the RSV1000R and RSV4 VS all the others out there

Hi everyone one =) i am looking at buyin a new bike and debating between alot of bikes and id like to know what everyone thinks of there RSV and the ups and downs of it VS other bikes i have been doing alot of research and i am tossing up between the RSV1000R (love the look love the sound and ppl say it handles amazing) the duke 848 or 1098 (probably the 848. ppl say the RSV1000R is alot easyer to ride VS the 848?) and last but not least the R6 and CBR600RR to be honist the R6 and CBR600RR dont really appeal to me? plz tell me your view on the bikes and get a nice friendly debate going.

id go for the 848 if i could fit on it. rode my mates one and it was amazing. but didnt find it very comfortable.

lets face it they are all amazing bikes so it largely comes down to fit and looks.

I have just sold a Rsv factory and got an 848 and test rode a 1098 so can give a good comparison from my perspective on those.

Rsv feels heavier to ride than the 848 and requires a lot more effort to change direction. It has a bit more torque but revs quite a lot slower than the 848.
The rsv suspension is better set up out of the box for most people.
Room wise the Factory hurt my hips/knees a bit on long journeys but was fine seat to bars.

848/1098 is better on the hips/knees but slightly shorter seat to bars but both fit my 6ft 4 frame unlike anything japanese.

1098 is a lovely bike but imo harder to ride well than the 848 and almost too much in inclement conditions. It will make you smile launching up the straight road but maybe soil your pants in a twisty alpine wet road if you get what i mean. It's monobloc brakes are also snatchy.

It's really a case of the rsv having essentially a 10 year old motor apart from a few tweaks wheras the duke is 18 months old. The technology moves on hence an 848 is putting out the same horses as a 1000 rsv but with a lot less weight.

That said the jury is out on how the latest dukes will fare in the long term reliability wise and the ease of carrying luggage or the odd passenger is pretty poor given it's minimalist design. The suspension is also way to harsh out of the box especially on the rear unless you weigh 16 stone.

There are no Ducati parts issues to my knowledge and my one warranty issue has been dealt with pretty quick. In comparison to 5 months of my last rsv claim in 04.

The main reason i am not on an Aprilia now is because i wanted a new bike and they do not have a model that i want. The RSV4 may turn out to be great but i don't really want something even more focused than the 848 or is £15k and Piaggio's first superbike motor.
I fully expect that 15k price to slip soon after launch as every other manufacturer is bumping prices.

In conclusion you won't be disappointed with any of them. They all have their own strengths and weaknesses and for me at least once i know what fits physically and price wise it comes down to what rocks my boat looks wise and that was an 848.
I got mine for £8700 so it's not expensive by new Italian bike standards.

i need this bike as a daily rider and for our sunday rides (100-200km) also id like to get into track use with it needs to be the ultimate all rounder XD rare 2 find i guess im aussie and looking at spending between 26000ish so price isnt really a problem at this point in time. its figuring out that one out of many.

cheers for replys hope to get more =)

stuckon250 said:

i am tossing up plz tell me your view on the bikes and get a nice friendly debate going.

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Dont try and get us involved in your dirty little habit. Dirty little boy. irate

we all go thru the stage of tossing... up things and im going thru mine atm a little late i know

Sabre said:

Dont try and get us involved in your dirty little habit. Dirty little boy. irate

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Ohh I almost forgot. Welcome to the site and you would do well to listen to the Spoonz. Cos he da man.:thumbup

It would be wise to try b4 you buy thats my thinking , thats if you can most bike shops in auz will have a demo for you . Me personally think that every man and his dog have dukes since they brought out the 1098 and 848 , but now the newer 1 again so youll see even more on the road . Hate the sound of that dry clutch but the 848 sounds better , if money isnt a problem order the new rsv4 factory , looks the ducks nuts and sound was great at sbk with biaggi on it !

It depends really, what's your riding experience? If you're looking to take it onto the track too, I'd proably go for the CBR600rr. I had one back in 2003 when first launched, amazing little bikes, used to leave my mate behind on his gixxer thou on the twisties :biggrin

totally agree on the 600rr and with the new abs system it makes a lot of sense if you're looking for something that's easy to go very fast on. Having said that, they're pretty common and don't have the presence of the Dukes or the Aprilia.

The RSV is way cheaper I think? I've not ridden it but there's plenty Aprilia fans on here and it's a great bike.

The 1198, 1098 and the 848 share the same dimensions. I didn't find them particuarly uncomfortable and I've got a very roomy, ancient by comparison, 2000 mille. The sound of the 1098 with full termis (evo race) on it is just fabulous and you'll have serious power. Money no object... Black 1098r/1198r all day long.

