Please Sell me on the 2012 1199 !!

Ok, I have a 2007 yamaha R1 with 248 miles, and a 2007 Harley night Train with 1k miles both sitting in my garage collecting dust. I have them because I want to know they are there when and if i want to ride them. They ares bikes 13 and 14 for me, with all prior bikes japanese sport bikes from the age of 16 to now. Here is my dilemma. I have always dreamed of owning a Ducati. The new 1199 looks better than any sport bike i have ever owned. However, its also going to be around 19k with abs (way more than i even paid for my harley) Questions are as follows. 1. What sucks about this bike? I hear the heat under the seat is worse than any other sport bike on the road, if thats the case, how easily and for how much $ would it take to fix this issue or at least make it bearable? I live in Florida so its pretty warm year round for the most part. 2. ABS or NON ABS? Ive never had ABS so would i really miss something ive never had? 3. Riding comfort, im not a racer, i dont go out and drag my knees or race on a track, i rarely go on sunday rides around town or once in awhile i do a small road trip, so will this bike be comfortable for me? Im 6ft, 240. 4. take the discount on a 2012 or go retail cost and get a 2013?? The dealer im speaking with now will get me out the door at 19k on a 2012 with ABS, is this a decent deal?

I have my self sold in theory, but since you cant actually test ride this bike, i am taking a leap of faith and would love input form you owners of this machine now. Honesty and opens minds welcome! Thanks for your help!

Lawenforcer said:

Ok, I have a 2007 yamaha R1 with 248 miles, and a 2007 Harley night Train with 1k miles both sitting in my garage collecting dust. I have them because I want to know they are there when and if i want to ride them. They ares bikes 13 and 14 for me, with all prior bikes japanese sport bikes from the age of 16 to now. Here is my dilemma. I have always dreamed of owning a Ducati. The new 1199 looks better than any sport bike i have ever owned. However, its also going to be around 19k with abs (way more than i even paid for my harley) Questions are as follows. 1. What sucks about this bike? I hear the heat under the seat is worse than any other sport bike on the road, if thats the case, how easily and for how much $ would it take to fix this issue or at least make it bearable? I live in Florida so its pretty warm year round for the most part. 2. ABS or NON ABS? Ive never had ABS so would i really miss something ive never had? 3. Riding comfort, im not a racer, i dont go out and drag my knees or race on a track, i rarely go on sunday rides around town or once in awhile i do a small road trip, so will this bike be comfortable for me? Im 6ft, 240. 4. take the discount on a 2012 or go retail cost and get a 2013?? The dealer im speaking with now will get me out the door at 19k on a 2012 with ABS, is this a decent deal?

I have my self sold in theory, but since you cant actually test ride this bike, i am taking a leap of faith and would love input form you owners of this machine now. Honesty and opens minds welcome! Thanks for your help!

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Question: why CAN'T you test ride this bike? My dealer had a demo run? maybe you should try another dealer. my only advice is this, you already have 2 completly different bikes, that collect dust, if you buy i DUCATI why would you want it to sit, Im stuck in New Englasd with 6 inches of snow and ice, no ride for me. There are plenty of dealers out there that enough left overs to test ride, try one and see for yourself. I guess if you could put the Harley motor with the R1 chasis, then maybe you could fantasize about 1199.

good luck.

Welcome to the forum. My questions to you.... why are these bikes just sitting in your garage collecting dust and do you ride enough to even warrant the purchase of the 1199 or will this just be added as a collectors item?

The Heat: I've only ridden in one semi warm day in MD and it was 68 out and the heat was pretty bad so in FL I'm sure it would be much worse year round, but I know alot of guys are doing exhaust wrap to help combat the heat.

Comfort: This is one of the most comfortable bikes I've ever ridden. The stock seat is a bit hard at first but I quickly got used to it. They also make a comfort seat which could be an option for you, but at 5' 6" i do not have that luxury lol.

If your dealer does not do demo rides then find one that will. This bike is nothing short of amazing and If you decide to pull the trigger, once you ride the bike I dont think you'll be letting it just sit around and collect dust because its a blast!

