Win a 2025 Ducati Panigale V4 S + $5,000 (or a 2026 Yamaha R1 + $10,000)

What you're looking at

The headline bike is a 2025 Panigale V4 S. That year Ducati rebuilt the V4 superbike from the ground up. It kept the 1,103cc Desmosedici Stradale, rated at a claimed 216 hp in stock form. It added a new front frame and, the part that drew the most argument, replaced the single-sided swingarm with a double-sided one. The S model is the one to have because of its third-generation Öhlins semi-active suspension. This bike already has the two mods most owners add first: a full Arrow titanium exhaust and a T800 UpMap tune.

The winner doesn't have to take the Ducati. The second option is a 2026 Yamaha YZF-R1, the crossplane-crank 998cc inline-four, with a full SC-Project titanium exhaust and a professional ECU flash. It comes with a $10,000 check instead of $5,000. The winner chooses one in writing after being verified, and the choice can't be changed once the sponsor accepts it.

The operator hasn't published mileage, color, or whether either bike is new. Both are awarded "as is" with no warranty.

Why it matters

Vybes Unlimited is a Colorado motorcycle-apparel shop. This is its 25th numbered giveaway. Its past-winners page names winners from VYBES01 through VYBES23, most with a phone-call or delivery video on Instagram. The prizes have been mostly sportbikes: R1Ms, an RSV4, a Fireblade SP, a ZX-10RR, an earlier Panigale V4.

The choice is closer than it looks. Using the sponsor's own ARVs, the Ducati package is about $31,000 of motorcycle plus $5,000 cash. The R1 package is about $21,800 of motorcycle plus $10,000 cash. If you want the most bike, take the Ducati. If you want the lower tax bill and more cash left over after shipping, the R1 is the better deal.

The fine print worth knowing

Pick it up in Colorado, or shipping comes out of the check. The rules require the winner to "pick up prize vehicle at a Sponsor-specified location in Colorado within thirty (30) days of notification of availability from the Sponsor or agree to have the vehicle shipped using the cash awarded in the grand prize (remaining cash after shipment will still be awarded to grand prize winner)." In plain numbers: a winner who can't travel to Colorado gets $5,000 (Ducati) or $10,000 (R1) minus the cost of shipping. Missing the 30-day window can mean losing the prize to an alternate. Clauses like this exist because shipping costs vary a lot by destination. This one simply makes the prize check the shipping budget.

The ARV is final, and so is the tax bill. The sponsor's values are "final and binding," and "If actual value of the Prize is lower than the stated ARV when the Prize is procured and fulfilled, then the difference will not be awarded." The 1099 is filed for the value of the accepted prize: $36,000 for the Ducati package, $31,800 for the R1. The affidavit asks for your Social Security number and is due within seven days. If the winner doesn't respond within three business days of the first contact attempt, an alternate can be drawn.

Before delivery. You'll need a valid driver's license from your home state and insurance on the bike before you take delivery. Registration and licensing costs are yours. The rules warn that the bike may not pass some states' safety or emissions checks. The sponsor can substitute a prize "of equal or greater value."

Who can enter. Legal US residents 18 or older (or the age of majority in their state), excluding Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and US territories.

Entry math. Every whole dollar spent in the store earns 1 entry. Items labeled Quick Entry or Limited earn 2 per dollar. The sponsor also announces bonus periods of 10x to 300x. This week the homepage advertises 100 entries per dollar, plus 7,500 bonus entries for spending $75 or more in a single transaction. The cheapest in-stock item was $25 when we checked. The rules cap each entrant at 400,000 entries across all methods.

The free route. Mail a hand-printed 3x5 card with your name, address, phone number, date of birth and email in a #10 envelope to VYBES25 Sweepstakes, P.O. Box 400, Frederick, CO 80530. It must be postmarked by Oct. 4 and received by Oct. 8, 2026. Each card is worth 70 entries, or 700 to 21,000 if postmarked during a bonus period. For the bonus, you must write the current multiplier (for example, "100x") on the back of the envelope. If it doesn't match the bonus period on your postmark date, the entry is disqualified. Send one entry per envelope. No bulk mailings.

The drawing. The sponsor runs the random drawing itself, on or about Oct. 9, 2026. Disputes go to Colorado courts on an individual basis only (no class actions), and damages are limited to out-of-pocket costs. The rules state that neither Ducati nor Yamaha sponsors the sweepstakes. To request the winner's name, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to the same P.O. box by Oct. 28, 2026.