Track day bike: Ducati V4 or 959 Corse

Ha. A few years ago, a guy doing his first race weekend comes up to the trailer after the GTU and proceeds to complain about how in that race, he was so much faster than the guys in front of him and how they held him up everywhere and how frustrating it was trying to get ahead of them.

I listened to his story and then reminded him that he just very accurately described a motorcycle race.

 

I don't really see it as buying lap times. They might buy the ability to make more passes on the straightaways, but unless they only ride at Road America, chances are their lap times aren't getting much better. They might get a few mph extra speed on the straights, but then they end up just braking sooner to reach their normal/comfortable corner speed.

Hell it took me 3 weekends on the 1299S at Talladega to be able to beat my R6 personal-best lap time. Granted, Tally isn't a HP track, but still. And at Barber, I am still faster on the R6.

It isn't like someone is going to be running :32's at Barber, then go buy a Liter bike and suddenly run :30's. It doesn't work like that.

But with that being said, it all depends on their pace. If someone is running :42's at Barber, I can see them getting a Liter bike and then running :40's. If they are running 10-20 seconds off the lap record, then a faster bike might help. But as the pace picks up, it doesn't help much.

That is why the WSBK guys are only 1-2sec faster than the WSS riders, even though they have 100hp more and crazy advanced electronics.

 

You met Cal Crutchlow?

 

fore real

an extra

 

FM Projects new V4 exhaust

 

Nice butI don't understand why Ducati exhaust systems have to be twice as expensive as anything else out there.

Also heard doing a full system on a V4 is a 10 hour job.

 

Implied complications plus a custmer base that’s willing to pay

 

Took the new V4 to the track for the first time last week. Yamaha Champions Riding School at High Plains. Bike was really good. Power is incredible - especially the mid range. I’ve got a long ways to go in finding form and fitness but super motivating to have this as a dance partner.

 

One more from the break-in rides

 

Baaaaam! Congrats!

 

Looking at both also just can’t justify msrp for either !? Any deals out there :
959
959 corsa
V4
V4’s ???

 

You can probably find deals on a base V4 toward the end of the first model year of production. The S models will go first as first model year people are more likely to buy the 'special' ones first. Same rules apply for the Corsa 959. Much more likely to find a deal on a standard 959 that's been sitting on a dealer floor for a year or so.

 

a guy on the Panivale V4 owners group on FB advertised his S for 23k.

sold it claiming he was too old and wanted to go back to a hayabusa.

on new bikes, i'd calim there are no deals to be had in the first year.

 

Why would anyone cross shop a 959 and a V4? It's not even a question. If you can afford the V4, get it. If not, get the 959 and wish you had more money!

 

I could see it if the point was just to make noise and have fun on trackdays where it's not about laptimes. You could get a 959 really light and have a ton of fun on one. Not really any different than choosing to track a 600 vs a 1000.

 

Friend of mine just bought the new V4 S and i have had to opportunity to ride it a couple of times, all I can say is, it is magnificent, amazingly light, the quick shifter and auto blip is butter smooth, the engine is a beast. Honestly even though I love twins, Ducati has never been on my wish list until now. The V4 is nothing short of amazing!!