Lawenforcer said:

3. Riding comfort, im not a racer, i dont go out and drag my knees or race on a track, i rarely go on sunday rides around town or once in awhile i do a small road trip, so will this bike be comfortable for me?

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I don't really understand . Why are you thinking about buying this bike?

This is a high performance motorcycle, made to do more than most of us can. It sounds like all you want IS a Sunday ride machine. That's what a Harley or cruiser (or maybe a naked bike) is for. If you want a collectors item, to each his own I guess, but it sounds like the bike will just go to waste in your possession. No offense.

from what i hear from you, you wont like the bike, dont get one.

This is not a bike to sit in a garage to collect dust, it begs to ride.

I have another Ducati, a Harley too, when i bought this bike i said to myself, i will not commute on it, I will use it to run through the canyons by my house on the weekends and maybe a track day here and there.

that thought took about 5 minutes to leave my head after i picked it up, I commute on it, i ride the canyons, i love it way more than any other bike I have ever owned.

I have the comfort seat, it is better for me, but it does add at least a half inch, and that may not sound like much, but i do notice it is higher.

The heat sucks, I live in Los Angeles where it can be over 100 degrees for many days in a row, but i know Ducati is working on a fix, as well as options to wrap and other ideas, totally not a reason not to buy one. Someone on this forum said it best once, you have 195 hp under your butt, its gonna get a little warm.

lastly, you need another dealer ! one that wont let you test ride a bike if you have a valid license and insurance shouldnt get your money

OK, I live in FL and still love my base 1199 ABS. Which is exactly the bike I'd recommend to you.

1) Where are you located that you can't test ride it? I know for a FACT that Seb in Ocala (melillimoto) will let you test rip one.

2) Seb will give you a damn good deal on this bike. Go talk to him.

3) F@ck your dealer who won't let you test ride the bike. (See #1 & #2). Who is your dealer?

4) You don't need to drag knees to love this bike. Just keep the. Harley or RI for August & September if it's too hot. Neither one of them are going to see much riding if you buy this bike.

5) It's worth every penny of thre $19K.

6) Buy the 2012 and see if Seb will discount it. I don't work for them, but I was there yesterday and he's got about 5. And he also has a demo you can ride.

7) Definitely get the ABS.

8) I'm 6' 225# and no problem with comfort. It's actually the most comfortable sportbike I've ever owned.

9) In truth, it IS a warm bike in FL winter and a hot bike in FL summer, but I wouldn't trade it for any bike out there.

Lawenforcer said:

Ok, I have a 2007 yamaha R1 with 248 miles, and a 2007 Harley night Train with 1k miles both sitting in my garage collecting dust. I have them because I want to 2know they are there when and if i want to ride them. They ares bikes 13 and 14 for me, with all prior bikes japanese sport bikes from the age of 16 to now. Here is my dilemma. I have always dreamed of owning a Ducati. The new 1199 looks better than any sport bike i have ever owned. However, its also going to be around 19k with abs (way more than i even paid for my harley) Questions are as follows. 1. What sucks about this bike? I hear the heat under the seat is worse than any other sport bike on the road, if thats the case, how easily and for how much $ would it take to fix this issue or at least make it bearable? I live in Florida so its pretty warm year round for the most part. 2. ABS or NON ABS? Ive never had ABS so would i really miss something ive never had? 3. Riding comfort, im not a racer, i dont go out and drag my knees or race on a track, i rarely go on sunday rides around town or once in awhile i do a small road trip, so will this bike be comfortable for me? Im 6ft, 240. 4. take the discount on a 2012 or go retail cost and get a 2013?? The dealer im speaking with now will get me out the door at 19k on a 2012 with ABS, is this a decent deal?

I have my self sold in theory, but since you cant actually test ride this bike, i am taking a leap of faith and would love input form you owners of this machine now. Honesty and opens minds welcome! Thanks for your help!

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You can go anywhere and do anything on that bike; Antihero has basically been living on it for 9 months.
When I first got mine I thought of keeping the old Hyper around for commuting, going to the Pub etc., but fact is I wouldn't have looked at it all summer. Then again it's like riding a bucking horse to the fair, not always practical but a hell of a lot of fun.
In short, it's the most intense vehicular experience ever and if you were to get one, make sure you get rid of the other two scoots 'cause you'll never touch them again

I must agree with everyone else, but you should have stopped right here.

