No what i'm saying is that if someone doesn't find a bike attractive they're less likely to buy it. Are you saying if a bike looks like a pig but rides like a porn star you'd buy it?
I don't think it is, thats why they went duel sided for the 749/999, even honda used a twin sided jobbie on their rc45. They were designed for endurance racing where they can have their plus points. They do look great too.
That 899 looks great, I can't see the problem. I can't believe you'd ignore the rest of the bike for the sake of a swingarm.
What I'm saying is that I think it looks ugly, thats just my opinion that I'm entitled to, so yes I can right the whole bike off based on the fact its got a fugly rear end.
I think it's what you get used to,after this has been out a while I'm sure it will grow its like seeing a 1098/1198 compared to 1199 they look so dated already +it is a test bike probably not totally finished so not seen in its best light
No one's even seen one in the flesh or knows the spec and yet condemnations are already being made. Still, it's all entertainment, isn't it?
My turn No do not see the point of it at all. I do not see how it will be much cheaper then base 1199. Frankly I bet a 1y old 1199s will be about same price. You will only save 2-3k on bike at best (I bet 2k). Buying quick shifter plus bit of CF to replace cheap plastic will easy add up to over a grand and get the price close to new 1199 which will have more as stock. All that assuming you are conservative with upgrades as better TC or steering damper will also be very "needed" Doubt insurance will be much cheaper sorry bike will still be on expensive end, still a ducati. That means price argument is out of the windows. Now the usable power argument. Erm it is a 900cc superbike that has more power then 916 had stock, will probably have more then 996/998/early 999 and likely more then late 999 being lighter then all of them. All those older bikes had a baby entry level bike as they were to "powerful". However back then power difference was noticeable. 748 had just below 100bhp 998 had easy 35% more power with no extra weight. At that time the same argument existed about usable power on the road 916 to 999 had to much power for the road ehm so 899 panigale should also have to much of it no? If that is the case then why one would buy a underpowered version of superbike that still has to much power anyhow?
A stock abs panigale is £15995 RRP, that's without carbon bits and so on I'd be astounded if Ducati priced the 899 over £12500 including abs, I believe any 2014 bike now has to have abs as standard. Why dont i think theyll price above that? Well the reason why is that it will put it straight in the firing line of too many other 1000cc bikes and well over every other midrange bike (bar the jazzy mv) IMO it would simply be suicidal as I can't see them moving enough units in such a declining market when the buyer wants the most for his money and Ducati or not. If that's the case then a £3k + saving is a large chunk of cash and about right I reckon. They'll keep the same electronics TC package, the clocks and LEDs the same as they'll of already committed to so many of them being made anyway as they're just a bolt on. And the rest we can see what's changed e.g wheels, swingarm, power plant and suspension hence the saving we should do a sweep stake
The price and cost of items are not always directly related. compare a Ducati 749S and a Ducati 999 they were basically the same bike, except the 749S has sleeves added to reduce the bore to make it smaller engine capacity. Difference in new price was about £2k. There was not £2k worth of different parts, it was just that the market was prepared to pay £2k more.
Thing is as discussed earlier you cannot just add sleeves to panigale to make 899 so cheap, easy option for engine is gone.
I went for a look yesterday at the new mv f3 800. I'm sad to say that I think that's where my money will be going instead of a 899 based purely on looks. However I'm not doing anything just yet, so will ride both next year and see from there. The f3 is lovely and comes with a nice spec for 11.5k. That's unless my insurance comes down on a 1199 as its 3 times the cost of my 848 and m1100s combined at the moment which puts it completely out the race.
I'm afraid that's par for the course where Ducati fanatics are concerned. See below...the bike has never been seen in the flesh yet already it's condemned... I've never come across a bunch of 'fanatics' of any other marque who are so condemning of their favoured brand. The 1199 was roundly panned before it actually saw the light of day, as was the Diavel, as was the Multistrada 1200. Yet they all sell well - to the people that panned them. Buggered if I can work it out.
A big part of Ducati is emotion and if its ugly as sin, then doesn't matter how good it rides. Nobody makes a bike these days that rides rubbish and 90% of folk never use them to their potential anyway.
I was considering the mv f3 also but I was at an mv dealer a few week back and was looking at the f3 and a few second hand f4 only 2 or 3 year old, the second hand bikes all just looked a bit tatty like they have a cheap finish or something they just hadn't aged well. It has certainly made me think twice about going for an MV now and also with the crap fuelling issues and the mcn test bike that fired oil into the air box on the high speed run they seem a bit of a risky buy I think if I got one I wouldn't keep it more than a year and I'm trying to get a few years out of each bike nowadays.
There's a lot of talk on the Mv forum about poor pdi and building issues, like the exhaust being welded at an odd angle, loose bolts etc
