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- May 28, 2022
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Haha I love it. You’re finally getting it
I’m going to have a look at the Fireblade on Tuesday. There’s only one in the country but thankfully it’s not too far away.
25,700 Euros for the SP and then add the forged wheels to get it roughly equivalent to the V4S and you’re saving about 5,000 Euros with the Honda. If you add an exhaust then it costs a lot less for a full Akrapovic on the Honda than the half system on the Ducati.
21,700 Euros for the base Honda versus 27,490 Euros for the base Ducati. Both need wheels and suspension, and I’d want data as well.
It will be interesting to have a sit on the Honda.
Base with HRC kit, very decent suspension and brakes with exhaust, etc… it would be a pretty serious bit of kit for similar money to the V4S.
SP with some forged wheels and some rearsets would no doubt be a very capable track bike.
Same could be said about the V4S. It felt great to sit on and I like the simplicity of the TPMS and DDA add-ons. DDA actually doesn’t seem bad value. Then again, you could stick the new AiM logger on the tail with the Honda for half the price.
My head says the Fireblade is probably the way to go, either with the SP and keep it simple or the base and spec it up for the fun of it.
My heart still fancies the Panigale, which of course you’d not be having buyers remorse about.
Swinging back and forth between the two and I’m buying a house and don’t want a mortgage, so I can’t really be buying two bikes like Steven and keeping another three in the garage. If I do that then it will cost me a fortune in shoes and handbags… Practically speaking, I’m getting to the age where I’m starting to hate having lots of stuff hanging around that I don’t need or use.
Just thinking out loud and trying to convince myself to go down the Honda route…
Spooky I’m actually waffling back over to the dark side of the force lol.
Leaning toward ordering the V4S.
Here’s why, and it’s specific to my wants. I’m looking into buying another liter bike specifically to jump on and go turn a fast lap time occasionally. I still plan on riding my RC 8C most of the time until I get ALOT faster on the much more analogue smaller bike.
I don’t plan on racing this season.
I’m convinced that the SP would make a faster cheaper more capable race bike. BUT I’m not gunna be racing quite yet. Maybe next season.
I’m equally convinced that with just some basic suspension setup, a set of slicks, and a new brake MC that I can ride the Ducati faster than I could the SP, at least in the beginning. All those rider aids on the V4S in aggregate are VERY compelling for setting lap times.
Will I become a better rider on the V4S…nope.
But I have the RC 8C for that.
Will I become a better rider on the SP, “probably”.
But I have the RC 8C for that.
Will a really good rider go faster on a well sorted SP than a V4S, I think definately so.
But I think “I” will probably be faster on the V4S than the SP.
The 2025 V4S is a cheat code, plain and simple. I kinda don’t like that aspect of it so 90% of the time I’ll still be on my RC 8C. But the whole reason I’m looking into a liter bike right now is to whip out as a cheat code occasionally.
If next season I feel like I’m ready to start some entry level racing then I can build out that SP.
At least that’s where I’m at today
Spooky I’m actually waffling back over to the dark side of the force lol.
Leaning toward ordering the V4S.
Here’s why, and it’s specific to my wants. I’m looking into buying another liter bike specifically to jump on and go turn a fast lap time occasionally. I still plan on riding my RC 8C most of the time until I get ALOT faster on the much more analogue smaller bike.
I don’t plan on racing this season.
I’m convinced that the SP would make a faster cheaper more capable race bike. BUT I’m not gunna be racing quite yet. Maybe next season.
I’m equally convinced that with just some basic suspension setup, a set of slicks, and a new brake MC that I can ride the Ducati faster than I could the SP, at least in the beginning. All those rider aids on the V4S in aggregate are VERY compelling for setting lap times.
Will I become a better rider on the V4S…nope.
But I have the RC 8C for that.
Will I become a better rider on the SP, “probably”.
But I have the RC 8C for that.
Will a really good rider go faster on a well sorted SP than a V4S, I think definately so.
But I think “I” will probably be faster on the V4S than the SP.
The 2025 V4S is a cheat code, plain and simple. I kinda don’t like that aspect of it so 90% of the time I’ll still be on my RC 8C. But the whole reason I’m looking into a liter bike right now is to whip out as a cheat code occasionally.
If next season I feel like I’m ready to start some entry level racing then I can build out that SP.
At least that’s where I’m at today
Talk about mental gymnastics to rationalize a bike purchase.
What class will you race the V4S?
The rear brake cheat mode on the Ducati is certainly interesting.
I’m looking forward to the next group tests.
Let’s face it though, we are spoiled for choice and any of them are better than we are.
Honda - awesome and some money saved. Ducati - awesome and some money spent.
If the Honda feels good ergonomically then I might grab an SP, keep it simple and see what I think. If not then I know I’d be more than happy with the V4S. I’m leaning toward the simpler option and electronic suspension rather than building a bike out - that can always be done later.
Talk about mental gymnastics to rationalize a bike purchase.
What class will you race the V4S?
Ah, low life woke up off fentanyl and wants to make another lesson on how to ride fast with chicken strips
Just thinking out loud and trying to convince myself to go down the Honda route…
Imagine buying one.. turning up in some random Honda forum .. and there is some wannabe cock banging on about geometry change by altering the forks a couple of mm…
Imagine buying one.. turning up in some random Honda forum .. and there is some wannabe cock banging on about geometry change by altering the forks a couple of mm…
As we talked about it me and my buddy agreed that we should try the spool valve suspension on the SP before going the HRC ECU route. It might be that good that you want to find a tune to unleash the power restriction on the SP and keep the new Ohlins electronic stuff.
But now if I’m keep the electronics stuff I have to revisit the Ducati. And if I’m comparing apples to apples, meaning both bike with a tune to open up the power, and keeping the newest rider aid technologies on both bikes, the Ducati is clearly better.
I think if you plan on having one bike for several years, and do ALOT of track riding, you can grow into the SP more…because you can start with all the Ohlins electronic stuff with its rider aids, and evolve the bike with the HRC ECU and manual suspension and turn it into an absolute weapon as your ability increases…so it’s a bike that can grow with you…whereas the Ducati is probably faster for 95% of track day riders off the show room floor but it is what it is, you aren’t gunna extract a ton more performance out of it with mods than how it comes.
Imagine buying one.. turning up in some random Honda forum .. and there is some wannabe cock banging on about geometry change by altering the forks a couple of mm…
Someone on here said that the HRC kit simply brings it up to the Pani level that you get from stock. No idea how much truth there is in that.
Steven said this...