My mate rode all of them before she settled an RC8. The new RC8R is supposed to be peerless in terms of handling (as the old bike was) and they've supposedly ironed out some of the glitches. They've got rid of some of the orange plastic too so it doesn't look like an RAC man's tool box anymore.

I don't think I'd ever have anything but a V-Twin but have you thought about either the fireblade with it's ABS (ala 600rr but with proper poke) or the new R1 with the cross plane lump? Supposed to be the best of both - thumping v-twin midrange with inline four top end power - although I haven't heard much about it yet.

As has already been said they are all good bikes and I doubt you'll be disappointed whatever you buy, however while they are all very good, they are also very different and so if you really work out what it is you want and why then the choice should make itself as it were.

The RSV is a great bike in many ways, it has good performance, great handling, stylish looks and lots of character. However it's getting dated and the build quality, finish & reliabilty are inconsistent and ultimately not as good as they should be. Some people have no problems at all, others have a nightmare.

The RSV4 has all the qualities to be an amazing modern classic motorcycle, at a big price. I personally wouldn't touch it with a barge pole for at least a year to eighteen months as so many factors are totally unknown including build quality and reliability and it'll take a while to clarify these issues. Bear in mind this is there first big supersport engine and also their first attempt at a V4 engine which is notoriously hard to reliabley manufacture and service etc.

The 1098/1198 are iconic, sound and look fantastic, they have bags of character and are superfast too, again for a big price. However they have become a Ferrari like cliche in that they have become the sort of bike a lottery winner would buy if they didn't know anything about bikes, much the same as a Harley. This is not supposed to be derogatory, far from it, it reflects the magnitude of the brand in that it is has transcended the boundaries of motorcycling and crept into the general publics consciousness. In addition it's supposedly very extreme and hard to ride and harder to ride fast and it's reliabilty and build quality are also unproven.

The 848 is great bike and really makes sense at a reasonable price, it's similar in many ways and probably better than most to the RSV. It's stylish and easier to ride than 1098/1198 and is more than enough to give you a thrill. Although in my opinion it is, and essentially looks, like a cheap 1098/1198 and it pales in comparison and has a noticeably inferior fit and finish to it's bigger brother.

The CBR is tried and tested and a fantastic bike in every sense but in the eyes of many it's samey, dull and lacks character. Plus if you want a CBR then you don't want any of the others bar an R6 as they are completely different. The R6 is another great bike that looks and goes fantastically well and while it arguably has more character than the CBR it will still pale into comparison compared to all the others on your list. Essentially the i4 600's are half the engine size, half the torque and 2/3rds of the power, and lack character. They are chalk and cheese.

Anyway, happy choosing and whatever you get it'll be a winner so you can't lose really.

Just to put the cat among the pigeons, have you ever considered a GSXR750? :devious

agree with most of that but can't beleive you said the 848 is a cheap looking bike over the 1098.
I know i own one but it's the same bike over 90% of it.

That's like saying an rsv is cheap looking compared to a factory just because it has no carbon or ohlins. A class design is a class design imo

I could have had a 1098 but the 848 was the better bike to ride and i thought the mix of red and black looked better.
buy a 1098 for more power, better brakes yeah i can get that but cos the 848 is cheap looking :dunno

your opinion and i respect that but couldn't disagree more strongly over the 848 or that a lack of spec sheet in general makes one bike less classy than the next.

spoonz said:

agree with most of that but can't beleive you said the 848 is a cheap looking bike over the 1098.
I know i own one but it's the same bike over 90% of it.

That's like saying an rsv is cheap looking compared to a factory just because it has no carbon or ohlins. A class design is a class design imo

I could have had a 1098 but the 848 was the better bike to ride and i thought the mix of red and black looked better.
buy a 1098 for more power, better brakes yeah i can get that but cos the 848 is cheap looking :dunno

your opinion and i respect that but couldn't disagree more strongly over the 848 or that a lack of spec sheet in general makes one bike less classy than the next.

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i agree spoonz if the 848 vs 1098 is like the gsxr750 against the gsxr1000 then the 848 would get my vote . if people believe all that is written in the comics aka magazines/chip wrapper we buy we would all have a new bike every week . more power/more money doesnt mean better bike for road use ,i had a blackbird which would stuff my rsvr no problem until you get to the bendy bits then it was like wrestling a horse , i know the gsxr 1000 isnt a comparison to a blackbird but you catch my drift ..:eatcorn

kawasakiinit said:

i agree spoonz if the 848 vs 1098 is like the gsxr750 against the gsxr1000 then the 848 would get my vote . if people believe all that is written in the comics aka magazines/chip wrapper we buy we would all have a new bike every week . more power/more money doesnt mean better bike for road use ,i had a blackbird which would stuff my rsvr no problem until you get to the bendy bits then it was like wrestling a horse , i know the gsxr 1000 isnt a comparison to a blackbird but you catch my drift ..:eatcorn

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It's a strange phsycology this bike lark.

