Hey there! My name's Cris i'm male in my 40s from north west uk. i've been into bikes since i was knee high, had my 1st aged 7 (pw50 iirc), and have had quite a few since. i currently have...don't laugh ...a honda pcx 125, i intend getting a ducati before the end of this year. I have had experience with bigger bikes but not for a few years, i've had a 1st gen fireblade, gsxr 750, zx7r, zx9r, zx6r etc and a fair few smaller bikes. I want a ducati now as i think they look better than any other make of bike and apparently their reliability is better than days gone by. I'm not a particularly fast/skilled rider and now i'm older i'm less inclined to go fast...the bike i have next will mostly lead an easy life with me. I keep changing my mind as to what ducati i'll get....at the mo' i'm swaying between an 848, 1299, and v4. i like the idea of the rider aids on the 1299/v4 for safety reasons, i also like the 848 as it might suit my pace and skill level better. I've spent hours finding as much info as i can on these models and I have plenty of reading to do yet! Thanks for reading
Hi and welcome. If it’s an 848 get one quick before the prices follow the other older bikes (and the frankly ludicrous prices of 899’s).
Don’t be shy! You say you are from North West UK. If that’s Liverpool I’d keep quiet but the rest of the place is passable in small doses. Welcome to the forum. Pictures of the bike when you get it and your bins are required. Does not apply in Liverpool. Bins will be in use for house moves.
lol no not Liverpool, about 20 miles south, Chester, it's not too bad (for the north west ). yep pics will follow...it won't be a few months yet but should be by the end of the year. i can afford an 848 right now but if i go for a 1299 or v4 then i need some time to save a bit extra with them being more expensive. don't the ducatis hold their value really well!
Yes they do. Of the three the 848 is likely to appreciate in value. The 1299’s are still coming down to the bottom of the curve (but may have reached it). The v4 will depreciate the most currently. Just my opinion. Personally I’d go 1299.
A 1299 is probably favourite right now. Like you say they may just be bottoming out price wise. I really like the gizmo's that come with it...if i do ride faster than usual it's nice to know i'm not gonna do a back flip or high side it. My 1 and only road bike crash was a high side on a zx9r is 2001, if i would've had traction control i wouldn't have ended up in hospital. So yeah rider aids are really appealing, especially to someone of my (lack of) skill level. The v4 appeals as it also has the gizmos and is apparently a bit easier to ride than the twins at slower speeds. But as you say, they are depreciating more. The 848 appeals as it's not mentally fast, still very quick though, and won't empty my bank balance quite as much and depreciation is low. Decisions decisions, i'm lucky to be in this position. One thing i won't do is go jap again. After getting used to how good the ducatis look I don't find any jap bike anywhere near as visually appealing, i've been spoilt.
Well I finally took the plunge and bought a V4 Panigale, a little later than planned and had a detour of owning a Kawasaki Ninja 400 on the way (great little bike, so small and light). I've bought a 2018 model with 3490 miles from a dealer, delivery is Feb 20th. I can't wait I'm literally losing sleep over it hahah. Already bought DB Race mirrors (£457!!!) and a Ducati Tecmate charger. Insurance is 3 x what is was on the Ninja. Here's a pic of it:
20th feb is going to take a longgggg time to arrive Meanwhile lets have a pic of your rubbish bins we like them and welcome into our mad house (im a bit late to your newbie post)
The bike was delivered today, it's in as described condition cosmetically. Not pristine, but it is clean and tidy. I haven't ridden it yet but will do tomorrow, I have 14 days if I want to return it no questions asked, if it rides ok tomorrow then I'll be keeping it, I expect it will be fine. The dealer never mentioned if it had a tracker or not but I found a Biketrac card in the docs with an IMEI and S/N on it, I wonder if it has a tracker? How would I find out? Contact Biketrac?
Some impressions after riding it earlier today. The noise....lol. It's so loud and that's with standard pipes, but the boy racer in me liked it. It was a little lumpy below 30 mph, but the engine characteristics changed once doing 30+, it's like a twin low down and a 4 higher up. The clutch is heavier than I'm used to but wasn't really heavy or anything. I expected the front brake to be really strong on initial bite but it wasn't, it was smooth/progressive. At 5'8" i'm not flat footing it but I can get both feet down. I have to get used to not using the clutch to change gear as I was always using it out of habit, it just feels a bit strange to not use it as it feels as though I'll break something (I won't will I?). Negatives? The mirrors are almost useless, I rode in some stop/start traffic and could feel the heat in my legs but it wasn't uncomfortable, it might be in a traffic jam on a hot day though. The sidestand isn't the easiest to get down. All told I really enjoyed my 1st ride, it felt different in a good way to a jap bike. I'll be keeping it.
If you phone biketrack they can certainly tell you if their unit is fitted. Congratulations. Animal of a bike.