Lawenforcer said:

I have always dreamed of owning a Ducati.

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If that isn't enough for you to buy a Pani then you're looking at the wrong bike. There're faster, more comfortable sportbikes out there but you didn't "dream" of those

No offense, but it is not anyone's job to "sell" the passion that you either have or don't have for this bike. You guys have made good points, but why bother? You don't buy a Panigale for its comfort, practicality, or even performance in many ways. You buy it because you just HAVE to have it...and if not, don't bother. Pretty simple

Thanks so far!

Thanks a ton for all the input so far. I should clarify a few things. Im not a collector, ( i wish i had that kind of money to be) and the reason my other bikes have sat more then they have been ridding is not due to the fact that i dont like to ride, i just work all the time and don't have anyone to ride with which is always fun to do. My wife only will ride the harley and hates my R1. I have sold my Harley which will be gone in a few weeks anyways. My heart has always been in sport bikes and the HD just wasn't "fun" to me. I realized it when i drove it from Jacksonville to Daytona for Biketober Fest, My legs were killing me! Nothing i've ever experienced in all my years of sport bike riding. although the way i decked it out, it did grab some looks. One of my biggest complaints was the heat however. I did about 1k of Mods to get the heat down to a bearable temp. I would hate to have to repeat that for a new Ducati. Have you been able to drastically reduce the heat? If so what recomendations can you make? but yes, it has always been a dream bike, especially now that theres no rattling dry clutch. This bike is an absolute beautiful looking machine. I certainly see myself making more time to ride this if i get it, i would just like to be certain i can get the heat down to a bearable level in the florida heat. In all fairness the Jacksonville store only has one left and they dont want to prep until they get solid buyer, that i understand. I am looking into the Daytona area and may call ocala as one of you have suggested. In my earlier years, id put more than a thousands miles on in a month but with kids and work and life, ill be lucky to see that once a year. Would it be better to wait for a 13? Any major differences or anything? Thanks again guys, i really appreciate the feedback

If you've always dreamed of it then do it. I ride in Singapore (similar weather I think to Florida) and the heat is ok for me, I've not done any mods. To be honest I found the heat more annoying on my s1000rr because of the way it transmitted through the frame. Sure, every now and then on my 1199 I ride along with my ... in the air to get some breeze flowing, but I've done that on every bike.

There are no major differences between 2012/2013. Most of the build quality issues have been dealt with or will be dealt with on any 2012 by way of pre-delivery, so if you can get a deal on a 2012 go for it. You get it sooner and can start smiling.

I just Called Seb, Great guy, checking on prices right now. He also said they will wrap it before it leaves their floor which will help a lot plus he says Ducati will be sending out the updated head shield soon. Looking better every minute! Thanks for the recommendation. Hopefully his price will warrant a drive all the way down from Jacksonville...

Lawenforcer said:

I just Called Seb, Great guy, checking on prices right now. He also said they will wrap it before it leaves their floor which will help a lot plus he says Ducati will be sending out the updated head shield soon. Looking better every minute! Thanks for the recommendation. Hopefully his price will warrant a drive all the way down from Jacksonville...

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Good stuff...Keep us updated on the situation

Welcome to the forum!

The bike will most likely sell itself after you ride it. I find it is an unusual twin as it makes fairly peaky power compared to previous generation Ducatis.

The heat is not an issue for me and I wear full leathers, etc. when I ride. I do not ride around town but rather back roads and some trackdays. Overall, I find it similar in comfort/heat as the 2007 R1. However, it is warm on the seat and not the legs like the 2007 R1. I used to have burn scars on the inside of the right calf of my leathers from my R1!

I have ABS and appreciate it. It is a nice safety feature. It is helping me learn to brake more effectively. The Panigale has adjustable ABS and you can turn it off if you want. I would recommend the ABS.