Everyone has their preferences fair enough but the rational is often a puzzle.

There was a guy on a Ducati forum that test rode a 1098 as he wanted to replace his 999 but he decided not to buy it because it was so popular.
By his own admission it outperformed his 999 in every other way except it was popular.

I see it said often that i wouldn't have this or that because there are loads of them. why not ?
There is a reason there is loads of anything and it's usually because it's very good.

This guy was going to buy another 999 which by his own admission was a worse bike because not many people owned them and he liked that despite it being less of an experience to ride.

Hello, Why do people think Yamaha, aprilia, Ducati etc build bikes. The 999 almost bankrupt Ducati yet people would have them build another rather than a 1098 because if it sells poorly they will be exclusive :dunno
Great way to run a company and i'm sure they all love building mingers that lose millions.
You watch and see that the R1 will outsell all the japs and then you will get "it's too common".
Yep it's common because it's probably priced right, looks right, goes right etc etc but lets buy a Kawasuki whatever because it's less of a bike and no one else owns one.

sorry don't understand it at all. Maybe i'm dense but it's lost on me.
I can think of a million reasons why i might not buy a bike but because it's better than the others is not one of them.

I agree with your point on the power issue and it's often the case that less is more for me at least.
Anyone that seriously thinks they can use 180bhp to the full on the road is either

1. Very talented (not me)
2. Deluded
3. A liar

That doesn't mean you shouldn't buy it just that the spec sheet is meaningless beyond a point unles your name is Rossi etc.
That smaller bike might be less "classy" playing trumps but when it rides round you in the twisties do you feel superior ?

Now here's the twist and that's the fact that if i were offered a 1098r or an 848 or a v4 or an Rsv i would take the best spec everytime. i won't go any faster probably but i would appreciate the technology and engineering that's in it and i will feel like i'm faster.

Weird isn't it.

stuckon250 said:

Hi everyone one =) i am looking at buyin a new bike and debating between alot of bikes and id like to know what everyone thinks of there RSV and the ups and downs of it VS other bikes i have been doing alot of research and i am tossing up between the RSV1000R (love the look love the sound and ppl say it handles amazing) the duke 848 or 1098 (probably the 848. ppl say the RSV1000R is alot easyer to ride VS the 848?) and last but not least the R6 and CBR600RR to be honist the R6 and CBR600RR dont really appeal to me? plz tell me your view on the bikes and get a nice friendly debate going.

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Not to be a spoiler, but check out the new 09 R1.

Me THINKS it WILL ROCK!!

Cheers Pete

PS: Or save some money and by the Hyosung 650 uke

spoonz said:

agree with most of that but can't beleive you said the 848 is a cheap looking bike over the 1098.
I know i own one but it's the same bike over 90% of it.

That's like saying an rsv is cheap looking compared to a factory just because it has no carbon or ohlins. A class design is a class design imo

I could have had a 1098 but the 848 was the better bike to ride and i thought the mix of red and black looked better.
buy a 1098 for more power, better brakes yeah i can get that but cos the 848 is cheap looking :dunno

your opinion and i respect that but couldn't disagree more strongly over the 848 or that a lack of spec sheet in general makes one bike less classy than the next.

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LOL. Bugger, we've locked horns again haven't we? I'm quite opinionated, as you may've noticed, and don't always back this up with sound reasoning. Anyway let me explain my comments so you'll catch my drift even if you don't agree.

Firstly I think you made the right choice by buying an 848 over a 1098, it makes more sense in every way and the 1098 is too much of everything IMO. I've no doubt that all things being equal an 848 rider would be as quick as most 1098 riders on the road. I would also agree it is a great design regardless of what engine is in it, that's not in doubt and my comments weren't about the 1098 being better because it was bigger or more powerful or had carbon or ohlins or superior spec sheets etc. It was more about the attention to detail and the subtle little differences between the two which is reflected in the price.

The core of my point is that they do indeed "look" 90% the same but one is about £2000+ cheaper and so the issue is, how do you make something look the same but for £2000+ less? Usually by building it down to a price. The 1098/1198 is the flagship and they've obviously spent more time and money on it and I think it shows. Also just to clarify that I never actually said buy a 1098 because the 848 looks cheap, I was elluding to the 1098 looked to be a more complete package IMO. Saying an 848 looks cheaper than a 1098 doesn't mean it's cheap and isn't a reason not to buy one as just about everything looks cheaper than a 1098! The 848's specs/components are still superior to 95% of jap bikes so that's not an issue. I just meant you can see where the extra money's gone in direct comparison with a 1098.

