yes I think on a track day because u ride harder so tend to bang in the gears harder then wen ur just going steady on the roads, like ur v4 I should get mine late march early april, I have booked into do Silverstone end of may which will give me time to run it in & get a paint job , tidy tail & gearing lowered
Good overview of the V4 thanks. Was thinking the bike would be as you have said, which hasn't helped to whet my appetite. Not a fan of the looks either, but I'll test ride it later this year and make a decision then. It does look better with different paint designs for sure, but not convinced as yet though. The 1299, although not as adrenaline inducing as the 1199 will do me fine for now.
Great to finallt read a comparo of 1299 and V4 from a 1299 owner, I had been looking for that allover (I am not in the UK so have not been able to read what MCN just published about that subject). On the subject of BMW vs. The V4, the French magazine Moto Journal has made a comparison based on road use. The BMW came on top with two testers out of three and won the overall, based on higher usability and versatility on the road. Power and Torque dyno figures are included. I was surpised to see the BMW edge out the V4 in peak torque.
Who’s gonna trade in their V4 for the 2019 S1000RR then? The Duke gets my vote, they just need to pretty it up a bit.
I’m not surprised by the findings of that mag above. People keep on going on about the motor of the bike like it’s ground breaking and blows the competition out of the water, it really doesn’t! It’s a good engine, but it’s not like what it’s being made out to be. I really hope people aren’t just buying this bike for its claimed power figures, because it’s so much more than that. But I think they’re going to be disappointed when they don’t ‘smash’ other bikes. There’s a video on the net of a new v4 struggling with an old fireblade, take that with a pinch of salt, but it only just pipped it top end! Ran in or not it’s supposed to have a lot more power than a blade! They should be talking about the rest of the bike in my opinion because that is the real stand out stuff... chassis, handling, usability gizmo’s etc etc. (For the record I’ve had the v4 pinned and up to the limiter in every gear up to fourth gear in race mode) Journalists and publications piss me off, they’re absolutely full of shit! They change their minds like the wind and will tell you that something is amazing, then months later it isn’t. The v2 panigale was praised for its handling!, then all of a sudden is was likened to a bit of scaffolding with wheels either end. I mean for god sake mcn voted the fireblade sports bike of year !
Apart from writing sideways, what a strange language, it was an absolute tremendous feet of gravity. How on earth they got all 4 bikes to stand up without falling down to have a picture taken is brilliance itself
Agree largely with this. Journo's and publications are always under political pressure not to rock a manufactures boat too much. I always take a group test with a pinch of salt. I'm not saying they're all bullshit, just a wee pinch of salt.
the phrase that springs to mind with journalist these days is that 'the tail is wagging the dog' because if they bag on a bike, they suddenly find they don't get lent any more bikes. I'm not sure the world is quite the same now, I have bike mags in my collection from the 90's and they would litterally rip certain aspects of the bike to bits, regardless of manufacturer, they were much more free to say it how it was.
To be fair, it’s not like you can slate any of the latest performance bikes, they’re all good. Some excel in areas where others don’t and vice versa, but it’s not like you can buy a dog from the showroom. The V2 was precise but the monocoque didn’t lend itself to everyday riding in my opinion. It was also another excuse not to produce a new Streetfighter
Backbin 2007/8 when Performance Bike were doing the PB Baron features at the Nurburgring, Ducati flatly refused to let any 1098 from any press fleet be submitted for the testing. Did they fear their bike would struggle against the big four.
What everyone forgets is that most people buy a bike because they like the performance, the way it makes them feel, its ease of use, the colour, bragging rights, the name on the side etc etc Does any of it matter if it floats your boat? Its pointless someone saying the V4 looks crap, as there will be someone else who likes its look etc etc. We are living through, and probably towards the end of, the golden age of the internal combustion engine. Just make the most if it and enjoy it.
This is why I don't read bike magazines anymore. Like has been said there isn't any bad bikes and lap times are very similar. I think if you were after a new bike anyway then the v4 makes sense to be on the list but I wouldn't be in a rush to swap a 1299 for a v4 expecting it to be so much better.
Ok. I'm horrible at this but here goes. Went for a demo ride, brand new tires 2 miles on the bike, track mode V4s. Giving the fact I have a v4 Tuono which is the same displacement I hope I can give you a decent comparison. The motor is like a pissed off ape with twin firing setup, the traction control at level 2 works really well. The middle of the rear was warm after the first 2,3,4 shift at 9k according to the TC light. The biggest thing I had was getting comfortable with was how light it felt, it felt like 20 lbs lighter than the pani. I take all the reviews with a grain of salt but this thing is the real deal, I cant wait until my the SP shows up. I have to say if I ride both the 1299 and the v4 back to back in the canyons the v4 will be quicker by a decent margin. Its that good. Given some of the issues raised in this thread I paid close attention to the quick shifter and also the heat in traffic. The up shits under 35 mph felt long but above that it was better than the 1299, I was wearing a pair of jeans and the heat was fine. I cant make 3 traffic lights in jeans on the pani without toasting my inner thigh so that was a surprise. If I could not afford both bikes the pani would have to go. Thankfully it's going to stay (for now)
Cock on it looks shit in that area, performance not up for debate but aesthetically shit (in parts) all about opinions though...personally most Ducati sportsbikes keep me looking all around them for quite sometime, I saw the v4 at sherburn 2 weeks ago and yes I looked at it for sometime (first one I had seen) but honestly I would not go anywhere out my way to look at another, its an absolute crime that bike is not a showstopper, the black one on the stoner video looked more like it, and yes a pearl white with black frame would be far more desirable..imo
when you can afford 24k? For a track only bike the tracks been European to boot, then improve the bikes looks, you don't need to worry about a great deal old luv, fair play to ye...remember though you have no excuses, it's like a game of soggy biscuit you need to come 1st...imo.
I make a decent living but I work hard mate. I do a job and accept hardships that most people can't hack. I've seen so many come and go.... Need to come first? I always used to when I was younger but it had nowt to do with bikes Seriously though, I don't need to boss track days at all. It's not my profession. Which is just as well by the way because I'd win fuck all I lick around at a reasonable pace until I reach the sub whatever times.... I refer to the sub whatever times as the injury and smashed up bikes zone. Everyone I talk to doing laptimes in the 'sub whatever' zone has stories about personal injuries and or smashed up bikes. Nah... fuck that. First of all I need to be fit for work, and secondly, my bikes are too darn priddy to be cartwheeled into the scenery. Of course everything's a possibility in motor sport but all I can do is manage the risk and not go too daft.
