I rode my cousins panigale r today that he’s just bought for a song and I can concur that the suspenders are rock hard but then I suppose it is a track machine really. Didn’t think it was much faster than a normal panigale 1199. Reckon the engine spun up a bit quicker but that was about it. Exhaust sound lovely tho but I prefer his rsv4 tho which would be my next choice if I bother with another sports machine.
It’s funny that the consensus is stiff for track. when all the racers I know run the front as soft as they can get away with
For me, front standard settings are far too soft and bottom out. I can just dial it in enough with preload and clickers without having to put heavier springs in, but there ain't a lot of travel left when you have been chasing times hard. Its still as soft as I can go without bottoming. Don't know whether going up a spring rate and then easing everything back would make more sense, but I've had set up from 2 pros, and neither recommended that route, so I have left the standard weight up to now.
But that’s still stiffer than the road. Or you’d wallow and have the front bottom out. Also why suspension builders use at least one spring heavier for track than road.
I run a 9.5 spring in the front of mine and I’m a heavy bastard. Dave will tell you as well I’m about as late a braker as they come too I should be easily a 10.5 on paper. Easily
Dobt you'd be running that on standard suspension tho. You have decent valving etc working too, whereas even the gen 1 panigale R wont