Spoonz, I knew you'd bought an 848 and my comments may've seemed a bit insulting, sorry if so, but that wasn't my intention and I did qualify the statement with IMO so it is just that, only my opinion. You actually own one so I've no doubt you know better than me and your opinion is more relevant on this subject. However let me explain further. I went down to Three Cross Motorcycles, a pretty well known exotica dealer about 20 miles from where I live, with the distinct possibilty of putting down a deposit on an 848, before I bought the RSV.

For me the 848 made sense in every way, although while the £9500 price tag was a little steep, I thought it wasn't too bad and it hadn't put me off. I only wanted an 848, I couldn't really have afforded a 1098, but I didn't want one, although I'd've found a way if I really did. It was the 848 or no Ducati for me.

When I got there they had numerous 848's and 1098's outside together and I started to scrutinise them. I must say at this point I only looked at a white 848 and a red 1098, bear with me on that as it is relevant. First thing that struck me was the wonderful pearlescent white paint...and then I noticed the horrible cheap looking black plastic front mudguard that stuck out like a sore thumb. I then glanced over to to see the 1098's matching red front mudguard. I though it sufficiently odd that I asked the dealer why it hadn't been painted and he looked at me quizzically and said they don't. Ok I thought, £9500 and they don't paint the front mudguard.

On further inspection I also noticed that inside the inlets by the riders seat the plastic wasn't painted and you could clearly see masses of off-white unpainted fibreglass/plastic with the odd bit of white paint splashed on it from some overspray. I again went and peered at the 1098 and low and behold the inlets were indeed painted red inside and matched to the rest of the bike. The list of similar issues goes on as there were numerous other areas which hadn't been painted because they weren't immediately visable but the equivalent areas had been done on the 1098. There were also other trivial components on the both bikes that seemed unecessarily different on the 848 compared to the 1098 that I just couldn't understand why they weren't the same. This may seem really particular to some but to me it really mattered when £9500 was at stake and it rightly or wrongly said to me that Ducati didn't spend as much time on this bike as they could or should and it really put me off as I wondered what other corners they may have cut. Subsequently I left rather crest fallen and disappointed as I really had my heart set on one.

However, here's the relevance of the colour bit, I had based my opinion of the 848 around the white one, but I have since seen a black and red 848 and it looked great to be fair. Also on closer inspection it seems they had indeed painted most of those previously unpainted bits as I guess the black and off white contrast was a bit more noticable than on the pearlescent one! Interestingly if I'd seen the black one first I may've bought one but in retrospect I still can't shake the thought that they haven't spent as much time on the 848 as they did on the 1098. Although I'm gonna give it a couple years to see how the finish and reliabilty stand up and if it's any good it's on my list of possible next bikes along with a Triumph Daytona 675.

Anyway I hope this helps you see my thinking and how I arrived at my conlusions, even if it's misinformed, biased or you just don't agree. In short I may well buy one in the future so hopefully that will tell it's own story and reinforce that I don't think the 848 is cheap and nasty. Far from it. :thumbup

P.S I remember from our last minor tangle you said I owed you an insult so...

I noticed on your profile you're in Devon and I just wondered how you find riding with no opposable thumbs and webbed hands? :nana JOKE! :nana

Don't worry mate i'm not insulted just curious how you thought it looked cheap when it's essentially the same bike.
I was assuming you were basing that on an experience at looking at the bikes and couldn't see how you arrived at the conclusion.

Now i can say that in the knowledge that the 1098 and 848 actaully cost the same for Ducati to make pretty much. It came up on a ducati forum and a chap from DNA (Ducati North America) basically said it was the case and that often a retail price is as much about position/status in the market place as it is profit.

Sure there will be a few savings by not painting the belly panel and no monoblocs but otherwise the same except the motor. Even the panels are all marked 848.1098.1098s.

A Ford worker commented in the same thread that a Ford focus base model costs Ford £9k to make and the top of the range model £1200 more than the base model yet there is 5k difference it retail between the 2. You get my point ?
If the top model was £1200 more than the base, no one would buy the base and the top models market status would degrade as a result.

A little bird told me that the Gold OZ (that aren't Oz) wheels on the post 06 Factories cost Aprilia £80 from the chinese Factory to buy in. That's probably little more than the base model wheels so assuming that is a trend the Factory costs little more than a Rsvr for Aprilia to make but it has to be set apart in price as per the Ford,Ducati etc.

