Took advantage of the good weather so I cleaned out the garage and put the carbon and battery back on. The Panigale is a work in progress
It’s funny when I first get on it after a while of riding the Panigale. There is quite a bit of “what’s this old tractor all about” but then you get it out of the urban and into the countryside and it everything falls into place and it’s just magic
I have always liked your garage. I may have tidied mine up but it’s nothing like as neat and professional looking as yours
I suppose the biggest difference is the clutch. The noise of the clutch and it’s use. Not helped by the fact that my clutch in the 749R needs a bit of work. Maybe there is a bit more engine vibration due to the difference in chassis. It’s been months since I have ridden either so it’s hard for me to remember all the specifics. Maybe the riding position at low speed is more awkward on the 749 than the Panigale. On both I have increased the size of the rear sprocket. +4 on the 749 and +2 on the Panigale and that helps both at town speeds. Of the two, I prefer the ride of the 749R to the Panigale but that could be because I have owned a 749 of one form or other for 15 out of the past 16 years.
Oh and the front brake. the 749, not having ABS, has a brake lever which has a more unforgiving feel.
Whilst the tanks are different in size between the 749 and the 749R I have never noticed a difference in how well they let me ride the bike. The same for the brakes. The standard non radial brakes are way better than I will ever be. Also the same for the swing arm. I never noticed a difference. The elements that made difference for me are the forged alloy wheels The Ohlins suspension which is proper Ohlins spec and not the OEM spec they make for manufacturers. I had an ohlins shock on my base model 749 and it was better than the Sachs unit but not as good as 749R. by contrast I have k tech inserts in my Panigale and they are fantastic. Riding through the corkscrew at Aragon is like riding a magic carpet. and I have never adjusted the rake on the 749R. I had the suspension set up and that was me.
Very, very nice. I have a hankering after one of these, preferably a mark 1 (like yours). Thanks for sharing.
Thinking about the brakes. About 11 years ago I was at Portimao with a base model 749. Got some coaching from Wee Johnny B. Next session I went out and did as he asked me to do - brake harder and later. After three laps I was absolutely knackered and I am sure it was possible to break harder again. Took 4 seconds off my lap time though. the tank of the Panigale is not something I like and have a tank cover which moves me back in the seat and has a steeper gradient where it meets the seat, like the 749.
The thing about the 749R was that in 2004 it was something like £14k to £15k to buy and they were selling them at a loss. I ended up with an OEM Ohlins on my 749 because the Sachs unit failed with warranty. They let me upgrade to the OEM Ohlins for £100. When it came time to pay the bill the parts guy tried to charge me an extra £650 or so, which was the extra cost of having the Ohlins spec, Ohlins shock if you know what I mean. so are you building your own spec bike? @andyb and @final_edition know a lot about this on these bikes
If you can get some forged alloy wheels that will make a big difference to how it looks as well as rides
