Newbie question Thinking about buying a 1299 Panagale . Three things spring to mind ignoring the obvious price difference . Is the S worth the extra money as mainly a road bike ? Does the standard model have the same electronics excluding the semi active suspension ? Any other differences between models apart from the suspension and wheels ? Its not really obvious on Ducatis website and most tests on you tube tend to be of the S Thanks in advance Dave
Panigale* If I had the money I'd go for the S - the suspension on the road would be nice to have. Guess it depends on how much money you have.
I couldn't justify the added cost of the S. I have ridden them back to back (you should) and just couldn't really see the money myself. If it was full active maybe I'd have been swayed.. The S gives you semi active suspension, lightweight wheels and led lights. The base model is exactly the same otherwise. Ride both and decide...
id go base model and up grade suspension to my liking if i needed too. or the money you save buy some after market wheels ie oz,dymag,bst.
I'm currently in the same situation as you. I live in the country side and riding in the dark, the LED lights make a huge difference. That's the main reason why I'm leaning towards the S. I like the looks of the base better.
For me the S is a 100% no brainer better bike for the road if you can afford the extra cash. If I was buying for track then I'd buy the base and upgrade the suspension but on the road the active suspension makes a massive difference as you can ride it in any conditions and it makes the bike comfortable. I have the earlier 1199S and that is good because you can electronically adjust the suspension to make it softer on the fly for poor quality surfaces but it's arguable if it's worth so much extra money. The 1299S with it's fully active (event based) suspension is a magic carpet ride like the BMW S1000RR and is really nice to ride on the road. The 1199S is a race bike on the road and can be pretty harsh at times. The base 1299 is a bit more forgiving but it's still a headache on poor quality road surfaces. The 1299s is a no compromise race bike but a near perfect road bike as well. It's no multistrada but it is pretty practical compared to other race bikes. You can also turn off the electronic suspension so that it operates like normal suspension on track if you wanted, but to be honest it works very well and I can't see many people doing that.
Buy a second hand 'S' about a year old (which is still new in my eyes) and still under warranty. It'll cost about the same as brand new base model but you'll get all the 'S' goodies. It'll have done the most painful bit of depreciation at someone else's expense and when you sell it, it'll be more desirable than the base to the next buyer and worth more by comparison.
hiya Dave everything is the same apart from the suspension and led lights. ive got akras ( free in last years winter deal)and added some carbon parts,levers,bar ends etc on the base model. you can change loads of things but you wont get the money back if left on the bike if you sell it as I'm sure you know. if money was no object then get the s but only if you wont miss it.ive no problem with standard suspension after all its not a cruiser , its going to be firm. just miss the pot holes haha. its hard to sell these bikes if you want over 13k so I would not buy the s as you will loose loads in the end. get used to the bike , it has a few niggles but I think you will like it.
I went for the 'S' for no other reason than I knew I'd think 'wish I'd got the S' every time I looked at my bike if got the base model. It's all in my head - unfortunately it's not in my wallet anymore!
I stand corrected, but my thoughts are still the same. I've rode the 1299S on road and track and the benefits of the electronic suspension are comparable to the 2015 BMW S1000RR in terms of the quality of the ride on the road compared to traditional suspension. I really think they hit the nail on the head with the 1299S as a road bike. I've not rode the 1299S in heavy rain which is something the BMW excels at but I'd make a bet on the S being close, if a bit too sexy to cover in muck! I don't mean to knock the base model, if the OP was buying for track and mostly good quality roads and weather then I'd probably go for the base and upgrade the suspension to save some money, I just think that the electronic suspension on the S makes it about the best road bike on the market at the moment.
Lots of good advice above. personally I don't get on with electronic suspension. Being only 65kgs I struggle with the standard settings. I know you can change the springs on the ohlins, but not sure about the damping itself. After not managing to adjust an s1000rr , I went for the base version. i think spent out on K-teck cartridges and rear shock and carbon fibre wheels .. so very happy with it and spent slightly more than the cost of the S.
Good argument for sure mate, however as mentioned personally couldn't feel that much difference... Think it all comes back to my previous comment that the OP should ride both and make a decision The BMW's suspension is very good on the road it must be said, in my opinion a fair amount better than that of the 1299 or 1299S
The main difference I noticed is that on the S I found the bike always wanted to run wide on exits and having spent a week with my mates S1000RR including a trackday I can 100% say the electronic suspension on it works better than the Ducati system. I got the base as like some people above I didn't feel there was 4.5k tangible difference on the road. I have two setups for road and it takes me 30 seconds to dial them in in the garage before riding to work or for pleasure. Personally I would get the base. Search out a deal with Akros and then if you really need to spend another £4.5k buy a trackbike. As for the lights i changed the bulbs to match the LED running lights. Given my experience of owning two panigales I would look at new and get the Ever Red warranty to get it covered for 4 years. Me and electronics ( i like what they do when riding) don't work well together. My wife and dealer believe I have built in EMP device as my 1299 has been in for warranty work on average every 4-5 weeks. Always something electrical. Add electronic suspension to that and I'd probably never see my bike. I've done a few videos and words on living with the base 1299 if it helps in anyway: 2016 Ducati 1299 Panigale Life With a Ducati 1299
Very interesting ,its obvious I need to try both bikes . I doubt my riding skills would let me feel the difference between the suspension on the base and S model. I have looked at the you tube posts etc and think maybe the base model plus extras may be the way to go Decisions decisions Thanks everyone
While ive not got a panigale (RSV4 factory) i wouldnt say that ohlins are the be all and end off of suspension - i had the stock ohlins rear on my rsv4 and, bit of a leap of faith sold it and got my hands on a nitron race pro shock in its place and it was way better, im no racer, and totally hopeless with translating how a bike feels to how the suspension is or should be set but it while i was leant over on the new shock it felt more planted, way more comfortable to ride (usually id be off it after an hour) but was totally comfortable after 2. My tyres also lasted longer (something ive heard when suspension is set up correctly with a good quality shock). So, in agreement the base model might be better with aftermarket suspension with a set of wheels also. (i have some marchesini's currently on order for my z1000!)
Bought a base, plans?..... Getting the cans Cored (like the std look) Fitting a rapid bike module Changed the footpegs Fitted a double bubble screen Maxton cartridge kit for the forks Maxton GP10 shock if I'm feeling flush, or a MCT revalve if I'm not. With all that I think it'll be £2k & the suspension will be set up for ME, the cans are really just for noise & the fuel module to keep the fuelling right. Personally I think that's money better spent than putting it into an S.