Anyway mo problem everyone has their opinions and i wouldn't have it any other way but it is my nature to ask for sound reasoning behind an opinion if i don't agree with it. That doesn't mean i'm right just that i like to understand why someone else sees it different.
As an 848 owner myself i would be more sensitive to it getting a bashing than i otherwise would be for sure.

It's like a bloke in a pub telling you your bird is a minger. not that i've ever been in situation myself of course. :dowhat

spoonz said:

Don't worry mate i'm not insulted just curious how you thought it looked cheap when it's essentially the same bike.
I was assuming you were basing that on an experience at looking at the bikes and couldn't see how you arrived at the conclusion.

Now i can say that in the knowledge that the 1098 and 848 actaully cost the same for Ducati to make pretty much. It came up on a ducati forum and a chap from DNA (Ducati North America) basically said it was the case and that often a retail price is as much about position/status in the market place as it is profit.

Sure there will be a few savings by not painting the belly panel and no monoblocs but otherwise the same except the motor. Even the panels are all marked 848.1098.1098s.

A Ford worker commented in the same thread that a Ford focus base model costs Ford £9k to make and the top of the range model £1200 more than the base model yet there is 5k difference it retail between the 2. You get my point ?
If the top model was £1200 more than the base, no one would buy the base and the top models market status would degrade as a result.

A little bird told me that the Gold OZ (that aren't Oz) wheels on the post 06 Factories cost Aprilia £80 from the chinese Factory to buy in. That's probably little more than the base model wheels so assuming that is a trend the Factory costs little more than a Rsvr for Aprilia to make but it has to be set apart in price as per the Ford,Ducati etc.

Anyway mo problem everyone has their opinions and i wouldn't have it any other way but it is my nature to ask for sound reasoning behind an opinion if i don't agree with it. That doesn't mean i'm right just that i like to understand why someone else sees it different.
As an 848 owner myself i would be more sensitive to it getting a bashing than i otherwise would be for sure.

It's like a bloke in a pub telling you your bird is a minger. not that i've ever been in situation myself of course. :dowhat

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Yer what you're saying does make sense on many levels, including an economic one for Ducati etc. I think it was just a feeling I got that I couldn't shake that may've been exaggerated by certain factors I mentioned before in my previous post that weren't necessarily accurate. The fact is I can't really argue that they share alot of parts and are in many ways very similar. It's also odd that it seemed so apparent to me with the white one but not so with the black and red. (Hopefully they'll do a yellow one too.) I think I'll have to have another look and get my head around it again as it could be partly psychological I guess.

Anyway thanks for the adult discussion, I expected nothing less. Nothing worse than a to-and-fro forum/post arguement that achieves nothing and gets everyone worked up. :thumbup

Incidentally have you any idea if the supersport rules will be changing and the 848 will be able to compete, if so are an 848 S or R a possibility?

Rage Rider said:

Yer what you're saying does make sense on many levels, including an economic one for Ducati etc. I think it was just a feeling I got that I couldn't shake that may've been exaggerated by certain factors I mentioned before in my previous post that weren't necessarily accurate. The fact is I can't really argue that they share alot of parts and are in many ways very similar. It's also odd that it seemed so apparent to me with the white one but not so with the black and red. (Hopefully they'll do a yellow one too.) I think I'll have to have another look and get my head around it again as it could be partly psychological I guess.

Anyway thanks for the adult discussion, I expected nothing less. Nothing worse than a to-and-fro forum/post arguement that achieves nothing and gets everyone worked up. :thumbup

Incidentally have you any idea if the supersport rules will be changing and the 848 will be able to compete, if so are an 848 S or R a possibility?

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From what i gather there isn't going to be an S or R model of the 848. I asked about an S model at the NEC and Ducati said it would come in price wise exactly the same as the current base 1198 which they won't do for the marketing reasons i mentioned before. The 1198 as the premium product has to have daylight over the 848.
Will they race the 848 i'm not sure. Partly because i think the other teams will kick up a fuss as per 1200cc 1098R and partly because Ducati clearly stated the 848 was being designed as a road bike first and foremost which they have never done before in the sports category(wet clutch etc). I think that's why many people see it as the better real world tool than the 1098 because that is what it was designed to be.

On the colour i don't like the pearl white. not just on the 848 but on other models as well. The Multistrada at the NEC looked nasty with it on but it's preference i guess.
As for Yellow - Usa only currently i beleive.

ok so wat about the RSV wat do you like and dont you like about your RSV/old RSV? thats wat i was more looking for when i asked about your likes and dislikes about each of the bikes... does it virbrate alot? and so on?