You have told your dealer to get ready for your deposit? Do they need to be prepared? They are merely taking your money. I don't wish to rain on your parade but they can do that any day of the week or place an order for that matter, as and when the V4 begins production. I suspect you'll be joining a long queue regardless, after the hype that will inevitably follow suit over the coming months, in the lead up to it's unveiling in Milan in November. No harm in getting a deposit down now but unlike a limited edition, you'll be one of thousands of potential customers worldwide with exactly the same idea.
Everyone likes to feel as if they are getting a personal service when buying a high end motorcycle, but the reality is that for almost everyone, you are simply a signature on a finance document and a small profit on their balance books. The margins on new motorcycles are small for the dealerships, so it's in their interest to sell as many as they can. I know of one potential 1299SL buyer (who could comfortably afford the bike) who was less than impressed with how Ducati handled his imminent purchase and decided if thats the way they want to conduct their business when you are about to spend £72,000, he would sooner pull out and buy an alternative. Every dealership is different, granted, but their ultimate raison d'etre is to make money.
I'll reserve judgement on the V4 until I see it in person and ride one. Never purchased a Ducati yet on specs and images alone. Bit like buying a high end car without a test drive and some research. Like many others, Y2 production is likely to be my marker, assuming the bike ticks all the boxes, since they will have hopefully got on top of any initial issues and there will be a greater choice of aftermarket parts available as third party manufacturers catch up.
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