I think it's important to keep perspective here ;-) anyone who says they have no torque needs to go ride a modern 600cc... Seriously less midrange in expense of top end yes but not 'no midrange!'
Hate to say it.... Took the Panni out on one of my local hacks, opened her up and timed it. Got back home and swapped to my 748. The 1199 was miles ahead in the timings....but The 748 made me smile more!! ...really starting to wonder now
I'd be amazed if the 1199 wasn't miles ahead tbh. I get what you are saying about the 748 though. A friend of mine has all but sold his sports bikes and bought an RD350LC and a 350YPVS. He enjoys the experience more and has no intention of going back to having to have the latest fashion accesory.
I think we have to keep in mind what our objectives are - for me its simple, selfish enjoyment. If I was racing and bike A was faster than bike B but B was more fun, obvs I choose bike A for the race. But I'm not racing, so there is the whole subjective experience of riding to consider. The 899 is bike A, it was definitely quicker than the 848. It turned faster and was easier to ride. But the 848 feels special, its hard to get round corners making it feel like a personal achievement every time I get it right, its just much more fun.
Going from a 999s to a 1199s Do miss that low end grunt, Dont miss very sore wrists Do miss a proper feel to the throttle, Dont miss constant TLC Do miss the feed back from the bike, getting mugged down the straights. I do love the wild child 1199, I like the way it kicks, bucks and weaves when you grab it by the scruff of the neck. Certainly makes you feel alive
I have an 1198s my mate firstly had an 1199s now a 1299s, we ride out together for around 3000 miles most years. Which gives a lot of comparison notes. Conclusions -1198 since a remap and 14t sprocket have cleaned up the low speed and sub 4000 issues is by far the best on roads where traffic has to be negotiated. The low down grunt and increased engine braking make it far more relaxing. -On a visit to the IOM (non TT time) the 1199 over the mountain was sublime -We swap bikes quite regularly and both agree the 1198 is more comfortable on 200 mile days Really our conclusion is you can legally enjoy an 1198, but to appreciate the 1199/1299 be prepared HM B&B.
Understood. I run a tricked up 1098R for track use only. Its an astonishing machine and I love it. A couple of weeks back myself and a couple of mates went karting. What a friggin hoot!! Brilliant fun and all with 30 bhp to play with.
Never managed much legal speed fun on my old 916 let alone my 1198, For me the great thing about the 1198 and 1098 is they pull from nearly nothing to the red line which is were the 1199 falls down , don't get me wrong its still a stonking bike but I prefer my 1198, now the 1299 is a different dilemma all together
I have a base 1098, my mates own an 899 and a 1299. Whilst I have not ridden either, don't fancy forking out if I bin one, my 1098 is far better for my long legs although I do have an aftermarket superpole seat. The other thing I noticed was how wide the bars are on the panigale. I do like the look of the panni and I also like the fact it has a wet clutch and no belts. On the1098 I have Zard cans, k&n filter and a 14 tooth front sprocket, it goes well now and much more civilised at low speed in traffic. Yes, the torque is excellent and addictive lifting the front wheel in first, second and third under hard acceleration. Good write up Big M, only just seen and read it today.
I'll go further than this and say as i am incredibly fickle the judgement could be the Pani is 10x better than the 1098 series but i buy bikes surely on looks, and the 1098 wins hands down (what does that phrase actually mean?). Reason being i hate the rear end of the Pani. I have a friend who streetfighters' his sports bikes with custom and homemade parts and the rear looks like something he would create. That and the short fairings so so much is exposed are my main bug bears.
If any of the Panigale series are even 10% better than a 1098R, never mind 10 times better, then they must be a very special bike indeed.
I have gone from a 1098s to a 1299s (via an RSV4 for three years). Before that I had a 748r. The 1299 is streets ahead of the 1098 IMO. I can remember the heavy clutch on the 1098, the way it ran wide exiting corners when on the gas, the way the tall tank back bruised my ribs, the slippery seat, the harsh suspension, the false-neutrals in the gear box... It was still a fantastic bike though. That engine was a peach. The RSV4 was comfy, the suspension worked out-of-the-box, and it was very easy to ride. It made a nice noise even with the stock can. I missed the low-down torque from the twin, though... The 1299 once again gives me the torque that I like. It is more comfortable than the 1098, but less than the RSV4. The back of the tank is lower so my ribs don't take a pounding. The stock seat is still crap, the suspension is still harsh but the gearbox is much better. So are the lights. Clutch? Don't use it very much any more! As for all the electronics, I haven't seen the orange intervention light on the dash flickering very much since I got it (only in wet-mode, riding knackered Supercorsas on a shitty minor road in Spain). Runs wide out of corners on the gas? Not any more! The two Ducatis are both great bikes, but I wouldn't go back...
The 1098S and 1098R are night and day. It's difficult to believe they have the same DNA when you try them. When I sold my 1098S, I felt I had moved on and didn't need another in my life. I've bought the 1098R and it will never leave my garage.
