V4 Thinking Of Cancelling My V4s

I am SO sorry, guys. Off topic AND cynical! I shall go and stand in the red, white and blue naughty (boring) corner. Good call to walk away from the V4s deal, Joe.

 

Off topic and cynical - that’s a first for this forum how refreshing

 

Agree, usually they are cynical and off topic.

 

I think the OP just had the headers changed out, so possibly still retains his OEM exhaust valve, which just leaves the Lambda sensors. Wondering if whilst removing them they twisted and damaged the one or both of the feed wires (if they were lazy and did not disconnect the sensor from the loom first) causing a breakage. Easily resolved I would have thought if it threw up the relevant error on the MelcoDiag. In any case doesn't seem as if it is insurmountable. Could as I said be unrelated, but without an insight into the error codes, I imagine your guess is a s good as mine and you are far better placed to pass judgement than I am.

 

The recall includes replacing the two cables for the exhaust valve with new ones as part of the procedure. Agree on the solution. Without the codes, it’s just guessing.

 

If it was me, I’d be waiting for the new s1000rr. More than likely be better than the Ducati anyway. More usable. Better dealers. Slightly cheaper to crash. Better race/track support

Cheaper to buy also, the M sport is under 20k with carbon wheels.

Let’s not forget that on a reliable dyno the v4’s are putting down 185-189bhp at the wheel. A stock motor current Beamer will put 198-200+ down with a pipe and a filter and a map on the same dyno jet dyno..

 

I'd go with the flow here and cancel it. I really wanted to love mine but after all the recalls and warranty work I just don't trust it anymore. Ducatis parts supply is woeful. Mine was in for all of June 18 awaiting warranty parts and has been in all Jan 19 awaiting different warranty parts. And don't expect any parts in August when Italy shuts down. 11 months from supply don't expect to get them to take it back even though I want them too. As for a V2, riding wise they are a big step backwards IMO, having had a 1299S for 6 months not a chance I would go back to one.

 

I would’ve mate, but I’m in an agreement with the dealer for them to sell it for me now and I don’t have any input in it

 

I can almost guarantee you the bmw will be a better track bike as well. To be fair the current model is probably a better bet on track than the v4 too. V4s are a handful, high track maintenance costs. Expensive to crash..

 

Walk away ... you have decided that already .....

 

I got mine march last year & did 6 track days on it & found it to be mega quick & great track bike, & mine had to go back with a few recalls but that's wot happens with new models, I certainly don't regret getting mine,it is up for sale now at chris walkers only because I only keep a bike a year then change it, I am now waiting for my rsv4 factory aprillia ,

 

Why is that mate, just curious? Do they feel bit more agricultural, if you get my drift?

I have been on a BMW for the last year and would imagine an engine not as smooth would feel that way, now.

 

Personally I would canceland let Ducati sort out all the issues and buy one In a 12months there's always issues with first generation models Ducati seem worse than the Jap manufacturers with this they will have it sorted soon

 

I can only speak as I find, and I know a lot of ducati diehards will troll me for it, but...
1299S as standard was almost unrideable in traffic, it would stall at lights, stall pulling away from lights, stall when trickling through traffic and when opened up on track the power delivery was so inconsistent and lumpy it tied the rear suspension up in knots. The only way to ride it on track was like a 2 stroke and stay in the top 3000 rpm of the rev range. Dyno showed it was running 10:1 air:fuel mix across the whole rev range so no wonder it was crap. Remap'd to 13:1 across the range solved all the above and found another 20bhp. Mine was one of the last 1299S's and had 3 new maps at the dealer before I dyno'd it. You would have thought Ducati should have been able to get it right. I was not happy at having to spend on putting right things that should have been right from the factory.
Suspension wise the rear was set up wrong from the factory, linkage on linear setting, not rising rate as it should be. Therefore back end bottomed out all the time over Yorkshire Dales roads. Once put onto rising rate it was fine. BUT, the adaptive suspension was really poor, so setting it in manual mode and setting damping to suit was needed to make things work properly. It was version 1 of Ohlins stuff, and version 2 on the V4S is much better.
After 7500 miles and a year I am finally giving up on the V4S though. Too much time in the workshop (a total of 3 months out of 12), too many warranty claims, no faith in Ducati parts supply, particularly in the summer (they close for August, wind down in July, and slowly spool up again in September, so lets say 2 months of the year with no parts supply) and with that in mind I am riding it like a wus on track days cos I am scared stiff of binning it and as a consequence more likely to bin it. Catch 22. Lap times are typically 3-5 seconds slower than I was on an Aprilia RSV4rf, and on that I was about 5 seconds slower than M Rutter on the same bike, same day. About 1.42 round Donnington GP circuit.

 

My 916sps was a complete bitch of a thing to ride when I first bought it took some time and a lot of money to sort it out, it was a bit off a shock coming from GSXR 1100 that was quite civilised would tick over in traffic quicker and easier to ride and considerably cheaper to buy and run downside it looked like a pig compared to the Duc handled like a tea trolly
A Ducati is a lifetime commitment

 

It's also bloody expensive!! Personally I find it quite offensive that a company thinks it can charge very much a premium price for a product, but not deliver a premium quality product. Ducati gets away with it for some reason. Memories of a GSXR1100, in my case a model K (called the killer) coz its handling was just so very bad. Mine went into the local Honda dealer for new tyres in spring 1992 and they gave me one of those new Fireblade thingies to run in for them (I knew them very well). It had 1 mile on the clock and was the first in the north west. They never got it back, went deep into hock to buy it as it was just so brilliant. Wish I still had it. Toured Europe on it 2 up, did track days, couriered, rode in all weathers, Loved it.

 

I had an 1100K. Did a Cadwell Park track day on it. What a laugh. I was second to last by the end of every session but the thing pulled like a train. Ultra stable in the wet at silly speeds on European auto routes though.