And I need to fly / drive / ride out to TX to get my pic taken with Kruz and his collection. That would be so

I think the 1299 would be the funnest to ride if hp is the issue. 180 hp at 9000 rpm and it only goes up if you dare.

I imagine the v4 is geared taller if anything. You'll be doing about 90 mph in first gear if you want to feel that. 4th gear I guess your well up in the triple digits going after that peak hp. 10000 to 11000 rpm, about the same as the 14. 175-185 hp.

http://ducatiforum.com/ducati-1299/30140-panigale-v4-vs-1299-dyno-results.html

I think this will be a cool bike. Probably one of your favs, but lets admit up front, it isn't going to change your life. Don't be disappointed if you're not overwhelmed. I think you will at least be "whelmed."

I thought (but am to lazy to look it up) the Ducacci V4 was a 1L?? I know the GP rules allow for more cc on the 2 cylinder bikes to make up the power but pretty sure the 4 cylinders are limited to 1000cc.

Here you go Kruz. How's 220 rwhp sound? Stock bike with a flash. May not handle as well as other liter bikes but it will blow everything else away with nothing more than a flash.

http://www.zx-10r.net/forum/f94/preliminary-h2-sx-tuning-findings-346890.html

or get the real badboy

Rudy, we are definitely living in the Golden Age of sport motorcycling. After a bit of a lull following the 2008/2009 market crash where the Japanese were, for the most part, missing in action (except Kawasaki, the Euros picked up the torch and have accelerated the development of sport machines at a dizzying pace. Beginning with the BMW S1000RR, the Euros pressed on with ever increasing power output, an entire suite of crazy electronic aids and improved braking systems and handling. It begs the question, where will it all end? With production bikes like the new V-4 Panigale approaching the lap times of dedicated WSBK and MotoGP racing machines, I have to believe we are approaching some kind of a physical limit. It used to be that race bikes were ten years ahead of the production machines but this appears not to be the case anymore.

Rudy wrote:

I thought (but am to lazy to look it up) the Ducacci V4 was a 1L?? I know the GP rules allow for more cc on the 2 cylinder bikes to make up the power but pretty sure the 4 cylinders are limited to 1000cc.

The standard V-4 and V-4S are 1103 cc, the R model is 999 cc for WSBK racing. The extra 103 cc plus the big bang firing order (two cylinders firing together) of the V-4 gives it a distinctive L-twin sound, pulse and torque down low, sounds just like the old 1299 or 959 twins until you get past about 8000 rpm where it starts to emit the V-4 howl all the way to a screaming 14,000 rpm red line. It is a very distinctive and unique sound track like nothing else I've ever heard. I also hear it has the best low, midrange and top end torque curve of any production literbike.

The old 1299 has the advantage down low and mid but has a 200 cc displacement advantage and still loses out on top end. That is a beautifully smooth torque curve on the V-4, no real dips or bumps and 210 HP at the crankshaft. I'm seeing 187 HP on average at the rear wheel and 429 lbs wet.

* Last updated by: Kruz on 4/4/2018 @ 3:49 PM *

A college at work came into some discretionary cash a few yrs ago in an inheritance. He he bought the Ducacci Superleggera for about $80k and keeps it in his living room as art. He took it to the track once (he is actually behind me in my avatar) and after that it just sits as art.

Very nice high tech toy to have and I hope Kruz gets one takes it to the track and gives a review!

I ride heck out of all of them, they're made to go, not to polish.....lol! My 959 is probably the dirtiest Ducati on the road, it get's ridden hard and put away wet.

Trade over that lame 959 and get it. It looks better. The smooth side looks better than that slash in the side fairing of the 959 and it has the single sided swing arm and exposed frame. The clutch cover is nicer and the exhaust is neater. Although the exposed mid pipe section is kind cool too, enclosed is better looking. And 130 hp is a joke. My gad don't your two CBRs have more than that? Does the 959 do anything the CBRs don't do? The 600 probably has 110 hp and a lot lighter.

No, no, the 959 is way cool, 130 HP at the rear tire is perfect for most of these back roads around here, it's very useable, kinda like a 600 on steroids. I just put a new set of RS-10s on my '16 ZX-10R and went for a spirited back road blast about two hours ago. I cannot begin to use the power that one has out here, need a pretty big track with some long straights to really stretch it's legs, the 959 is much easier to ride. The 600 is slower than the 959 but is probably the most fun bike to ride as it is very light and agile plus turning up 14,000+ rpm makes you feel like some kind of a GP hero.

U da MAN Kruz!

Looking over the past 2-3 yrs of bike development, beside the H2 Supercharger and the V4 it all been electronics to handle the power and speed. The stability control, corner braking and suspension are amazing especially at these price points. A simple god fearin mortal like me can hardly even get this technology to activate even at a track day. My 14R with traction control off at the track scares the crap out of me there is so much power and torque. I drive it at track days in P1 just so I can control the power a bit. A "modern" bike like the Duccaci V4 would probably be even harder (bad choice of word) for a normal rider to get working. I struggle with the concept of driving a motor around the track at 14000 rpms, just dont think I'm skilled enough to ride like that.

