Should I trade my 765 for a 959 Panigale

[kncrew]

Hey Fellas,

I was one of the ones that picked up the bike in March 2020 before their sales got F'd by old Covid-19. I've ridden mine 5600 miles and enjoyed every minute of it. Every where I stop with other bikes I get looks, and even have yet to see another Daytona of any year in my area. So I really enjoy having a good looking bike/the last run of them.

I recently came across a 2016 959 for sale with 200 miles. Given how little the old Moto 2 has held it's value, I could probably straight trade this bike for that. My question is, would I be an idiot for trading my Daytona in? I've always admired ducatis as the Echelon of performance and style, but I have never ridden one. Any thing about the 959 I should be worried about?

[Tripler]

Whatever you do, you will regret it.  Anyone disagree?
I've not ridden either the V2 or V4 Panigale, but have been on a few other Ducs.  So, whatdoIknow?!
If you could swap for the V4, I'd do it, but wouldn't for the V2.
 
Q: Should I trade my 765 for a 959 Panigale?
A: NO

Q: would I be an idiot for trading my Daytona in?
A: YES

Q: Any thing about the 959 I should be worried about?
A: Its a Ducati!

Listen to this podcast; he rode a few Ducs... https://www.daytona765.com/index.php/topic,547.msg4611.html#msg4611

[aardvark9]

Ducatis are sexy bikes.  I had a Multi 1200 and though ADV bikes aren't generally sexy, that one kind of was.  Ducatis are designed and crafted with love but they are a little finicky.  I recall cleaning mine and looking at fine details and thinking that it didn't need to be designed beautifully but it was and I appreciated it.  I replaced that bike with a BMW R1250 GS and the differences couldn't be more apparent.  BMW selects and manufactures the parts on it to operational efficiency.  Could they have used better grade components?  Sure.  Does the bike need it?  Not at all.  The BMW and most of the Japanese bikes are, in my opinion, somewhat sterile and without passion.  It doesn't mean that they aren't excellent final products, but they may not stir the soul.  Every time I go ripping on the back roads with the GS though I am amazed by what it can do and I love it, but when I look at it in the garage, it's a solid 'meh.'  The Ducati made me steal another look over my shoulder when I went back into the house.

I'm drawn to the Triumph bikes because I find that they're somewhere in between these two extremes.  The Ducati has a combination of panache and pedigree that few other brands carry.  They also carry very considerable maintenance costs and you'll find that most of the aftermarket bits are appreciably more expensive.  I've owned two Ducatis over the years and I'm glad that I had the experience but I can't say that I really miss them, particularly when the Desmo service was coming up or if that stupid fuel level sensor started acting up again.  My Ducatis never once stranded me in a combined ~35k miles, but it was in the back of my mind on longer trips and I made sure my tow insurance was current before embarking more than a few hours from home.

I use my Daytona as a track bike, and for what I'm working on, it's outstanding.  It's friendly to work on, it makes sense, there are a lot of special bits on it, and it's exactly what I want.  I don't want a liter bike for the track at this point, we'll see how I feel if I can become a solid enough rider that I can't get any faster with the D765.  I certainly don't have the budget for a liter bike's tire appetite and in our local club races, even on the faster tracks, there's not a demonstrable difference at the very top of the rider ranks between the super sport and liter bike racers.  The guy I bought my first D675R from replaced it with a Panigale 959.  He loves it but it seems like there's always something he's futzing with (it's never actually broken, just little idiosyncrasies that he's dealing with).  His rear sets were over $1k USD.  I pretty much never have to do anything unplanned on my D765 and the D675R was the same.  Both of my Street Triples have been outstanding in that same way.  I appreciate the near Japanese level of reliability and that it feels like a 'special' bike, even if it's not quite as special feeling as a Ducati.

Good luck with your decision, it's tough.  If I'd never owned a Ducati, I'd probably want the experience myself.

[Tripler]

great write up! thanks

[Jay765]

My thoughts on Ducati's are the same, great style and good to look at but I would rather ride a 4 cylinder Japanese bike or a Triumph triple over a V2.

I have been involved with the Ducati Tri Options cup racing series in the UK supporting the British Super Bikes, so running a 899, then a 959 and now the V2, all are a bit fragile and are prone to over heating even in the UK, and as said parts are expensive.
Slow speed riding is also lumpy compared to 3 or 4 cylinders.

The Supersports 765 laps faster than the Ducati V2 as well 

[aardvark9]

@kncrew - You've put a ton of miles on the bike in short order, you're obviously riding it a lot, I assume mostly street, which is particularly commendable because I hated riding it on the street during run-in before I set it up for track.  Variety is the spice of life and part of me encourages you to get the Ducati because I'm sure a lot of us would enjoy hearing a report back from your own riding comparison of the two.  As to the resale value, yes, it is disappointing and I bought mine at retail when it first hit the local dealers.  While I certainly would have appreciated buying it at current prices, I have developed my own [track] riding skills on it tremendously so that alone is worth it.  I also don't expect to sell it in the foreseeable future.

[Jherb]

I had a 959 before my Moto2.   I’m happier with the Moto2 in pretty much every catagory.  It’s just a much more rideable bike for me.  Street & Track.   For me the 765 works better for my riding style.    The Duc was fun, but way too abrupt on/off the gas.  Temperamental and expensive to work on or upgrade parts. 
The triumph isn’t cheap either but I made the right choice by getting the Moto2 after the Duc.

[Brian807]

The Ducati is a fantastic bike, but also a bit abrupt on the street (due to the torque peak). In my opinion, the Daytona is the most fantastic street bike I've ever ridden. Whenever I swap w/friends (GSXR 750, Ducati Streetfighter, etc.), they're astounded at how user friendly the 765 is while I'm astounded that they'd ride a bike that's always trying to kill them. 

Ducati maint is stupid expensive, even though I experienced 40k very reliable miles. Life is short, though. No harm trying the Panigale and in this crazy market you can probably swap back for even money if it's not your bag.

[Towser]

I have a 959 Corse as well as the 765. They are very differnt animals and you'd definitely need to test ride the 959. As has been said they don't like being ridden slowly and can be very lumpy low down. If you are in the mood however and can give it some beans its very good. However there are some downsides. It gets very hot very quickly. Even here in Scotland where it doesn't get that warm in the summer, on a warm day you need to be making good progress or else you will cook your legs and arse! And my engine blew up after 1900 miles!

[Tripler]

your engine blew!  what happened???

this fellow test rides a 765, then gets on his Panigale for comparison: