Should I buy an F4s now or wait for the Ducati 999? I have read that 999 is an amazing motorcycle and I also like the looks. But... I like the looks of the f4s even more. I have a feeling that the 999 will be a better bike than the f4s but I may not be able to get one for months. Anyone here planning on buying one?

-- andrew fowler (a.g.fowler@sbcglobal.net), October 05, 2002

Answers

In life some people choose to marry, settle down with two point four children and a dog,along with a ford MPV and with what they think is a exotic bike in there gararge which they ride on a sunday,this bike usally is a Duke. While others try to be individual and less predictable,i say choose MV they are the real exotic,they will make the 999 by the masses although it may be exclusive for about a month,by then they will have made 1000000000,00. In the meantime MV will only have made another 23 before they go bust thus leaving the f4 still another modern classic. I personaly hope mv dont make to many f4s.Chas

-- charles richards (chas@heath.freeserve.co.uk), October 06, 2002.

I also agree with Charles. The Ducati 999 will be a mass producted bike (like the 996) and in a few years, it's resale value will be like a Japanese bike. Based on my resale experiences on a '98 748 and an '02 996. So, if you want to keep a bike for a few years then sell/trade it for a new one, the Ducati's may not be the bike for you.

However, if you're looking for a kick ass twin (can I say ass on this board?) with a new and improved riding position, I say go for the 999. Yes, the 999 will be more comfortable than the MV. Yes, the 999 will have more low end power than the MV. But then so does an R1, GSXR1000, RC51.....and they'll do it for several thousands less!

What bugs me about the 999 is that, although it's a nice looking bike, offers the power, reliability, and comfort of a $11K Japanese bike but at a $17 to $18K price tag!! Unfortunately, it doesn't offer the limited number (high resale) and exceedingly stunning design of the MV. So, if I could not have both an MV and a 999, I would probably choose and MV and a RC51, Mille, or R1, or GSXR.

Basically, there are a lot of choices for comfort-performance per dollar, but there are very few with the raw emotional appeal of an Agusta.

-- Allan Gibbs (Phoenix, Arizona) (Agibbs996@aol.com), October 06, 2002.

This question gets stupider and stupider (not directed at you) every time I ride a twin. I just can't get into them. Maybe in the future I will. I recently rode a Ducati and I just don't like it. The rip you get from an inline 4 above 10 grand is just second to none.

-- Andy Ruhl (quadreverb@yahoo.com), October 07, 2002.

I took the MV out on a beautiful 100 mile ride today. What a great bike. My daily rider is a 748. I love both bikes but for different reasons. The Duc is like a raw race bike for the street. Lots of torque, a little touchy on the throttle at low speeds if your not careful. Butt up and head down riding position. My hands hurt after every ride but the V-twin sound is to die for. The MV is much more refined. The low end power (or lack of) makes it easier to motor around town. On the county roads here in the Northwest she comes alive at 6k and pulls up to redline. Butter smooth shifting and telepathic steering make it easy to ride. I seem to find myself riding the MV on the longer trips and the Ducati to zip around town. 999 or MV? Apples and oranges. The MV is like the trophy wife of motorcycles and the Ducati is more like the Italian mistress. As for me? I'll take them both thank you!

-- Tim W (Provamo35@hotmail.com), October 07, 2002.

I saw the 999 in the flesh down at Casoli in Barnet, when I was picking up my F4 having had the wheels sprayed up and some Carbon added on. There was no contest, I hate to say it, it looks very ugly, the fairing style looks very dated , built for the racing circuit with a few bits stuck on to allow for road use, such as the lights. People are going to have to work hard to make it look better with some trick bits, the exhaust system looks like a metal block with a hole. There was no contest between the MV and the 999 I thought as I rode away. ps those that are looking for excellent service try Casoli.

-- Geoff Barker (geoff.barker@ntlworld.com), October 07, 2002.

i'm working in a group of motorbikes dealer in france,we have a ducati,triumph shop ,a bmw shop and a honda shop;my own bike is an f4 s,i have a very goog experience of ducati because i used to ride all the models,and the 999 too,so i can say that's a great bike with good power but for me it's not a real ducati:it's too easy to ride,ducati makes it to offer a superbike for more people,for new riders who were affraid about the exclusivity off a 998 for example which is quite hard too ride(but it's a real ducati)i really like to ride the 999 but i really don't like the look,it's not finished!!and there's a lot of non sense:15.5 l in the tank,no more dzeus(you will use one hour of work if you want to look at the engine in detail,on the f4 after 5 min you just have the tank with the air box on it)so i can't say that the 999 is a better bike than the f4,for me the f4 is really the best of the too;good choice!! alex

-- alex dauly (alkatraxx@yahoo.fr), October 09, 2002.

So you went to a MV forum looking for unbiased opinion on an MV vs. Ducati. Did you really expect any other response? I think you knew what you wanted before you asked the question. Ducati is a bike like no other, so is the MV. There is no right or wrong choice it is a personal preference. For me it was the 999 and I have no regrets at all. My opinion... If you like Jap bikes get the MV. If you would like a bike with soul buy the Ducati.

-- T Turner (twesleyturner@yahoo.com), October 11, 2004.

"If you would like a bike with soul buy the Ducati."

Oh, please. If you like the soul of a V-twin, buy an Aprilia. Ducati's are hideous (vents or not), over-priced, mass produced, and don't hold their values.

This isn't 1999 anymore. I owned sevearal Ducatis and the 999/749 they aren't close to filling the shops of the 996/748. Ducatis are not what they used to be. Ducati's are just main stream v-twins that are over priced. They certainly won't hold a candle to the current crop of performance Japanese sport bike and they certainly would compare to the MV in terms of design and limited numbers. I think of the new Ducati like BMW M compared to the MV which is a Ferrari.

-- Westlake (Jwestlake996@hotmail.com), October 13, 2004.

Talking about holding their values, have you checked the values of your soulful Aprilia Milles lately? Much worse than Ducatis. As for Ducatis compared to M-powered BMWs and MVs to Ferraris, there is a difference. The 999 will give the MV fits, while even the mighty M5 is no match for any premium Ferraris.

-- JJ (jj33@netscape.net), October 15, 2004.