Whats your thoughts on this guys? Maybe I need another coffee but this really depresses me and puts me off Ducatis. I use the bikes on track so decided against getting a Speciale because I want to wait for the R version next year but I'm still a potential customer and it really p*sses me off seeing them with a £4k markup straight out of the box. It means even more Ducatis will never go any further than the driveway and will be out of reach of people that want to actually use them as Bologna intended. Its impossible to get a new Porsche GT3 for the same reason, they are just being hoovered up and stored for profit and never used. First world problems I know but if I can't vent on a Ducati forum then there's no where I can!
I wouldnt buy a nut n bolt off those charlatans. I honestly dont know why people buy stuff from The Bike Specialists. Theyre everything thats bad about profiteers.
It stinks, I blame the Ducati main dealers as much for selling them on to a known middle man trying to fleece genuine customers. It'd be interesting to know where they got them from. Steve
Part of me thinks whoever bought them first should be on Ducati's banning list next time. Easy for them to trace. Its stopping genuine riders getting their bikes first. Do you reckon they are UK sourced or not? Then its also the way the world works now. Greed and avarice.
They rarely have shite bikes in and do seem to have high prices in return My understanding is the ltd edition is £34,995 and they are asking £38,980. Not unusual for new models of limited edition anything to have a higher premium as they know some people get fizzy pants in "having the first one" But google found the same bike at retail which is the £4k cheaper https://www.dmcmoto.co.uk/detail/2018-ducati-panigale-v4-speciale https://www.seastarsuperbikes.co.uk/ducati/models/superbike/panigale_v4_speciale
That would have been my answer a while back but having been in the exact situation with the cars I can see the damage it does to the community. I came very close to buying one of these and it would go straight to the track, perhaps ridden a bit more carefully than my race bike but still doing some awesome stuff. With a four grand markup this is going straight to a display case and weekend ride down the road if it's lucky. It's all fine if thats what people want to do with the bikes and I dont hold it against them but to do it with such a special bike straight out of the box is sad.
As I said no one is being forced to buy one from them. If people voted with their feet then this sort of thing wouldn't go on.
Isn't this a pain of someone's own doing though? New model and impatient future owner often leads to a premium. Be honest, how many laugh at those geeks who queue up outside an apple store just to put them on ebay first? I tried an old technique, it's one I recommend, if you feel something is too expensive and it's more than you want to pay, don't. Search and wait till you find the right bike for you at a price your happy to pay. The bit that seems to be missed is..ffs your willing to pay £35K for a bike! There is the daylight robbery
Exactamundo. His business model must be working for him as people are buying his wares. Personally, I wouldn't buy a thing from him and if everyone else did the same, he wouldn't be around long. Some people are too lazy, gullible and feckless to do the legwork and source a similar bike or car for £thousands cheaper. If they get horned up over a shiny bike and want to shovel money into his pockets, then why wouldn't he take it?
As I said to @El Toro it's easy to say this if you are not in the market for one. Regarding people paying that much cash, thats just a bit of reverse snobbery. I paid £28K for my current R and don't regret it for a moment. What people dont take into account is how amazing an experience the engines are to ride hard. It's not the pub figures, its something different that you can't capture in pub figure sheets. You could buy a base model 1299 and spend extra cash on lightweight internals for the engine and decent suspension and light weight wheels and you would be up to a similar price to buying the R new so it does make sense if you are wanting that kind of experience. A guy with a £5k bike would ask you why you needed to spend £10k on one, its irrelevant.
I don't care what you or anyone else pays for their toys. It's your money and therefore your choice what you do with it. Personally, though I could buy one if I wanted one, I cannot justify to myself spending that kind of money on one single bike that is just a part-time/weekend toy. Biking is a fun thing I choose to do in my life not an essential thing. I have better things to do with my money that involves my wife, kids and grandchildren. Those things are a priority and essential. To me anyway.
That wasn't aimed at you , It was in reply to @noobie comment. The point being its subjective. If I had family like yourself then I would 100% be spending cash on them as they are most definitely much more important.
Not entirely surprised really considering who the dealer is Dave. It’s a bit crap, it’s the only v4 I’d consider at the moment but it’s just too much money in my honest opinion. Especially as it’s marketed as a race bike with head lights but who’s honestly going to rag a speciale around and not be scared of binning it and ending up with a 15k repair bill. Not only that, out of the box it’s probably still going to be off the pace compared to a slightly breathed on jap bike. I’m happy with my 1299 and am waiting to see what the new s1000rr is like after being a little disappointed by the new Duc if I’m honest. I really am not sure what all the fuss is about. People are lapping up this launch fever. Before v4 owners come knocking on my door for a punch up, I’m not saying it’s bad, it’s great, but as are most litre sport bikes. I’m struggling to see that this is a game changer.. step forward in some areas yes for sure
I don't have an issue with the price of any bike. I have an issue with someone speculating and charging a massive premium for something. All business has to make profit, I understand that, but I find Sheffield's business model excessive. Because of that, our paths will never cross. When I look to buy my next bike, it won't be from him, even if he has what I want. I'd rather wait.
I agree it stinks with new release bikes and would be interested where they came from - but do you not think it is Ducati who have purposefully created this 'collector rarity' market as a progression of the Homologation Specials. I collect older bikes as investments as you know, although I do run some of them, but the quote 'as Bologna intended' is on the side of the collector market and not the track I'm afraid - profiteering just the same as the Sheffield shop perhaps?
Why? Ducati don't care, they've been paid their asking price. They're a company run for profit, and will not have any sentimentality. If anything their marketing department will likely observe to learn whether the market would bear a higher price, and will likely high-five themselves for canny marketing of the Speciale.
