WDW2024

Who is here?!?

Interesting bike.
I need to get deeper in the electronic.

only you, its an american forum

In 150ish people, only 15ish Italians.....
I am surrounded by foreigners, so don't even try it.

Looks like they got the seat and tank shaped right this time.

Just got back today from Italy. Great experience, but ...... was it hot!

Steven31371 said:

Looks like they got the seat and tank shaped right this time.

Click to expand...

Sitting on the bike the tank is big step. Long overdue but much better

BMW-esque front but its expected they all begin to look alike as they are designing for the same goals. I really like the new looks, and I am sure the functionality/rider experience will be fantastic.

I was thinking the same thing, all cars are starting to look alike, natural that bikes will follow…still though I miss that 3 louvers look, I like it on the old 70’s Corvette, and every other car they’ve done that too…and I liked on the current gen of Ducati’s.

After percolating on the new bike for a few days I’ve decided that I really like it. Enough to where I have real excitement over buying the R version.

I think Bagger is right, this gen of bikes will likely be the last hoorah for petro liter bikes, and I think they genuinely wanted to make a bike that’s the fastest they can make it and have it still be accessible…accessible speed seems to be the theme of the bike. And it seems like uncharacteristically for Ducati ‘accessible speed’ informed their design cues more that just making it a ‘sexy’ fast bike.

I’m cool with that, fast is sexy, functional is sexy.

Steven31371 said:

After percolating on the new bike for a few days I’ve decided that I really like it. Enough to where I have real excitement over buying the R version.

Click to expand...

I agree. Considering the price for the S model, it's not too much higher of a reach to get to the R.

I am going to give you guys my take on the new bike, in true forum fashion no one is asking what the 2 people on the forum who got to go see the bike think and what they may have gleamed from the WDW launch. I will post in a couple threads since there are many about this topic.

I wasn't there for the actual launch presentation thursday night as I had things to do in milan. So after an amazing dinner with friends in milan I get back to my hotel at 1230 am and pour over the launch information and images.

Before I dive into it lets set the stage for what we are looking at, in 2018 we were witnessing a entirely new platform for Ducati, no more twin big bike and the looks were bold and aggressive with the text book Italian touch. Rounded look reminiscent of early whale shaped Ducati GP bikes with the gills on the side fairings and with the R came the wings. It was perfect but the wings alone came with many salty ish comments.

So after a lovely meal in milan Thursday night ia returned to my hotel room to pour over the launch info and images, until then I had not peaked so it was the full deal. After looking at it like many of you I felt like the profile // side fairings were a little too static / sparse aesthetically. I did immediately pick up that this bike is much more racey then then the previous V4. The dip in front of the gas cap for chin, the seat/tank/tail unit, the top clamp, the dash, the wings absorbing into the fairings (everyone keeps saying BMW, BMW took this from Aprillia). To me a huge difference is not seeing the intakes under the lights, the lights now look reminiscent of 1098. The swing arm of courses a big deal and as I had observed the V21L was the first iteration - it was cast not CNC and has the same design styleing as this new v4 version. If SSSA is mandatory design language for you then we are having a different discussion other then the reality of performance evolution. No different then leaving the twin engine behind, the SSSA is not part of true performance motorcycle and is ducatis last hanging vice aesthetically. Which brings us to my roundup. This bike is tipping the scales for Ducati in terms of traditional Italian motorcycle design, it is no longer an equal balance of performance and ducati heritage design. It has shifted more towards performance obviously, if you are happy with Ducatis success in WSBK and Moto GP I think it is unfair to complain about this shift. Ducati has hung onto these fundamental aesthetics for as long as possible before finally reaching a point where the consumer facing products are now geared towards pure performance more then just an Italian motorsport aesthetic romance.

With big bikes the biggest updates that come down the pipeline are the least marketable ones because they are not visible, electronics rule this landscape and allow us mortals to ride these bikes. The 22 V4 update is a great example of something that no one is ever happy about or seems to be anything until someone rides it. I spoke with several of the riders about he new bike and the feedback was unanimous - its a big step. Its not just the swing arm but the whole package, which lets be honest is probably mostly the electronics. From all the race bikes I looked at the geometry was all the same - stock. They all said the bike turned much better and just felt better ergo wise. Pecco did a 135.8 on previous stock V4S, and 135.1 on his V4S with suspension in proper track trim - he is confident he can do a 134.5 on the new bike with suspension + track trim.

