Sold my 916 that i built from bits ,kept in tbe shop at work for 2 years and finally rode it for a few months. Not having had a sportsbike since my old GSXR went a long while ago I found it to be uncomfortable,hard on the wrists , heavy clutch, cooked my legs , but was great on the occasional open road but horrible around town. Not having even had a sit on one of these ,im 6ft and 52 ,is there any comparisons? Like the look of them,and reading the reviews they are said to be way more comfortable Plently powerful and great all round bike,nort many for sale though being a short model run
As a former GSXR devotee and now 899 owner here's my 2 pence worth. Heat from 899 exhaust through riders seat will cook the crown jewels. I have 3 layers of automotive gold leaf under my thicker DP seat and it's still uncomfortable in the summer in traffic. I'm the same size/age as you as well. Comfort is very subjective; but I found the 899 as comfortable as any of the many GSXR's I've owned. Clutch is heavy and the front brakes need pre loading a bit; compared to my friends 1199. Apart from that It's great fun and for me far more engaging and soulful than the Suzuki.
I’m 6ft4 and rode across Europe on various panigales. Wasn’t exactly a sofa but it’s doable. however I’m a bit older now and not sure I’d want to anymore
No experience on a 916 but I do have an 848, heavy on the writs etc. I also have an 899 which I definitely find more comfortable and easier to take for those long rides, plenty of power for the road and so far no issues. Pick up a Ducati Performance comfort seat and away you go. Definitely a stunning looking bike
Always wanted a 916 ,bought a GXSR750wp instead as I couldn't afford one at the tiime.One was offered as a rebuild so I snapped it up and enjoyed building it ,it looked the nuts but I was prob 10 yrs too old to enjoy it ! Looking at the prices ,the later 959 is similar money ,I guess without the leg cooking exhaust ,although the 899 exhaust looks far better Maybe i will hunt out a dealer with one or both and get a sit on them Thanks for the replies
I came from a 2015 GSXR750, test rode a 959 and bought a 1299. I'm 5ft 10 and never realised how compact I was on the GSXR, found the leg room longer and the bars wider and more open on the Panigale
The fact @tcrofty7 keeps buying bikes off of me and he’s atleast half the specimen tells you everything you need to know. He could ride my old race bike even though he’s dwarfed by newly borns. If you want it enough, you can make it work.
Having had my 899 from new, September 2014, I can say it’s probably the best bike I’ve ever owned, still nothing looks anywhere near as good as the first series Panigale’s It all depends on how flexible and porky you are really, I find it comfortable for hours on end and have done some decent big trips on it including a 10 day, 2,800 mile trip around Germany and also loads of long weekends in the UK. I’m 65 now ( how did that happen ffs !!) 5’11” and about 12st 5lbs, but I ride a road pushy for hours and after that razor blade of a saddle, anything feels comfy ! Seen here having a breather really far north in Scotland, a place called “ Garve” ..bloody freezing it was! They are great bikes, I find it way more comfortable than my mates 14 Fireblade, pegs on that are stupid high ! They can feel a bit hot in the summer mind, better when you wear full leathers rather than jeans, the German trip we did was in the middle of a heatwave, 34c, and it’s just about boiled my spuds ! Just so you know what you’re getting into, here’s a heat map pic.. Obvious where the heat is concentrated, but tbh, it’s not such a problem in the UK, you only start to notice it once the ambient temperature is over about 26 c ish, which isn’t very often in the North of England. Over 28,000 miles on mine now and I still love it, as fast as you’ll ever need on the road, I ride with guys who have mainly BMW S1000 rr,s, Fireblade, etc and it never feels underpowered. No plans at all to part with it , so last year I gave it a present of BST carbon wheels and a K-Tech dds pro shock, it transformed the bike, fantastic ride now.. Not even tempted by the new V2, marginal gains and mine might feel better with the BST’s and K-Tech shock, cracking little bikes, I doubt if you would be disappointed with the bike itself, the only question being would you fit it okay? @Biot TK rear wheel looks the bizzo, worth the wait and the grief you’ve had to get it
Having had the 899, 959 and now onto my second v2 I can confirm that there are marginal gains in handling and performance between each model that I’m sure can be better exploited, particularly on track, by much better riders than me. But even mere mortals can tell the differences when ridden back to back. But the real reason I updated each time is because I like new shiny stuff
