What bike do you currently ride ? Price should not be the only consideration. Ideally have a good test on all (both?) bikes you are considering and buy the right one. Only you can decide which one that is. The 1199 may be cheaper now but if in 6 months you choose to sell it because it was not the right one you may well lose a few grand.
I currently have a honda cbf 500 (2 years). Thing is I had a ninja 6r for 2-3 years in the states but when I moved to Spain I had to do the driver licence from 0 so I was forced to get this bike (licence limitations). I have barely used the bike since is just plain boring. Also, the possibilities of trying either of the models out is practically 0 since dealers are not willing to take the risk.
I own a 1199s and previously a 848. The 1199s is so much easier to ride in traffic in my opinion, and there seems less heat from the pipes as well, I do have the termi end cans fitted which maybe help with the heat. All things considered I would not go back to the 848 the 1199 is so much better, it does not bother me that you cannot use its full potential on the road. For me the main buzz is being lucky enough to be able to purchase one and the thrill from riding it.
Get the Pani and fuck the consequences! - Crack that throttle open... Stole, Ride it, Like, you, it - Put those in order and you are 80% there!
I think JohnR sums it up. In comparison to the 1098 which I owned before an 1199, the Panigale seems very civilised at low speeds round town and quite docile by comparison to a 1098 below 7-8k rpm. The 1098 was a bit of brutal bike all round!:biggrin:. Once you get above these revs it really is like something I've never experienced before, the acceleration and speed progression is instant and this is where you feel all the horses. Everybodys opinions vary over new vs second hand but for what it's worth I'd buy the second hand 1199.
Given the price difference and the fact you can't do any test rides, I'd say get the 1199 ... if you go for the 899 you will always be wondering if you made the right choice. On the 1199 you will have the thrill of riding the 'ultimate' so you won't give the 899 a second thought ... so long as you stay alive. And if you die, you won't give it any more thought either so no problemo!
you can get 1199s cheaper then 899 ??????? serious? 1199s for less than £12.5k ???? tell me more about it
Well, if you live in Spain which is a large, fairly unpopulated place, you are likely to find more places to give an 1199 its head than in the crowded UK. If I ever give my 999 any kind of stick I am doing ludicrously illegal speeds, like double the speed limit or more, so you end up worrying about it. Buying a bike which accelerates even faster and has a bigger top end would only see me put behind bars, I suspect. From everything you can read, the 899 probably makes more sense on the road. It's not a small bike, or a middleweight bike, it's 900 cc which is not small in anyone's book. Do you need 1200 cc? Clearly not when 900cc will already give you 150 bhp, near as dammit. On the other hand, if I did live in Spain, and the 1199 was cheaper than the 899, that's the one I'd probably get. These days though, I'm more interested in a bike that delivers its thrills at a lower speed, like the Sport Classic range, simply because there are no tracks near here and I don't want to have my bike confiscated and myself put in prison. I'll be quite interested to see where this all ends. In 5 years time, will we be buying 1400 cc bikes that produce 210 bhp? 220 bhp? I can't see the manufacturers calling it a day, so probably yes. Bonkers.
My view is that if you have any doubts that means that you have a confidence issue, If I were in your shoes I would buy the 899, it's a better option. The last thing you want is a bike that you feel is intimidating.
Stop pussy footing us son and buy the fucker . Then ride the shit out of it. Scream past schools and old biddy's . Flick the bird to the cops , Harley riders and the clergy. Find a muddy puddle and spin rear wheel dirt over a lollypop lady - ---- Sorry dreaming again ! My advice don't ask others make your own mind up , you've come a long way since you were a single cell.:biggrin:
i need to buy a new kitchen. was going to buy a cheap shit, but missus cornered me cos of amount i've spent on my bikes. how do i get out of this situation???/
I think the 899 is a fantastic bike but at some point some 899 owners no matter whether they pootle round on it or ride it like a maniac will start to wonder how it fairs against the bigger 1199 bike. I bought the 749 years ago and it was a brilliant bike but I found myself thinking about the 999, before I had chance to think about it too much the 1098 came out and I bought one and loved it. Then came the 1198, I never bought one but wondered about it. I have an 1199S now wouldn't swap it for anything, but if next year Ducati released the 1299 I'd probably start thinking about that. Maybe I'm just never satisfied or a number chaser, I'm sure a psychologist would have a diagnosis for me. If you're having to about it I suspect if you buy an 899 you'll still be thinking about the 1199 once you've got it, so buy the 1199 because I bet if you do you won't then start thinking about the 899.
