Is the Cost of Owning a Ducati Superbike Getting Cheaper?

From: Cycle World Sunday Best - Sunday Oct 02,2022 02:35 pm
Cost of Ownership: Ducati 999S vs. Ducati Panigale V4 S
Cycle World

10/02/22

You’ve probably heard this one before: “Yeah, I’d buy a Ducati, but they're so expensive to own and maintain—and they aren’t getting any cheaper.” But is that true? We had our suspicions because at nearly every Ducati new-model press introduction there’s always one slide in the presentation pointing out the ever-increasing service intervals. It got us wondering: If you converted the cost of owning a Ducati 20 years ago to 2022 dollars, would it cost more or less to own?

I charged Cycle World Editor-at-Large Blake Conner to find out. He dug through manuals, parts lists, and called Ducati service centers to determine the cost of maintaining a 2003 Ducati 999S. After tallying his 2003 bill, he adjusted that number for inflation and then compared that to owning a 2022 Panigale V4 S. There are some surprises, but I’m going to make you read the article to find out if it’s more expensive to own a fine Italian superbike now or 20 years ago.

As always, there’s more than we can fit into this email. Check out cycleworld.com for additional tests, reviews, and news.

Justin Dawes

Executive Editor

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