Despite the moaners wittering on about the 1299 R FE not being a proper R and has no race pedigree, the 1299 R FE is a 1299 Superleggera without the uber trick engine internals, steel rods instead of titanium. The bike has THE most sophisticated electronics of the Panigale L twin and the performance is brutal. Hindsight is a wonderful thing so it is fortunate that I love my V4 enough not to regret not getting an FE. Andy
I remember being a kid and desperately wanting one of these. Where I come from they were still learner legal and kids were buying them as their first bike with the obvious consequences.
What I just found out about the 1299 R FE is that they didn't sell out. In fact, they didn't sell well at all. There's still nearly 200 of them left. I'm scratching it from my list. For the money I still think the V4R is best option. The 1199 SL or a DSRR is going to cost at least £10-15k more.
@JohnnySea Have you considered buying more than 1 bike ? I have no idea what storage room you have of course so that may not be practical. I operate at a much lower price level than you but I currently have a Ducati S2R1000, a BMW R1200S and a Moto Guzzi Breva 1100. They cost me less than £8k in total , wont` depreciate, are fun to ride in their own way and cover everything from a slow comfy two up tourer to a reasonably quick sports bike with the Monster in the middle. For £40k you could get 3 lovely nearly new bikes that have all suffered the big initial depreciation.
@JohnnySea why have you dismissed the classics ? 916SPS, 996R, 998R, 999R, 1098R, I cant see you losing any money on them if bought correctly and they’ll still keep up with anything modern on the road. Is it the newer riding aids you want as well? IMO if you spend 40k on a new(ish) bike, even if a limited edition, you’re going to suffer depreciation for the next 10-15 years, only then will the prices begin to climb back up and eventually, after several years be back where you started. At least the ‘classics’ have been through that stage and are now at stable prices.
The short version of the long story is that I previously had a collection of 13 largely collectible Ducati's however I sold them all but one of them when I immigrated to the UK about 12 years ago. I now live in central London and until recently haven't had room to store a bike and it's certainly not possible to park one on the street and expect it to be there when you awake. I'm now just about to complete a home renovation and have built a purpose built basement with hydraulic lift just for the bikes I hope to accumulate. In the past I've bought new things and when they've been superseded I've replaced them. When I bought my first bike, a 749, the trade in value they offered me to upgrade to a 999R was such an insult I decided to keep it. That's how the collection started. What started off this whole thread is the realisation that I would get a lot more satisfaction out of the V4S - a bike that I already absolutely adore - if it wasn't depreciating so terribly. What I'm looking to buy right now is a "go to" bike that I can use once a month, that inspires me and that doesn't loose me a whole heap of money. In addition to that I plan to develop a collection of mainly collectibles from the 80's through to the present day. So, in answer to your question, I will buy more than one bike but for my go to bike, not exactly a daily rider but the bike I go for a blast on whenever the weather is behaving, I have roughly £40k to spend. It's an arbitrary number. I could spend more but I don't think it's necessary. I could also spend a lot lot less and get the same thrills. Right now, a new R for £32K is what I'm likely to blow my cash on. The next bike I'll be hunting for is a stock 916SPS.
I've seen two on auto trader that are up for 29K but both have been sold. According to at least one dealer I've spoken to they aren't having any trouble selling them during isolation. The same dealer did offer me a £3K discount without me even asking for it.
sounds like you have got the answer you were looking for, you just need to ensure that you buy smart, which I'm sure you will as it doesn't sound like you are stupid when it comes to financial decisions. If you can play the game, time it right, find a dealer looking to move stock having been in lockdown (bearing in mind the stock is still getting older by VIN, and dealers have a target to move 'old' VINS on I'm told) then you might get a good deal.
Mint condition 916SPS, 996R & 998R - I see them all as bikes that are worthy of collecting but for my go to bike I'd prefer something slightly more modern that will become a future classic. The 998R isn't that old but it's already a classic. The V4R is up to date as you can get but should hold it's value well and become a future classic.
Beauty is in the eye of the heloder as they say but in my opinion these are two of the ugliest Superbikes that Ducati has put out in recent times. That being said, I love the much maligned 999 / 749 so perhaps I'm just a bad just of character.
I kind of agree so you are not necessarily in a minority. I do also have a 999R though to keep it on an even keel. Buy one of them maybe?
The first bike I ever bought was a 749 biposto - the ugly duckling of the Ducati family. After about a year I upgraded to a 999R and then in no particular order added a 916SPS, Desmo RR, 1098 Tricolore to name but a few. When I immigrated to the UK I sold them all but the 749. Recently at some considerable expense I shipped the 749 from Aus to London. Upon arrival a discovered that it was not in the pristine condition I remember leaving it in. So far I’ve replaced the original clutch for a slipper, added a quick shifter which along with a general service cost me £3.5. I’ve spent another £500 on replacing cosmetic parts that are worn or aged and it still needs either a new paint job or the front right hand fairing, seat cowl and tank replaced. And I just discovered I’ve lost the red key! This thing has cost me at least double what it’s worth and I can’t bring myself to stop restoring it. The irony of it is not lost on me - on the one hand my original post was about seeking advice on a bike that won’t depreciate and on the other I’m sinking money into a lost cause. Thank God I can share my experience freely on the internet with like minded souls who I know will understand cause if my wife ever finds out I’m not sure she’ll be as sympathetic as you lot.
I've never taken a lot of photos of motorbikes, either mine or anyone else's for that matter. The way I see it, they're for me to enjoy and I enjoy them most by either riding them or just sitting and staring at them. But, for no other reasons than nostalgia I guess, I have loads of my 749. This is her now with the new slipper clutch, Termi pipe that I forgot to mention previously and quick shifter fitted. Still work to do but she's starting to look right again.
If we were sensible, none of us would be on a Ducati forum, we would all be on a BMW forum trying to stay awake, and moaning that our new S1k that we couldn't get hold of has a limiter and they know when you've done a burnout at the first service. .. yawn.
