I get the distinct impression that a lot of people here would rather it came with dry clutch, bevel drive and a bloke out front with a red flag...
I'll be in a position to buy one next year outright, if they do end up as a mini-pani. At the moment I'm considering an 1199 Panigale but I would rather a smaller, road biased bike that I can both enjoy and, more importantly, insure. And I'd gladly pay a premium for a bike of 1199 spec with an 899 engine. In my opinion the biggest volume selling bikes are no longer being bought because they have the biggest engine or are the fastest or because they win the most. Instead people are buying bikes that suit where they ride, how they handle and how good they look. An 899 Panigale would be just just the ticket for me.
Unfortunately many still buy the bike with the most horsepower and fastest on track and don't realise they would go no slower on a 600 instead of buying the bike to match there ability and where they do most of there riding.
Believe me, if it weren't for the fact that bikers are getting older 200bhp wouldn't be nearly enough. People will always go for the perceived 'best' that they can afford, so the biggest and most powerful bikes will always garner more attention. I'd still be chasing horsepower if financial constraints and a fat belly hadn't got in the way...
Funny that you see more IL4 thousands than 600s but more 848 than 1198s. Reckon an 899 would be a seller.
http://www.mcia.co.uk/Uploads/Statistics/Press-Statistics-201307.pdf Can I please show you this, to show the trend in sales for July 2013 compared to July 2012. Touring, Naked, Adventure Sport and Custom classes all show growth, everything else is in decline, although super sport sales are the 4th highest. Those growing sectors are, in the majority, lower horsepower machines with a different focus to sports bikes. In my opinion this shows a trend towards features that were previously rarely-considered aspects of riding. Ie: ride-ability, road manners, fuel economy, and sportier machines up to this point have disregarded these factors. Perhaps it's time for a change. Perhaps this view point is backed up again by BMW withdrawing from the SBK championship. They surely would continue to press on with a racing portfolio if it attracted new customers to their biggest, fastest bike. As a customer I would be attracted to a lower powered top-spec machine, even at a very near price point. I would like it if this idea had occurred to the head shed at Audi / Ducati too
155hp....... 195hp..................whats the difference? ...........what would be touring,adventure sport, or custom about a lower powered Panigale.......... BMW will apear in MGP you see......
My point was that people aren't rushing out to buy the bike that is the fastest or most powerful and would perhaps be more attracted to an 899 version of the Panigale than to the 1199. Myself for one.
The reason I posted my original opinion was to counter the comments saying that an 899 Pani would never happen or would need to be sold at a price point far below the 1199. I agree that 1199s are selling, but the market is contracting, while other sectors are growing. Surely it is better business sense to target growth sectors than to invest heavily in contracting sectors. Perhaps a reason for the less frequently developed flagship models of JIL4s is the unwillingness to invest in these sectors. The big manufacturers are businesses at the end of the day. They are here to take our money, not to make bikes that won't sell to as many people as possible. I just want an 899 Pani!
but an 899 panigale isnt part of any other sector.......thats growing or not...........its a low powered panigale!
You're correct. Which shares a few features in common with other popular bikes that are selling well. It's focus isn't on outright power, it's on road-manners and usable power. It may attract buyers to a market that is shrinking that may otherwise have gone elsewhere by offering a best-of-both-worlds product
panigale throttle conversion to 899.... there you go fit this to a 1199 panigale instant 155 horse power.......
