Will I be bored with a V4 on the street?

Vbreeze said:

Hey trademarked - I have a V4S & I also live in a place with super tight twisties, some not great pavement, and also some really spectacular roads as well. I love it all.
It really depends on what you like to do. Some people only like high speed and big sweepers - which I have to say is beyond dreamy on this bike. If you like the technical stuff, the bike can do it for sure, but it's challenging. It's not a tiny bike.
The computerized Öhlins are a dream on roads that change conditions every 500 meters and on the technical roads.
Where are you in Thailand if I may ask? (i lOOOOOOOOOve Thailand. North / south? photo looks like... north? I've mostly been to the south. Bangkok, Ayutthaya, Phuket doing things 'mericans do. Diving.)
I ask because the bike gets very hot at slow speeds. If you can get around traffic in the tight roads or get out for rides early in the morning it'll be great. If you're stuck behind slow trucks in 35°C you're going to be sitting on a BBQ roasting.
2 biggest helpers for that: 1) Leather pants. 2) Throttle-slop spacers. You'll know what I mean when you ride it.

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Sorry I think I might have missed your post earlier. I'm up in Chiang Mai, so I ride around Mae Hong Son, Chiang Rai, Nan, etc. I'll never be in traffic.

stars_fan said:

I ride with a guy who’s on a 1260S Multi and sometimes I really have to push mySF when he gets a wild hair up his butt.

Maybe this says more about my lack of confidence on public roads but I wouldn’t dismiss a Multi.

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I want a Panigale, as anything else is boring to me. I'm riding an MT-10 at it's absolute limit and I'm borderline bored. So, hopefully that puts things into context. Most people don't know what an MT10 is, so for those that don't, it's a naked sport bike with the R1 crossplane modified for more torque at low rpm and more aggressive street speed gearing. So, it's faster than an R1 until, perhaps, 150kph, when the R1 would pull away, but the R1 would be faster in the corners because I will scrape my pegs.

Omarpr420 said:

I truly use mine v4s for daily use. (Work) What I have done I have set it up for a little more confort. Also I can use it in street mode to deal with the heat in short runs.

you would love the v4 when you understand it is an easy driving bike with monstrous powers and ability’s that you have to discover on your own!

in my opinion buy it. And as soon as you felt in love with it you will start a relationship with the driving and happiness. I call mine the antidepressant!

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What have you done for comfort? Seat? Anything else?

Omarpr420 said:

Heat Guard for the engine and seat , phone mount , handle bar weights suspension adjustment for my size , play with the engine controls I was able to find out if change the ebc (engine brake control) it produce much less heat. ( planing on install bigger oem windshield and new mirrors)

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Did the heat guard make a big difference?

Vbreeze said:

"I'll never be in traffic." (<--- Not many people can say that!)

That looks pretty fun. I think you'll have a seriously good time on the V4. I was looking at some satellite images.
How are the road surfaces?

I'm also interested adding some heat shields but I haven't yet because so far the only times I get really hot is when I'm in traffic. I ride in full leather. It finally hit 26-31C here and I find that riding position has a huge effect on how much heat exposure you get. If you sit mid seat in a kind of not-paying-attention position, it's the worst. If you're up against the tank riding in corners, it's really not noticeable so much. Warm, yes, but not crazy. On the highway at the back of the seat in a tuck, it's pretty great. You get the right kind of wind, it's not an issue for me. When I got back into town, city center, I got stuck at one red light in the sun 32C out, after an hour of highway at 180KPH, ya, that was bad. That was 6 mins of serious baking. Those kinds of moments in jeans are way too hot. In leather it's ok, but you want to jump in the water after.

I looked into ceramic coating the headers, they say it makes a huge difference. Wrapping the headers in tape, someone posted that eventually deteriorates the headers. It may have been a recall item on thin pipes, so I'm not sure if anyone has had any success on more recent models.

Anyone with full Akra exhaust have an opinion on the heat difference?

I wouldn't mind adding a hydration pack to my suit.
The seat is ok for me, but I think I want to find a flat seat like a racing seat.
The V4S grips I like a lot. I don't have any issue with vibration or anything like that.
The mirrors are kind of ......... ha ha They are really delicate, vibrate a lot. They are in a good position, I can see behind me fine, but I wish they folded up. I get really happy when I take them off. Looks way better. I need to get the lic plate tale thing off too. Looks ridiculous. I have been riding too much to mess with it.

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Yeah my bikes only head out of the city and not into the center. I have a scooter or a truck for that. I literally stare at a mountain from end to end that looms over the whole city. It's a 12 month riding season if you don't mind the heat and some rain during the rain season. Usually you can avoid it. (I still run Supercorsas, or one step lower). The road surfaces are excellent if you stick to the main roads. Much of it is very new. Almost every corner, if clear of sand or dogs or oncoming traffic, is safe to practice some cornering form. 31C is a cool day here I've gotten used to riding when it's 37-38, but fortunately when the altitude increases I get a little break and it cools down slightly.

