If I knew then what I know now

Duck41 said:

I recently had an opportunity to put a couple hundred miles on an S1KRR and, while there were definitely some nice elements to it, it simply didn't evoke that visceral feeling I crave when on two wheels. Except under WOT runs, I found the sound completely bland and the overall experience to be quite mechanical, if not sterile. Those can be great features in a car where predictability and efficiency are key, but when riding I simply demand more.

Click to expand...

Can't say I can comment on riding just the base S1KRR but twisting the throttle and taking the HP4 through the motions is a completely different experience. I think that is in more in line with the OPs original post since he is awaiting an HP4.

mark419ny said:

Both service dept. whichever one is cheaper but you get the run around from both

Click to expand...

You could try Bergen County Harley/BMW. Thats where I got my HP4

mark419ny said:

Great review of both from someone who has both. I hate people that comment and never had experience with the other

Click to expand...

Thanks man. I could go on but I'm sure this forum isn't looking for the life and times of my riding adventures LOL. My biggest thing was after riding the HP4 and understanding the VALUE its hard to believe ducati thinks they are gonna charge that much and the consider that people have to keep paying to even get a similarly spec'd bike.

Look at most of the dyno reports out there. 1199s are dynoing low IMO and I've seen plenty of HP4s dynoing close to 190whp factory stock. A buddy of mine is gonna ride my 1199 to the dyno and we are gonna back to back the HP4 and the 1199 once I finish the break in on the HP4.

Vanquisher said:

Can't say I can comment on riding just the base S1KRR but twisting the throttle and taking the HP4 through the motions is a completely different experience. I think that is in more in line with the OPs original post since he is awaiting an HP4.

Click to expand...

I am a motorcycle enthusiast at heart and so would love to test ride an HP4, but I would not be optimistic on feeling any differently about it. While I'm sure the ride is much improved, I really can't get over the repugnant aesthetics and would never feel content with looking at that skewed abomination of a design before each ride.

just curious anyone bashing the hp4 looks have you seen a competition package in person or a base hp4 not a picture? the bike looks amazing. pictures do it no justice. i felt the same way about the tri when i first saw it man who would buy this thing its ugly (based on pics) then when i went to the unveiling saw it in person i was like damn beautiful bike.

yes i mean the hp4 not the s1000rr. i dont like the s1000rr at all but for (less than the S it makes you wonder). add the white and blue plus the carbon and the wheels oh my

to the R guys. you spent 30k for your bike and still have to pay to get it the way you want. you also had a year of us S guys complaining about it better run good with no problems. Your 10k above the competition with nothing more to offer at all (vs aprilla and bmw) thats my point with all of this. all the problems i have experienced at the premium i paid. i have no problem paying up for something of quality. i just feel the quality is lacking.

this is exactly how Lamborghini started. ferrari thinking its .... dont stink

mark419ny said:

just curious anyone bashing the hp4 looks have you seen a competition package in person or a base hp4 not a picture? the bike looks amazing. pictures do it no justice. i felt the same way about the tri when i first saw it man who would buy this thing its ugly (based on pics) then when i went to the unveiling saw it in person i was like damn beautiful bike.

yes i mean the hp4 not the s1000rr. i dont like the s1000rr at all but for (less than the S it makes you wonder). add the white and blue plus the carbon and the wheels oh my

to the R guys. you spent 30k for your bike and still have to pay to get it the way you want. you also had a year of us S guys complaining about it better run good with no problems. Your 10k above the competition with nothing more to offer at all (vs aprilla and bmw) thats my point with all of this. all the problems i have experienced at the premium i paid. i have no problem paying up for something of quality. i just feel the quality is lacking.

this is exactly how Lamborghini started. ferrari thinking its .... dont stink

Click to expand...

All great points but see Post #25

And u can put lipstick on a pig. It's still a pig...

Duck41 said:

I am a motorcycle enthusiast at heart and so would love to test ride an HP4, but I would not be optimistic on feeling any differently about it. While I'm sure the ride is much improved, I really can't get over the repugnant aesthetics and would never feel content with looking at that skewed abomination of a design before each ride.

Click to expand...

You and me both man. I've had them all from choppers to sportbikes. I'll give any bike a fair shot. The looks is a personal thing and I can respect your opinion and in truth on the base S1K somehow I'd agree. There is something tho about the HP4 and its color scheme that just makes you love it, you just can't help it.

Also your not looking at the front of the bike when your riding and the caliber of the ride will surely make you forget that in a heartbeat, my .02 and I hope you get a chance one day to experience it.

mark419ny said:

j
to the R guys. you spent 30k for your bike and still have to pay to get it the way you want. you also had a year of us S guys complaining about it better run good with no problems. Your 10k above the competition with nothing more to offer at all (vs aprilla and bmw) thats my point with all of this. all the problems i have experienced at the premium i paid. i have no problem paying up for something of quality. i just feel the quality is lacking.

Click to expand...

I'd love to ride an R to really give it a fair assessment but the HP4 is really so good I can't see the 10K+ difference in the price tag adding up for me. Plus all the customizations you'll need.

