thoughts on the BMW HP4

mark419ny said:

you live in nj and switch from f to p? why not just leave it in p mode all the time ride is much more forgiving IMO. in F mode if you hit a bump it almost throws you out of the seat. i live in staten island so my rodes are terrible not sure exactly where you live so i am assuming. also who changes your linkage? if you do how long does it take you just curious.

Click to expand...

Vanquisher said:

I have the DP Race Seat on my 1199 the extra cushion actually absorbs a lot of the impact in F mode and I don't really find myself getting launched out of the seat anymore. I prefer the firm ride. Because of the extra cushion of the seat and I've ridden in P mode I feel very disconnected from the bike, even more so than in F but I think thats more the seat and I need more miles on it.

I followed a DIY I found on here I think I have it bookmarked somewhere. Its pretty straight forward took me about an hour the first time. Now I know what works best and it takes me all of about 30-40 minutes. I'm looking forward to the HP4 and doing my 2-up riding on that instead of the pani.

Click to expand...

fluxx43 said:

I own both bikes. I can tell you that the HP4 for the average rider is going to be faster in pretty much all scenarios, its much easier to ride, and ride fast. It has smoother response and a tad more linear. The fact is the HP4 is better on the road then it is on the track. I believe due to its Semi Active suspension that it will work best on the road because it is continually adapting. On the track I think the 1199 has the upper hand, and is harder to ride, which for me is just more fun. The 1199 gives a lot more feed back, feels lighter and much smaller when riding, but requires much better rider input and is less likely to absorb your mistakes like the HP4 will. The biggest benefit with the Hp4 is the fact that the dealer network is bar none the best in the industry. They are both great bikes, I have never personally owned a ducati till my 1199 R and I can tell you that there is for sure something that always gives me a smile on the 1199 that the Hp4 does not offer. However on most the road riding I have been doing I ride the HP4 and love it. Very easy bike to run a 2-300 mile day on and is ridiculously quick.

Click to expand...

fluxx43 said:

I own both bikes. I can tell you that the HP4 for the average rider is going to be faster in pretty much all scenarios, its much easier to ride, and ride fast. It has smoother response and a tad more linear. The fact is the HP4 is better on the road then it is on the track. I believe due to its Semi Active suspension that it will work best on the road because it is continually adapting. On the track I think the 1199 has the upper hand, and is harder to ride, which for me is just more fun. The 1199 gives a lot more feed back, feels lighter and much smaller when riding, but requires much better rider input and is less likely to absorb your mistakes like the HP4 will. The biggest benefit with the Hp4 is the fact that the dealer network is bar none the best in the industry. They are both great bikes, I have never personally owned a ducati till my 1199 R and I can tell you that there is for sure something that always gives me a smile on the 1199 that the Hp4 does not offer. However on most the road riding I have been doing I ride the HP4 and love it. Very easy bike to run a 2-300 mile day on and is ridiculously quick.

Click to expand...

thomaskenyon said:

Yep... I'll add on as another person who agrees with this guy.

My boss has a HP4 and it has been just sitting in the showroom at work for months. He tossed me the keys and told me I could take it for a run in the hill country one weekend.

Well, it pains me as a Ducati guy with a Panigale... that bike is freaking amazing. It is, without a doubt, the easiest bike to ride fast I have ever been on. The power is sooooo linear, smooth and the suspension is as perfect as could be. That thing is seriously "Hyabusa" fast.. You can literally leave the thing in 4th gear and roll from 40mph to 140mph all day long while cruising the back roads. I do see why it smokes the Panigale on all levels after riding it about 300 miles.

I do wonder what would happen if I actually owned both of these bikes? Which bike I would ride more often? I still love my Panigale but, that HP4 is seriously a better bike IMO.. I just am not in love with it for the reasons stated.

Click to expand...

BigBoost said:

I have about the same amount of miles on each bike. They could not be more different, which actually makes owning both of them ideal.

I have a bunch of curvy roads about an hour from my house and depending on my mood, I'll pick my bike.

If I want to push it harder & stay focused, I take the 1199 versus when I am with a group and can't push it or it's more a relaxed ride, I take the HP4.

I would agree with ScrapperX, they only time you notice the weight difference is riding back to back, otherwise the HP4 handles better than any other bike on the market with stock suspension for the road.

Lastly, honestly there is no "better bike" here. I always comes down to what you prefer personally. We are talking about two of the best sports bike EVER made.... You can't go wrong with either.

Any guy that loves bikes would GLADLY take either one. Buy what you like and ride the sh-t out of it.

Both bring permanent smiles to face and lots of bugs on my helmet and windscreens. I love the torque on the 1199 and I love the power on the HP4.

Hell, I'm going for ride now.

Click to expand...

double0 said:

The color combo on the HP4 is definitely one of the best out there if not the best, period! It may be faster in a straight line, easier to ride and whatever other things one can mention but BMW needs to do a much better job of designing the front end of that bike. That retarded alien-like look of their headlights is a big enough problem (for my tastes) to be a total dealbreaker, even if I could afford both the Pani and HP4 in my stable. Majority of us will never fully utilize these types of bikes to its full potential. Therefore, I base my purchase decision solely on the "wow factor" in terms of visual appeal. Because of this approach, the Pani will win over any and every superbike on the market today. If the RSV4 Factory came in the HP4 color scheme, the Aprilia would definitely be my #2 option after the Pani.

Click to expand...

bronch said:

I have an 1199 and have ridden an HP4. I agree with flux43 for the most part, but in my opinion, the HP4 is a better track bike at my skill level. It certainly is more behaved on the street. I think it depends on your experience and skill level. If you're a track day intermediate or perhaps even expert, I think the HP4 is a better track bike if you're chasing lap times. You can screw up at 130mph on the HP4, but on the 1199 it will make you pay. With that said, I have more fun on my 1199 because I'm not chasing lap times. Hope that makes sense.

Click to expand...

mark419ny said:

4. if you add the full exhaust to the 1199r you lose the fan very hard to ride on the street from what i heard but im not an R owner so i dont know about QUOTE]

I just ordered an 1199R to be delivered next week and I worked out a deal where the dealer would install the termi exhaust.

What do you mean by lose ''the fan''? The comment about hard to ride in the street worried me....

Click to expand...

mark419ny said:

no you do not loose the fan with the tri or the s or the base if you add full termi system. the r has a full termi RACE system which to install makes you lose the fan. that is my understanding but i dont have an R so i am not 100% positive, so dont quote me.

Click to expand...

tcelano said:

I have not ridden an HP4, but I can tell you that on Monday, aboard my track-prepped 1199R, I could line up a guy on the HP4 out of turn9, overtake him on exit, and easily walk away down the straight. Actually, no other bikes I've encountered on track days can pass my R down the straight, including an Aprilia RSV4. I think if anyone out powers me, I'll be smelling race fuel in their exhaust...

Click to expand...

PanigaleR said:

mark419ny said:

4. if you add the full exhaust to the 1199r you lose the fan very hard to ride on the street from what i heard but im not an R owner so i dont know about QUOTE]

I just ordered an 1199R to be delivered next week and I worked out a deal where the dealer would install the termi exhaust.

What do you mean by lose ''the fan''? The comment about hard to ride in the street worried me....

Click to expand...

You will only lose the "fan" if you put the Termignoni Superstock headers on, the Termignoni's that come standard with the "R" will allow you to keep both the "fan" and the (rear) "pegs".

Click to expand...