Rook asked me why I don't sell off the old bikes, they're getting a bit long in tooth but still a lot of fun. The safety net provided by the new generation electronics is definitely a plus, though only an advantage when the machine is ridden at or near the limits of traction. I'm like you Rudy, I rarely see the TC lights come on, still modulate throttle on corner exits the old fashioned way and don't rely too heavily on the TC to save my bacon.

Rook asked me why I don't sell off the old bikes ...

"Cuz I don't wanna!"

Kuz he dont have to

Far be it from me to think practical when it comes to bikes. I'd have use for 9 motorcycles but I think by now one or two would be a dirtbikes. Probably a snowmobile. I can't help but think how I would do it if I had the money.

I'd definitely have an insane turbo bike in the stable. Who cares if you can't use all that power in the twisties? You already have 8 bikes for that. I'd be looking for ways to own bikes that were as different as possible but Kruz has his interests narrowed down more than I do.

* Last updated by: Rook on 4/5/2018 @ 9:52 AM *

I can afford a 2nd bike, and I've thought quite a few times about getting one, but 1) I don't have enough time to even ride the one I have! and 2) Nothing else I want than the big ZX!

As for #2, I'm not just saying that. I think the Ducati's are cool as hell to look at, and would be cool as hell to take for a spin ... but I just find myself not wanting to own one. For me the big ZX decked out with removable storage covers everything I need/want, and I only have to take care of (and pay for) one bike.

Yeah, I'm getting old

I'm actually kinda envious of guys who not only have the means for multiple bikes, but the desire to actually buy, own and ride them. I've become too damn practical!!!

Yea, like Rook said, I've become pretty narrowly focused, the cruiser is the only one that is outside the norm. I really should have a long distance highway machine, a naked bike or two and a Supermotard thrown in to the mix but the race rep machines are the only ones that really capture my imagination. When I ride the cruiser, I find myself hunting corners, I'm just not into straight line stuff at all. Don't know if I will pull the trigger on the new V-4, I keep checking the local dealer but none are in stock yet, maybe a few more weeks. I'm an impulse buyer, if I'm feeling it when I go to test ride I might just do it. BTW I am not loaded, just divorced and in my peak earning years plus I have a really simple lifestyle. Other than my obvious taste for collecting sportbikes, I live pretty frugally. Several of my buddies are on their second marriages and one of them is getting cleaned out for the second time. I learned my lesson after the first go around lol!

I'm actually kinda envious of guys who not only have the means for multiple bikes, but the desire to actually buy, own and ride them. I've become too damn practical!!!

Well, it's true you can only ride one at a time but I really enjoy how each bike seems to have it's own character, they really are different in the way they lay down power and handle the curves. Even the '11 ZX-10R and '16 ZX-10R look very similar but couldn't be more different in reality, I think they changed about 90% of the parts while retaining the same look.

* Last updated by: Kruz on 4/5/2018 @ 6:28 PM *

... I'm just not into straight line stuff at all.

Good grief me either. Living in FL with a sport bike is just about torture. Hardly any point in riding unless we're headed north out of the state. Packing on highway miles ... Not fun, to me.

I feel your pain Extrapolator, I picked up and moved out of the city almost 4 years ago so I could be near the only decent twisties left in the DFW area. Not Tail of the Dragon stuff for sure but rather lots of fast sweepers, 70 mph up to about 110 mph and they come up pretty quick, a 37 mile loop. They're building out this way pretty quick though, in a few more years they'll start building out all the Farm Roads and put in subdivisions, it'll be all over then.

Yeah ... not 20 mins ago I was texting with my bud about offroad bikes and how Florida is trending toward becoming one huge interconnected urban area, so that conservation land and parks will be the only undeveloped land, and the gubmint sure isn't going to let dirt bikes on precious conservation land. And this of course means traffic on the roads will kill any desire to ride ... unless you just love the 'wind' in your hair in stop and go traffic

You guys will have to go to the track then. Maybe they will even put cops on the track to chase you! Maybe a deer or a tractor every now and then.

Closest track to me is Cresson Motorsports Park, 3 hour round trip over there and the guys I road ride with that have ridden it, say that track is too tight, 2nd gear on a literbike and traction is not good, especially early morning when the track is cool. Tracks have some clear advantages but also quite a few disadvantages (cost and limited track time) and are not the perfect panacea, especially for those of us who like to ride every day rather than go twice a month just to get in a few hot laps.

Well enjoy while you can then. Suburban development might save you from buying more bikes.

What if BMW makes something better than the V4? Then the Japs are screwed and you will be thinking about bike #11.

https://hayabusa.org/forum/threads/new-v4-ducati.194030/

Kruz!! Sell a few of dem bikes ... and build your own track!!