I would imagine 99% of any reputable dealers would give you a full refund in cash, especially when it for a bike that is in big demand.
You could be correct Andy. I have read of at least two people who have just made enquiries regarding a Panigale and are having them delivered within a week, so much for a waiting list stretching until the end of the year. Is this cancelled orders or like Andy says rumours of a sellout to promote demand.
I rode a Panhandle at the weekend unfortunatly it was lashing it down I was so scared of dropping it I rode it like I had just passed my test. Even at slow speed the front felt flighty and to me the bike felt tall, definatly sat on it rather than in it. Jumping back on my 999 afterwards I felt much more confident even though it was a monsoon. So my 1st impressions are not great but I will reserve judgement untill I can ride one like I stole it.
Wages have to be paid. Lol. From Marketing staff to salesmen & servicing. Magazine reviews, hype & potential delays all add to the "new bike fever". Alleged Month long delays when I traded my Monster for my 848 in 2008. Did the deal, went home to wait patiently only to be rung two days later to be told it was ready to collect
My OH has had a Pani on order but has decided to keep his RSV4 Factory cos he luvs it so much (handling, looks, power, noise, comfort ...) It has been pretty reliable, so far, and sounds just awesome with the Austin Racing exhaust
Im late in booking it but along with a few mates I'll be on this one as well...............just on a Kwak though
I haven't had much time on the Panigale yet, but if you're after low down torque I'm not sure an RSV4 is the bike to go for. In comparison to the 1098R and 1198S, it lacks in that department. Above 4,500RPM it begins to picks up nicely but it is not torquey low down and I had a full Akprovic system fitted. I had mine for two years and chopped her in for the Panigale. Having said that, it's a nice bike to own and I had no reliability issues and the fuelling is perfect with absolutely no lumpiness at any revs. Fit and finish are superb but the dealer network is a bit thin. My biggest complaint about her was that every time I rode her I wished I was on a Ducati.
I feel that if you are used to riding a jap inline 4,then the ducati is going to feel rather alien and not what you expected,I felt that when i made the move, I had only ridden my 996s half a mile and thought to myself what the hell have i done lol,but once getting used to it I wouldnt have it any other way,But to be totally honest if i were in your shoes and felt the way i did when i was on the ZX10 I would probably for nearly the same price buy 2 incase i dropped 1 :wink:
I can't believe the number of people that have said that (everyone I've spoken to in fact), and I felt exactly the same.
My 1199S Tricolore has just arrived and although I haven't ridden mine yet I have ridden friends and the local Ducati dealers demonstrator. All I would say is that you have to give the bike a chance. It takes a long time to run this bike in. It feels a little rough for the first few hundred miles and does burn a bit of oil. By the time it gets to a 1,000 miles or so it's starting to bed-in and I rode one with 2,000 miles on it and it was a different beast. The handling is truly amazing and it's so nimble and precise. The engine is a dream when it's done a few miles, more so with a full Termignoni system on it. When the thing is run-in and you get the revs up to 6,000 or so there's nothing like it, such a rush it's fantastic. It is different in character to the 1198S/1198R but it's no worse for it, you just have to recalibrate a bit and keep an open mind. Fit and finish is stunning and the whole bike is a thing of beauty. It's just moved the game on, I know there will be people that miss the trellis frame, dry clutch, midrange torque, etc., but this is still a proper Ducati, it's just of a different generation. It's a great bike, give it a chance. Looking at it next to an 1198S in my local dealership, this thing wins the beauty contest. It's so small and perfectly formed. It's also really comfortable to ride.
Kev, my first Ducati was a 1098S. I spent hours looking at it in the dealership and, finally, I booked a test ride. After years of riding Japanese IL4's I realised what I'd been missing. This thing was a real living beast. It was also so narrow, I couldn't believe it. Yeah, it was a bit rougher than the sewing machine smoothness of the Japanese bikes but it was also so involving. There's no way I could go back, I'm hooked on Ducati. For me, 30 seconds was all I needed to make my decision.
Nice one flyer. I am really impressed by the build quality and fit and finish of the Panigale. Ducati are really getting their act together methinks.
