Hey everyone,
I took delivery of a V4 base this Saturday and want to share my impressions so far.
TL: DR - bike is awesome; feels special; needs tank pads and fender eliminator; low center of gravity and counter rotating crank make a huge difference; POWER; don't have "S-envy."
A bit of background about me for context: I'm a former road bike (pedal) racer who got into motorcycling three years ago. I had a GSXR-600 for two years until it was stolen last year and did a couple of track days with California Superbike School on the S1000RR back in the fall.
This is my first Ducati, and I placed a deposit shortly after the bike was announced back in November. I chose a base as opposed to an S mainly because I doubted I personally would be able to fully appreciate the differences of the S model over the base. Anyways, on to the bike:
First Impressions
I've read much about people who don't like the design of the new V4 or think it's ugly. I can tell you that "ugly" was not the word that came to mind when I walked up to the bike for the first time in the showroom on Saturday morning. I would expect that most people lurking around the V4 forum have seen one in person by now, but for those who haven't, the bike has presence. It draws in your eye over and around the lines, folds and crevices of the fairing. The paint color (red, like everyone else's) entices and excites in the same way as its other Italian predecessors having the same color. Aesthetics and emotion were a big part of the reason I chose to come to Ducati for my next bike, and I certainly was not disappointed. (I will, however, be ordering a fender eliminator as soon as I find one I like. I can't stand the current fender).
Throwing your leg over, the bike feels noticeably light between your legs. Sitting there shifting it from side to side, I was reminded of the photos of the naked bike in the various reviews and how much effort Ducati put in to making the center of gravity of the bike as low as possible. You can feel it immediately.
Turning the key and pressing the starter gets the engine turning unevenly until it erupts with a satisfying growl and the bike vibrates alive. This hit me much harder than expected. First of all, the stock exhaust is much louder and more authoritative than I anticipated at idle. Before I took delivery, I had a mind for adding a slip on of some kind down the road. Now I'm not so sure. Second, as many have said before, the bike sounds very much like a twin down low and, as is to be expected, feels and sounds very different than either of the GSXR or the S1000RR that I have ridden before. Unfortunately I haven't had the opportunity to ride a Vtwin Panigale so I don't have a basis for comparison, but I think it suffices to say that, for me, authentic Ducati character shines through in V4 form.
Street Riding
Around town, the bike is easy to ride. Tooling around in first-third gear is easy enough and it does not feel snatchy. The quickshifter works very well, even when not under load. I would say it's an evolution beyond the one in the S1000RR. I found the base suspension to be plenty compliant for the ordinary bumps and surface irregularities that you find in city riding. I rode around in "Street" mode and didn't mess with the settings.
In terms of ergos, I've found that the bike 100% needs tank pads, and I wouldn't leave the dealership without them if I could do it again. I'm 6'3" and need to ride as far back as possible on the seat in order to be comfortable (not to mention that this is where you need to be for more dynamic riding). I found that the seat is angled forward slightly and, without some adhesion on the tank, it is all too easy to slide forward. This resulted in a constant struggle to push myself back when riding around at city speeds, and I had sore thighs and wrists as a result of trying to hang on with my legs and push back with my arms. This is less of an issue at highway speeds or under acceleration, when wind resistance and g-load help to keep you where you need to be, however heavy braking is a challenge. I'm currently looking at a set of R&G grips to remedy this ASAP.
How hot is it? I was wearing leathers on my first two rides and found that the heat is noticeable only when stopped. Mostly you feel the heat from the rightside header, but you can feel it generally around the seat area if sitting still for a long time. At speed, I didn't notice any heat.
Canyon/Mountain Riding
On the second day I took it to my favorite local mountain road to have a bit of fun. I had ridden 60 miles the day before so I gradually picked up the pace later in the ride as I felt more comfortable that the tires had a chance to be worn in. This road features a lot of tight curves and switchbacks with speeds comfortably around 30-50 mph without pushing too hard.
Man did this bike come alive. Everything just seemed to start falling into place. In this environment the low center of gravity and counter rotating crank really get your attention. Each corner and transition makes you ask yourself "how is this bike THAT quick from side to side?!" Once rotated, the bike feels planted and confidence inspiring. The brakes were also plenty in this environment. I was trying to keep the speeds at least within sight of legal so there were only a few situations where heavy braking was required, but I felt that modulation and braking power are as you would expect with the quality of brakes fitted to the V4. I thought the stock footpegs were pretty great and provided plenty of confidence that my feet were secure. The ergo comments mentioned above also apply here, although as mentioned the g's alleviated this on the acceleration side.
Throughout this ride, I did not feel the intervention of any systems, nor did I see the orange light on the dash informing me that they were at work. I wasn't riding so aggressively that I would expect them to intervene (and of course, I try to stay well below the threshold of my abilities on public roads), but it was certainly nice peace of mind to know that they were there, and it was also nice to know that the bike can be ridden spiritedly without need for intervention of the systems.
I won't comment much on the power since plenty has been said elsewhere, but I can assure you there is PLENTY. Everywhere. All the time. I'm still under break in for another 500 miles but the power is readily apparent. I will note that I found that it was easy add power smoothly when coming out of tight, low speed corners, which is always a concern when on a bike with this much power available.
Do I have "S-Envy?"
Do I regret not getting an S instead of the base? In a word, no. Not having ridden an S, this may be a case of "you don't know what you're missing," but I really don't think that, with my riding experience and intended use (canyon carving, a few trackdays a year), I would benefit substantially from the suspension and forged wheels featured on the S model. Sure, I love bling as much as the next guy/gal and if money were truly no object for me, I would happily have an S in my garage. However, at no point while walking towards it in my garage or seeing or feeling it under me did I think to myself "you know, you really should have sprung for the S."
If you made it this far, thanks for reading and hope you all enjoyed! I'll be sure to update as I put down some more miles.