Realprop said:

All great points but see Post #25

And u can put lipstick on a pig. It's still a pig...

Click to expand...

again talking about the hp4 not the s1000rr you can tell the difference if they were next to each other. back to my point you dont get what you pay for with ducati. i know where i am posting this and i know im going to get flack but the person i was talking to that brought this up to me says the same thing. i have at least 5 private messages saying you are right and we are in denial.

bottom line is we all spent very good money and not getting what we paid for and thats my point.

now the rr or superlegra or sp is coming out. same design same problems except it will cost twice as much give me a break

mark419ny said:

Not to mention service doesn't know crap about the bike. I broke a clip and they said I needed a whole new harness for the suspension. 2thousand. Trans had the same problem gave me his guy got the clip for 10 bucks problem fixed

Click to expand...

THATS BECAUSE CROSS COUNTRY DUCATI IS A BUNCH OF STUPID MOTHERFUCKERS!
THEY HAVE CLEARLY RUINED YOUR OWNERSHIP OF THE BIKE AS THEY DID MINE!
1.5 months out this summer for a ....... fallen off rearset and leaking break fluid. Then, last week it starts spewing oil from the engine. They pick the bike up, never call me. I call them and leave two messages, they never get back to me. 2 days later I finally go up there to get my plate to ride my R home from DC and they go "oh, yeah the valve cover was bad" "parts are on order"

WTF does that mean? They've been ordered? So what, 2, 3,4 more weeks for them to arrive, should they not be backordered? These people care NOTHING about their customers. Take your money elsewhere. My boy has a '12 S that died on him Saturday. Stopped starting completely. 5 phone calls, 3 voicemails over two days no one calls him back. He finally gets a call "oh, we're short handed so we didn't look at your bike yet"

By god the worst customer service I've ever experienced anywhere, ever. I get better customer service a the local McDonalds from the crackhead making $7.25 an hour than I do the cocksuckers who stick it into mine and Mark's ... for $120.00 an hour. You're expendable to them. So .... em! I'll never make the mistake of giving them my hard earned money again.

Mark, I feel you. I have/had the same feelings for my white one. I finally had enough (its still in the shop waiting for valve gasket) so I went and bought a used R from a private seller and will sell my white on my own. If I went away from the 1199, it would be the HP4. Best of luck.

Capt CF said:

Mark - leave your Pani outside in the path of the tornado so you can claim it on insurance.

Click to expand...

Shhhhh! Don't say that!

thanks WHITE its discouraging for sure. here is another beautiful point i am talking about. you cant see the overflow reservoir for the coolant. Who the .... puts and opaque sight lenz for light blue or almost clear fluid. i mean really. i am looking for a flexible LED light that i can fit in there to light up the window so i can see properly. who makes it that it takes so damn long to change on your own.

THIS FOLKS IS WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT.

wilkson said:

I have had many Ducati's with zero issues I must have been lucky . The biggest issue I have had with any bike has been the BMW S1000RR which was the reason I went back to Ducati's .
Good luck with the BMW I hope nothing goes wrong as the way that BMW approach warranty claims is mind boggling .

Click to expand...

A little bird told me that is why Cross Country treats their Ducati (mostly) and BMW customers like ..... They're all pissed off how the claims process is a ...... Ya know what? TOUGH ..... You're a ....... dealership. You made your thousands$$$ on the sale, now do your job right, you should be keeping me informed about MY bike. I shouldn't have to go see these ........ in person to get a status update on my bike. Total .........

Sorry, the anger isn't towards you. Just a service department that treats its customers like toe fungus.

as we all know, problems can be magnified on a bike specific forum. Certainly owners are more inclined to come on a forum seeking solutions to problems they encounter.

That said, you have people like antihero who've really proven the bike is a good designe by probably putting more miles on it in EVERY condition than anyone aside from ducati.

Does the 1199 have it's warts, issues, problems, you bet it does. I'm no ducati apologist and I've had around 8 starting with 748 running all the way thru to the 1199, streetfighter and mts. Had my 1199 for over 4k trouble free miles and as I've not heard from the new owner in some time, guessing it's been problem free for him.

The 1199 is what it is. I'm also amazed tho, at some of the massive amounts of problems individual owners have had. Tho not sure this is any different from any other make.

Long time owning of any ducati requires a certain degree of commitment and patience (having a second bike does not hurt either. and not everyone will put up with that.

Duck41 said:

Zero issues with the 1199 as well. Ironically, this is the first bike I've owned where my enjoyment easily supersedes any anxiety I have of potential issues arising. I am more than willing to put up with any nuances that may come because I appreciate the experience this bike provides and know there is not another bike out there that can duplicate what it does for me.

I recently had an opportunity to put a couple hundred miles on an S1KRR and, while there were definitely some nice elements to it, it simply didn't evoke that visceral feeling I crave when on two wheels. Except under WOT runs, I found the sound completely bland and the overall experience to be quite mechanical, if not sterile. Those can be great features in a car where predictability and efficiency are key, but when riding I simply demand more.

Click to expand...