Seb and the folks at Melillimoto are fantastic. Very well known and respected in the Ducati, Ohlins, etc. arena. They have some great trackdays, too. Many travel a bit of a distance for their expertise. They have done the majority of my servicing and set-up over the years. I have only great things to say about them.

Do it.

The deal Sebastian is offering you is a steal for that bike.

I had an 07' R1 a few years ago. That bike radiates heat for the under seat pipes, but I have to admit the Panigale is a scorcher. Ride around in shorts (hope not), or traffic and you won't be having kids anytime soon.

The power delivery is completely different. I was really surprised at the power down low the first time I rode the Panigale. The power in my opinion is very linear, and much smoother compared to other twins I've owned. We live in Florida so corners are a premium. I've made a few trips to the mountains, and I can't get over the handling of the bike.

I'm 6'3" and 215, and the bike fits me like a glove. The ergos are fairly similiar to the R1 here, but the narrow tank makes the bike even more friendly for my frame.

Simply said I love this bike.

Sebastian does his customers right. I've been riding 35 years, and he runs the best dealership I've ever worked with. He even worked on R1 track toy for me. The guy, his wife, and the crew know there stuff.

Good luck with your decision.

Also, if you are LEO out of Jax, you should have a ton of guys to ride with. My friend from High School and he was stationed on same ship as me up there is a 20 yr man. He seems pretty active with the watchmen & other LEO riders...

I haven't heard anything about the Jax store, but I won't buy from a ducati dealer that won't let me demo the bike. We pay them a large price to buy the bikes, they should carry their part.

I have not heard very good things about Daytona or Orlando, but have not dealt with them myself so I won't spread dirt on them.

As another said, there really is not an incentive to wait on the 13's (which are actually out in some places I hear). However, you may be able to work a better deal on a 12.

Seb and his techs know their stuff. He'll set up your bike properly and will do all the fixes before it leaves the dealership. Also, he'll wrap the rear pipe. Which helps.

Lawenforcer said:

...... i just work all the time and don't have anyone to ride with which is always fun to do.

...In all fairness the Jacksonville store only has one left and they dont want to prep until they get solid buyer, that i understand.

...I am looking into the Daytona area and may call ocala as one of you have suggested.

...Would it be better to wait for a 13? Any major differences or anything? Thanks again guys, i really appreciate the feedback

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Follow your dreams and go with your gut cause you only live once! (Hopefully your dream and gut are on the same page!)

I have no regrets on buying this sexy beast of a bike. My last ride was a 08 CBR1K and it was good but boring with no heart and soul like the Ducati and definitely no where near the looks.

Comfort is good for me (6'0" 215lbs) once I got the comfort seat and have done 200 mile runs no prob.

I'm in WA so the climate is a little different but I only felt it get real hot on my right leg a few times so it hasn't been a big issue for me. I also did a track day in the low 90's with full leathers (of course) and the bike heat didn't get to me but I was probably concentrating and already sweating my butt off to really notice.

Good luck!

"Bla bla bla.... I have this bike I don't ride, this other bike I don't ride. I have always wanted to buy a ducati so i wont ride it like my other bikes... I have owned 15+ bikes over the years but my dealer will not let me test drive a Panigale.."

I will say this on behalf of everyone here.... take your ........ talking ... out of here with your 3 posts on this forum. You are an ..... and please do us all a favor and do not ever buy a ducati..... your 15 other bikes you don't ride are plenty.

Thanks and good bye.

Please gentlemen.... call these idiots out.

Well said

thomaskenyon said:

"Bla bla bla.... I have this bike I don't ride, this other bike I don't ride. I have always wanted to buy a ducati so i wont ride it like my other bikes... I have owned 15+ bikes over the years but my dealer will not let me test drive a Panigale.."

I will say this on behalf of everyone here.... take your ........ talking ... out of here with your 3 posts on this forum. You are an ..... and please do us all a favor and do not ever buy a ducati..... your 15 other bikes you don't ride are plenty.

Thanks and good bye.

Please gentlemen.... call these idiots out.

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HAHAHAHA GOOD point, i agree, LAWNFORCER dont be a ..... buy it or don't do the HW yourself, no one else can make you understand unless you see it for yourself!!