i had this dilemma when buying my 1199... I was like what should I get the base or the S... (not quite the same due to the new model) but I couldnt justify at the time the price of the S. I went in and bought a base model, spent thousands on rims, suspension, LED headlight, rear sets, etc etc (needed that
) to get a bike that was better (IMO) then the S. But I could have gotten a great S model bike with lighter rims, LED headlight, Ohlins suspension etc for much cheaper then i put into my base.
Do I regret it? No, but I could have saved a lot of cash and got the S first, the money I put into the base I could have gotten an R in reality.... but at the time my funds weren't as high.
get what you will want in a year from now... I cant speak on the 1299 as I dont have one, just on my experience with getting an S or a base.
I'm on the other side of the trough here.
I bought the S over the base, thinking - like you suggested - that it would save me a considerable amount of money. And then a few days after I bought the S, I ordered BST wheels. A couple of months later, an Akrapovic evolution exhaust followed, and then DP rearsets, and so on. And here I am now contemplating to order new Ohlins forks and shock for my weight from Dan Kyle. OEM Ohlins is pretty much useless for me because I weigh 135lbs in gear.
Case in point, I think a Big part of the joy that is Ducati Superbike (or any bike for that matter) ownership, for me at least, is to "build" it; to make it my own, and inevitably, parts/money Will be thrown at whichever bike as a result. And if that's the case, I think starting out with a base makes the most sense.
Of course, when contemplating between the two bikes at first, Electronic Ohlins gold + steering damper, Marchesini forged wheels AND a full LED headlight, all for less than 60% of what they'd cost to buy individually... I was hooked!
But standing in front of the bike in the showroom the day I bought it, it did not occur to me that I was too light for the gold, and that the feather weight forged Marchesini wheels would become the "chicken feet" design which I couldn't wait to replace with BST carbons. I didn't see that coming. But it did come.
I really envy people who can buy whichever bike, base, s, r, superleggera, or any other bike for that matter, and just be content with it - bone stock out of its box - from the day they buy it, until they have to part with it or choose to move on.
That said, I LOVE my bike. My only regret is that I was not realistic enough when I fooled myself into thinking I'd be done with the bike as it left the factory, and in turn, chose it over the base or R. Financially, it wasn't the smartest decision but then the things that bring us the greatest joy hardly ever are financially smart!
If any given person intends to leave the bike alone and enjoy it, perhaps the S/R models offer a value which should not be ignored.
If any other person, like me, knows it's only a matter of time until they get bitten by the mod bug... perhaps the base is a better place to start.
