[loony888]

why cant you get your hands on a v4r?

Sometimes, a bike like the V4R is reserved for people with a racing license...and I don't mean a WERA Club license.

And sometimes a Resume is required to accompany the copy of the racing license before the importer will release the bike to a dealer.

(This information is 25 years old and YMMV)
[/QUOTE]

Nah, nothing like that, they're sold out here though......

and as much as i would have chosen that over an S, they're not really a road bike, the S wasn't limited enough for me to lose the 1098R for and the V4R, as nice as it is, didn't really do it for me. The SP though, ticks all my boxes, and i expect it to be easier to ride fast than my 1098R which, to be fair is a bit of a brute of a thing.....

 

[Dukerdr]

Nah, nothing like that, they're sold out here though......

and as much as i would have chosen that over an S, they're not really a road bike, the S wasn't limited enough for me to lose the 1098R for and the V4R, as nice as it is, didn't really do it for me. The SP though, ticks all my boxes, and i expect it to be easier to ride fast than my 1098R which, to be fair is a bit of a brute of a thing.....

Are they selling the R to anyone who walks in with a wheelbarrow full of money?

As a road bike, I'm sure the S suspension on the SP will be more enjoyable than the Ohlins on the R...
.

 

[HNMTS1200]

Are they selling the R to anyone who walks in with a wheelbarrow full of money?

Yep. My local dealer's trying to lure me to get a 20.

 

[loony888]

Are they selling the R to anyone who walks in with a wheelbarrow full of money?

As a road bike, I'm sure the S suspension on the SP will be more enjoyable than the Ohlins on the R...
.

Yep, sure are, Ducati have only pulled their ferrari elitist type bullshit on the Superleggera i believe, the Desmosedici could be bought by anyone, and here in OZ the dealers were discounting those because (so i've been reliably told) they were just shipped one and their floorplan payment on the bike was crippling...

The release for the SP says exactly that about the suspension, saying it's a perfect track bike for an "Amateur" rider because the engine is easier to use and the electronic suspension is easier to ride than the manual ohlins that needs a pro to get the best from.
I'm assuming their definition of amateur is an experienced rider who does track days vs a paid professional racer.... I can't imagine a newly licensed rider being their target audience....
I tend to agree, the dry clutch is sexy, so are the carbon wings, satin black bodywork and carbon rims. It's definitely time for me to upgrade and i've just ordered a plate to suit LOL

 

[Sherpa23F]

Yep, sure are, Ducati have only pulled their ferrari elitist type bullshit on the Superleggera i believe, the Desmosedici could be bought by anyone, and here in OZ the dealers were discounting those because (so i've been reliably told) they were just shipped one and their floorplan payment on the bike was crippling...

The release for the SP says exactly that about the suspension, saying it's a perfect track bike for an "Amateur" rider because the engine is easier to use and the electronic suspension is easier to ride than the manual ohlins that needs a pro to get the best from.
I'm assuming their definition of amateur is an experienced rider who does track days vs a paid professional racer.... I can't imagine a newly licensed rider being their target audience....
I tend to agree, the dry clutch is sexy, so are the carbon wings, satin black bodywork and carbon rims. It's definitely time for me to upgrade and i've just ordered a plate to suit LOL

Just a quick clarification: when the Desmosedici was announced, they did not know how many they were going to make. They gave preference to anybody who bought a 999R new. But then in the meetings with the regional managers around the world, they upped how many they were going to make and end up making 1500. They initially thought they could do 500. If you ever go back and read all the notes on the development on the D16RR you get an appreciation for how incredible it is that Ducati built it. And they said that if they had to do it again, the only thing they would change is to raise the price to over €100k.

I have written both the V4R and the V4S on the track. I’ve even ridden a V4S race bike that is essentially every bit as tricked out as the V4SP with the exception of a custom exhaust (it’s over 210hp at the wheel too). I get what Ducati is trying to do.

The R is not more difficult to ride on the track than the S but it is more difficult to set up properly and the R motor is definitely more high strung and much more focused than the 1100cc motor. If you wanted to get the most versatile bike that is the easiest to dial out and use in the most situations, including various tracks, the SP would fit that bill.

I think when they say “amateur” it’s less about the riders ability and more about their understanding of the suspension set ups and their ability to dial the bike in on their own.

For the record, they are all terrifyingly fast. Like so so fast. Like it shouldn’t be legal for someone to be able to walk into a dealership and buy one of these fast.

My opinion only.

 

[loony888]

Interesting you say that about the price, there was such a massive disparity between the price paid by those who preordered their bikes (full retail) and those who benefited from dealers stuck paying floorpan, i know a guy with one, he bought his at a 20% discount, which for a long time set the resale price second hand quite low over here. I'd hate to be one of the guys who preordered and paid full price.... I think it shows how greedy Ducati can be at the expense of their dealers and ultimately the buying public if they say they should have charged more, especially in hindsight of how they were received, they're not fools, and i bet they cost an awful lot to build but still.....

I've ridden a V4S and a V4R and the motor is definitely more highly strung on the R, The S by comparison felt quite torquey and smooth, the R was frenetic, busy and took a lot of focus. I only rode them on the street and the R suspension was definitely not suited to the road, at least out of the box anyway. I don't know how you can say that it's not more difficult to ride, to me it certainly is. And while the SP may be intended for the track, mine will likely spend all of it's time on the road, I nearly bought an R, the S wasn't special enough at the time, i'm glad i held off.