Some people are using the engineering degrees they gave to them selves to split hairs on what Ducatis team has come up with. If you do not trust in what has come out of this brand and Ducati Corse over the last 6 years thenI am not sure what to say.

bp_SFV4 said:

I agree. Considering the price for the S model, it's not too much higher of a reach to get to the R.

Click to expand...

Assuming the price cap does not move again.

Ducati moves the price cap whenever they want

After spending $40k on a bike with 100 less HP and being happy about what I got I get that a bike with headlights and taillights and all the electronics that’s also a really good bike is gunna cost at least as much. Don’t care.

I do wish Ducati would release a TRUE track spec version of the R though. Stripped down for the track already,

Steven31371 said:

After spending $40k on a bike with 100 less HP and being happy about what I got I get that a bike with headlights and taillights and all the electronics that’s also a really good bike is gunna cost at least as much. Don’t care.

I do wish Ducati would release a TRUE track spec version of the R though. Stripped down for the track already,

Click to expand...

I’d love to see that as well. Stripped out and ready for track.

Karl without being there to see the bike in person I feel the same way. Ducati made almost no concessions on performance for aesthetics this time, I think that’s cool. The side panels look a bit ‘Plain Jane’ to me but that’s nothing a cool livery can’t dress up. Every part of the bike seems to have improved except the power, which it didn’t need more of anyway, BUT I bet that engine responds really well to some tuning.

The ergos are better, the electronics are better, it’s slightly lighter weight, the chassis flex of the bike has improved the right way etc etc etc. Little improvements everywhere, that I will bet money on will improve the bike a lot in aggregate.

As an aside, the one thing I’m the most impressed with is the rear breaking that the bike does FOR YOU to assist cornering. I think most people don’t use the rear brake at all so they don’t really understand how much of an impact that system is gunna have on their ability to turn this bike with precision. If I understood it right, so far it really only activates to help close down on an apex, but I suspect later iterations will be able to activate the rear brake slightly just ahead of the front brakes when you pull the front brake lever (to settle the bike in hard braking zones) in some ‘track mode’ and even use the rear brake to help with anti-wheelie instead of cutting engine power for anti-wheelie.

My rear brake pads are as fresh as the driven snow.

Steven31371 said:

Karl without being there to see the bike in person I feel the same way. Ducati made almost no concession on performance for aesthetics this time, I think that’s cool. The side panels look a bit ‘Plain Jane’ to me but that’s nothing a cool livery can’t dress up. Every part of the bike seems to have improved except the power, which it didn’t need more of anyway, BUT I bet that engine responds really well to some tuning.

The ergos are better, the electronics are better, it’s slightly lighter weight, the chassis flex of the bike has improved the right way etc etc etc. Little improvements everywhere, that I will bet money on will improve the bike a lot in aggregate.

As an aside, the one thing I’m the most impressed with is the rear breaking that the bike does FOR YOU to assist cornering. I think most people don’t use the rear brake at all so they don’t really understand how much of an impact that system is gunna have on their ability to turn this bike with precision. If I understood it right, so far it really only activates to help close down on and apex, but I suspect later iterations will be able to activate the rear brake slightly just ahead of the front brakes when you pull the front brake lever in some ‘track mode’ and even use the rear brake to help with anti-wheelie instead of cutting engine power for anti-wheelie.

Click to expand...

The side panel fairings look much more purposeful IRL also

the racey ABS thing is cool to, will be interesting to try.

KarlKani said:

if you are happy with Ducatis success in WSBK and Moto GP I think it is unfair to complain about this shift.

Click to expand...

WSBK is won by SSSA

no idea why you typed so much, half of that is unreadable gibberish

The guys who cruise these bikes with there furry ears glued to their helmets in little packs are probably gunna hate on this bike…the guys who go to the track are gunna love it lol