I'm sure ceramic coating the headers will have some effect. I'm not sure how much, but it's a common modification for cars, and header wrap does trap moisture and could rot the metal; I was advised not to use it on my cars which were pulling in too much hot air into the intake. I'd also like to hear from full Akra owners if there is any heat difference. I'd imagine not, but just guessing.

The mirrors and giant tail will be taken off on the first day I always use small bar end mirrors since out of the city we don't have anything coming up behind us. The speed limit is whatever we feel is safe. There is no speed enforcement at all. So, we are always in a state of passing cars on the solid yellow, which is acceptable and expected here. If we put our plate somewhere with the view obstructed the fine is $6 LOL. The same fine as not having a driving license at all. Downside is, no one has a driving license, so you have to ride extremely defensively, yet at the same time ride the yellow line with cars going both directions. They know not to move suddenly because there are so many motorcycles (2x that of cars), but the problem is that in corners they like to cut the line and can often be in your lane, so you have to take every blind corner with plenty of correction ready.

0260n25 said:

I wouldn't dismiss ANY Ducati, LOL.

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I'm sure they can be fun, especially a Diavel, but I already have an MT-10 for hooligan riding and it's way faster than a Diavel accelerating from 0-100mph, no offense.

The Multi is a great bike. I've ridden it. However, it's not at all what I'm looking for. I want a proper sport bike again. I had a touring bike and was bored. I want to be engaged and feel a part of the bike. I want to feel what's happening on the road and not be cushioned and coddled. I want all of the unforgiving unpleasantries that come with a sport bike. It makes the experience more real.

brad8266 said:

A sport bike setup correctly from a geometry and suspension perspective isn’t unforgiving, plus if you feel it’s unforgiving it’s probably unsafe as well, not to mention you’ll ride slower.

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I think you misunderstood my intention. I mean to hear the engine and exhaust scream beautifully, to feel what the tires are doing on the road, to feel through the brakes, to work my muscles to corner well with good form, to live with the challenging riding position, the heat, etc.

brad8266 said:

Yeah perhaps I misunderstood but a lot of the things you mentioned in the post I quoted and post 1 don’t lend to safe riding in my opinion and are also counterproductive to your goals.

If you want to feel the tires and brakes correctly you need to dial in your geometry and suspension but you said you have no desire to deal with that. Until you do that you will be likely fighting the bike, and it increases risk and decreases your speed. Setting up suspension isn’t that difficult, an hour of watching Dave Moss videos and you’ll have enough to do a basic setup of preload and rebound. Riding position should not be a challenge, if it is your bike setup is poor and will make you slower. A V4 is actually a pretty rideable bike when it’s setup for you.

Heat, I mean if you want a hot leg sure but a 5 dollar piece of heat tape and 10 minutes of work can solve a lot of that.

I’m just struggling with why you want to fight a bike in the hopes of riding it fast. If you want to go fast spend the time to set it up right to go fast.

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I agree that suspension should be set up correctly, and that I don't have good suspension knowledge. I have watched a few Dave Moss videos. A lot of testing is required, and since I have multiple bikes (usually 4 or 5), I just don't have the time and want to be out riding, so if I get a non S bike I will have our local pro get me a baseline setup. If I have an S model I assume it's going to be adequate enough to enjoy.

0260n25 said:

No offense was taken. It does not matter to me who has a bigger toy. Having said that, the XDiavel (not the Diavel) has a 0-60 time of 2.5 to 2.6 seconds, while the MT-10 has a 2.9. They are similar, for sure. I understand you are not looking for an adventure or power/muscle cruiser - I was simply making a point that Ducati makes some very capable bikes. I'm sure you will choose what fits your needs, although you appear to need more than one type of bike.

Here is a DPL run I did on my XDiavel with street tires on the street. I calculated a 2.7 second zero to sixty time (not an exact science, but video frames helped estimate the time). Zero to 100 is just as lightning-quick (rips your arms off). I also have a quick shifter to help speed things up, but 0-60 is first gear.

PW: DPL0260n#267

https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/350532852

-0260

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The Diavels are quick for the first 100 feet but after that the MT-10 will blow by. 0-100mph the MT-10 will be in the distance. The Diavel gets better traction for a launch while you have to fight the front wheel down on the MT-10. 0-60 is kind of a dated measurement in today's world of ultra fast toys. The 1/4 mile, IMO, is a much better measurement of what you're working with. People discount the MT-10 because it's an inline 4, or because they don't know it's a cross plane engine, or because they don't know it's a modified cross plane different from the R1 with more low end torque and more aggressive gearing. It's an absolute animal for street riding, a beast to control, but still capable of tearing up corners until you scrape pegs but never run out of tire. I'm not trying to have a big .... contest, there is always something faster, but just trying to share the real world data since most people don't understand the MT-10. Don't get me wrong, I like Diavels, they are cool, but I'd rather have a Triumph Rocket