 15000mi and annually have to pay 2200, on top of tires (supercorsas from the shop are ........ expensive, rear alone was quoted at $450 hahaha, and that rear tire literally lasted me 3000mi) I wouldn't go for the 1299 if you can't truly be comfortable in the bank with it. The swing arm of the 959/899 made me say HELL NO, to those bikes lol


.Panigale.Lifestyle.

Thanks for the input, I agree I don't really like the swing arm on the 959, the 1299 base seem to be the most sensible choice as in Australia it's 7k cheaper than the S which could be spent elsewhere and also at the moment the 1299/1299s come with the akrapovic slip ons for free as a bonus so its a good time to save I am by no means professional so I doubt someone like me could even tell the difference between the base and S model but a part of me just wants the top one with all the extras (excluding the R)

I bought a 1299 base, it's got all the electronics of the R. I got Ohlins forks, ttx shock, oz wheels, brembo series oro discs, tuneboy and a full DP akra and it's still cheaper than a stock 1299S. I'd make the same choice again, because I'd probably get fork cartridges and a better shock anyways, leaving the DES unnecessary for how I want my bike.

If you are going to do street and no track, just got with the 1299.

Thanks for the input people I agree the 1299 base makes a lot of sense as I am only a road user and by no means a pro plus the extra money saved could go into upgrades
I have to admit a part of owning the S model is more bragging rights then because I have the actual skills to utilise the bike.

Orrr... Do what I did. Wait for an insane deal on a 1299s. I bought mine for $15k with 1100 miles. It took months of searching and patiently waiting, but paid off big time!

AND.. The seller agreed to "gift" it to me, so I didn't have to pay sales tax on it! I gave him an extra $200 and I saved $900 - everyone wins!

Honestly.. I've done that with every bike I've ever owned. I would never buy a bike from a dealer.. ever. You're always going to pay retail, and no one likes that!

These guys are all throwing down $28k + tax + freight for the Anniversario edition -- pshhh.. What a waste when you can buy the same bike in a year for $22k out the door.

I have money to spend, but opt to spend it wisely.

I'll take a contrary opinion. I bought my 959 last March after testing riding it and the 1299S back to back. I have no doubt that the 1299S is a great bike. But honestly it was too powerful for me and what I would use it for plus it was much more expensive. Other than the swingarm, to me the bikes look the same. The 1299S display was nice but nothing to get excited about. I don't need electronically controlled suspension. The 959 has a great sound and is an excellent canyon carver. Plus the insurance is cheaper. The only thing I miss is the auto blipper. Good luck with your decision.

I ride 959 and i thought it was very nice and comfy powerwise on common road. I own a 1199 and nowadays i stick it into 120lo power mode when I'm feeling okay and that kept me happy. When i feel like it, 190hi is the mode of choice.
My advice to you is, if you prefer the comfy one then 959 is the way to go. But if you are like me and can't live without the colorful screen, single sided swingarm, and gold coloured forks, 1299s can be very liveable indeed.

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TurboLag said:

I bought a 1299 base, it's got all the electronics of the R. I got Ohlins forks, ttx shock, oz wheels, brembo series oro discs, tuneboy and a full DP akra and it's still cheaper than a stock 1299S. I'd make the same choice again, because I'd probably get fork cartridges and a better shock anyways, leaving the DES unnecessary for how I want my bike.

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While I respect your decision to build off a base model, I have a hard time believing all of this can be done for under $6k.

Get the base 1299 and focus the rest of your money on improving your riding skills.

For riding around on the street, get the 959.

It has more power than anyone will ever need on the street, it is much cheaper, insurance will be cheaper, it still looks and sounds cool.

The suspension is perfectly fine.

Hell, I have toured the country for years on a bike that weighs 550lbs, with Conventional RSU forks that were way undersprung, and it was perfectly fine. The idea that anyone needs top shelf electronically controlled Ohlins suspension for the street is absolutely ridiculous IMO.

Rogue said:

While I respect your decision to build off a base model, I have a hard time believing all of this can be done for under $6k.

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Agreed. Having built alot of bikes, I say that is impossible.

Just the Ohlins 30mm cartridge kit and TTX shock will be almost $3k. If they are complete Ohlins forks, then it will be more like $3,600.

The exhaust is $3-4k.

The wheels would be around $3k.

You are at $10k right there, without counting any of the other stuff.

If somebody wants Forged wheels and Ohlins suspension, the S model is a better value...doubly better when you factor resale value.

Chaotic said:

Agreed. Having built alot of bikes, I say that is impossible.

Just the Ohlins 30mm cartridge kit and TTX shock will be almost $3k. If they are complete Ohlins forks, then it will be more like $3,600.

The exhaust is $3-4k.

The wheels would be around $3k.

You are at $10k right there, without counting any of the other stuff.

If somebody wants Forged wheels and Ohlins suspension, the S model is a better value...doubly better when you factor resale value.

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The difference is alot more than $6k here in Norway, so the economics behind it might not work out in other countries. My biggest point in the post was that I would do away with the DES anyways, making it unnecessary to buy the S.

Edit: I have never considered resale value when buying any vehicle I save for and buy the vehicle I want, not the one the next guy might want

So then how is it "cheaper than a stock 1299S"?

Rogue said:

So then how is it "cheaper than a stock 1299S"?

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When I bought my bike, the base model was 269k NOK ($32k USD) and the S was 360k NOK ($42k USD). At the moment I've spent a total of 352k NOK ($41500 USD), making it less still than a S.

Geez, didn't realize the cost of these bikes was so high there. The gap between the base and S is much less in the states.

Yep, in the US the difference is only $6k. And those mods come up to over $10k (in the US).

I don't care about resale either, but it is something to consider. For example, when I was going to order my Porsche Macan, I was thinking I could just get the S model, then add the options I want. But by the time I finished building it with the options I wanted, I was only $2k off the price of a Turbo (that came stock with all the .... I wanted).

The thing is, it doesn't matter how many options something has when it comes to resale (or ability to sell it later), what matters is what it says on the title. Me telling someone "it has all the same stuff as the Turbo" wouldn't matter, what would matter is that it isn't a Turbo....which immediately makes it worth $15k less.

So I got the Turbo instead.

Even if somebody adds all of the aftermarket parts to the base model, it still isn't an S. That is why I say the S is "doubly" better value because adding those parts will cost you more than getting them with the bike with the S package, and you wont get anything for those aftermarket parts when you sell it. But the S model will always be worth more (even if the specs are the same).