Very well put. If you purchased a Ducati expecting reliability then you probably believe beautiful women dont fart.

Same guy who reviewed your video after he rode the BMW HP4

2013 Ducati Panigale R Onboard Video Review

He calls the Ducati the "Best of the bunch"

I ride the HP4 a lot and yes the seat is comfortable. Rides like an inline 4, smooth but I have a good friend that is one of the mechanics at the California Super bike school who has a fleet of BMW's and he warned me about the S100RR and their problems. Everyone I know personally that has an RR/HP4 constantly complain about the reliability and wants a Panigale and people here on this forum ..... about the Panigale and wants the HP4. So I decided not to buy one for now and just keep riding my my neighbors because he always wants to trade bikes for the day. I think they are both great bikes to ride.

I fortunately have not experienced any issues people have on this forum except the bike cut off on me a few times prior to first service that scared the crap out of me the first time it did it (I was in a lean) and rear hugger turning a little brown from the way the new heat shield reflects the heat down. 7K miles later and it's getting better every time I ride it. Love the way this bike handles.

Vanquisher said:

Thanks man. I could go on but I'm sure this forum isn't looking for the life and times of my riding adventures LOL. My biggest thing was after riding the HP4 and understanding the VALUE its hard to believe ducati thinks they are gonna charge that much and the consider that people have to keep paying to even get a similarly spec'd bike.

Look at most of the dyno reports out there. 1199s are dynoing low IMO and I've seen plenty of HP4s dynoing close to 190whp factory stock. A buddy of mine is gonna ride my 1199 to the dyno and we are gonna back to back the HP4 and the 1199 once I finish the break in on the HP4.

Click to expand...

190 factory stock on the rear wheel? When they advertise 193 crank. Got to get that drive train that only loses 3 HP.

My bike beat out the s1000rr back to back on the dyno by 11HP at 186 on the wheels with full Termi's and the BMW had Akrap. Doesn't matter if it wasn't a HP4. same motor with same HP. It's just a lighter bike, DDC, and some carbon.

16800 km so far and yes, I had issues. 4 sets of forks, 2 sets of silencers, leaking valve cover and all the recalls.

Was never left stranded, missed only 1 week end of riding and have nothing but good things to say about the way the warranty claims were handled, either at the dealership or with the regional rep.

Remember the con-rod drama with the beamers? Friends of mine were bikeless for weeks on end, and they had other issues too.

Turned the big five-0 this fall and after owning at least 20 bikes I have to say that the Pani is the most fun I've had on 2 wheels. A handful on the track, less than practical on the street but fast, fun and beautiful. Can't wait to go out again.

Stw said:

Mark... I can fully understand your point of view although I think you are being slightly harsh... People have had issues with their 1199..me included..although it was "only" the dash and it did totally through into question my ownership of this bike and the overall reliability of it..since then I have done many thousands of miles and loved everyone (well except the last few after a 600 miler lol) fault free...

Anyway.... I cannot really argue with you that Ducatis are not up to the standard they should be in the real world.... this is only my second one and I am in no way a Ducatisti but I cannot deny that for some reason the 1199 is the best bike I have ever owned... I have no explanation for that and I don't offer it as an excuse or reason to keep it or rate it highly...I just really really enjoy the whole visceral feeling..

The HP4 is an awesome bike...you will love it..

Click to expand...

I agree.

To the OP. I would not buy the Panigale as my only bike. In my case it is my third in order of bikes I own as to the number of miles I put on them. In my case, I'm very close to turning 61 years old and I freely admit that when I bought it I wondered how long I could ride the damn thing and how soon I'd get tired of it.

I have now had it over six months and I ride it 150 miles every Sunday morning that it doesn't rain, and I've done two 250 mile days on it and I still enjoy the bike - actually more and more. But no, I would not want it to be my only bike.

I have had my Panigale S for just over a year and I agree it does have some 'different' characteristics to other bikes but it's how you take them that makes the difference.

Before the 1199 I had an 848 which was fantastic. Initially after upgrading I though "what have I done". It was more a case of 'what hadn't I done'. Basically I hadn't spent enough time with the 1199 getting to know it and it's limits including re-learning my own limits on the new machine. I even thought the machine was too much for me and on the road and was on the verge of changing it, but I stuck with it.

The quirks such as the odd electrical issue, the heat and crap plastics are Ducati all over, not just the Panigale.

This year I have had 4-5 good dry track days and I swear I will not give this bike up...... over my dead body! It all came together and all made complete sense, the thing is just damn awesome. Admittedly my track prowess is far from advanced but on the straights nothing (except the BMW ) could touch it and the lean angles I can go to and still stick are mental. I now go faster round the track than I have ever before thanks to this bike. It is unusual, but it's meant to be. There's no frame so there's no real 'flex' in the thing so things feel bumpy and incoherant, but that's all they are and all completely managable providing you don't let it un-nerve you. If you haven't taken it on the track yet it's an absolute must!

For me it's the noise when you squirt the throttle and get fired out of a cannon down the road and those killer looks, can't beat it............ besides, I like a challenge

P.S. If you're getting too hot, you aint moving quick enough.