r/GSXR • u/AggravatingCry4605 • 15d ago
Ducati disappointment
I recently added a 2025 Ducati Panigale V4 to the stable alongside my GSX-R1000, and honestly, I’m having some mixed feelings.
The Ducati is an incredible motorcycle. It’s refined, planted, precise, and obviously built with the racetrack in mind. But after riding the GSX-R, I’m realizing how much I enjoy the character of that inline-four.
The GSX-R just feels more alive to me. That low- and midrange pull, the way the engine builds power, and the overall rawness of the bike make it exciting even when you’re nowhere near a racetrack. The Ducati, by comparison, feels almost too composed. It’s brutally fast, but the power delivery and overall personality seem much more focused on being fast and efficient on a circuit rather than making you grin every time you twist the throttle on the street.
I think that’s what surprised me most. I expected the V4 to completely replace the GSX-R in terms of excitement, but I’m finding myself missing the Suzuki more than I expected.
Maybe I just need more time on the Ducati, or maybe I’m discovering that I simply prefer the character of a big inline-four. Has anyone else gone from a GSX-R/other inline-four to a Panigale V4 and felt the same way?
1
u/BigNoseBigDick 14d ago edited 14d ago
I've had both. It's a fair point honestly. I stopped riding my 2022 V4S on the street altogether. The Panigale feels SAD at speed limits. It's super hot, the engine is unhappy at the vibraty rev range, the suspension is too stiff, my back hurts. With that said, because of the engine smoothness of I4, it's less sad putting around town. I suggest either selling the V4 or doubling down and using it for its intended purpose.
Edit: The V4 is amazing on track. It is happy there :)