An R is special of course. Designed for a reason , designed to allow a proper rider to win races. So whats an R like to live with ? Well the jap ones ive owned meant hard work. FS carbs . high first gears make town riding a chore and it only really starts to work when the speeds creep up , the road flattens out and the riding position then makes sense The R that ive recently bought is a real example of this . I knew the suspension and engine are there for Mr Bayliss and any complaints I have with the bike are not the bikes fault , the fault is with me asking the bike to do what it is not best at. A recent 130 mile trip had me in pain from the bumps and near 30 minutes slower than I can do on my Hyperstrada. The R works best over 80 , the Hyper the opposite . The R with a dyno'd 191 bhp is fun 5% of the time , the rest is a liability . The Hypers engine is a pure joy. Put the R on a track and the experience is obviously reversed . Smooth track means the suspension will be perfect for putting that massive engine to use. Thing is I trackday my Hyper and I LOVE it and it's more than capable of doing a GSXR or two. IM looking to sell mine. If no takers then i'll get the suspension done which will bring it down to working at more ' normal ' levels and then maybe i'll change my mind . I don't buy bikes to look at , its a bonus looking like it does I must add , and I just prefer my Hyper .
I hear you... I'm riding my 750 SS most of all at the moment and it's about as hardcore as is needed on the road really. My R1 is for sale, and my Blade is not for sale but actually isn't that much fun compared to lower powered and comfier bikes... No excoriation from me matey, motorcycling should be something you love and if it's not working out then you move on. The great news is that you're selling a bike that is very nice indeed, sought after and will give you a decent chunk of change in your pocket. Only reason not to sell would be to speculate and keep it for a year or so and make a bit of profit. As you say though, you buy to ride. Good on you.
Thanks for that Mr Tea. I think I get what you're saying. I have an 851 SP3 and an 1198S - the SP3 is a much "friendlier" bike to ride, obviously down on power compared to the 1198 but nowhere near as brutal. I imagine the 1098R is just a lot more so... I know it's the wrong thread but GLWS.
I upgraded to an Ohlins TTX from the Ducati 'budget' OE Ohlins TTX and found a big difference. I'm 17 stone stripped but found flexibility in the stock springs which suits my preference for a softer ride. I have to agree, the 1098R does not make a good road bike simply because it sucks you in so mine now wears track clothes. Far too easy to find yourself doing warp speeds. Andy
Do you mind if i ask what weight spring you have in yours ? I would love to use it on the track but i do have a history of getting carried away if you get my drift and the wife would disown me me should i have a ' mishap ' on this.
Sounds (predictably) just like my 1199R which I wouldn't recommend on the roads unless doing big speeds in the twistys.
I have the opposite, my companion would string me up if I organised a track day that she couldn't join in. The TTX spring is the Ohlins standard which I think is a 9Nm but I need to check. The front springs to my knowledge are OE but the forks were rebuilt last February when I had the seals replaced. Andy
But that's as it should be , isn't it not ? Any one who thinks these are not race bikes in waiting don't know what they are buying , IMOH. But again , it is not a fault of the bike . Far from it , just what I am asking it to do. The 1098R is an incredible bike , incredible . Its engine is just massive. In 30 + years of riding and racing bike to a national standard ive never known an engine like it . Lower gears are pointless , it's the sheer thrust this thing has in 3rd and up gears . You can be cruising at 90 mph in say 3rd , open it up and as the revs build it just starts to pull away from you like no engine ive had. It literally feels like the bike is trying to leave you behind. 4th and 5th are the same Its comical.
Sounds awesome, if you can avoid towns and only have smooth tarmac and don't mind a little jail time.
People tend to buy either from the heart , for the "beat the Jones's " attitude or reliability ! When i bought the half-one it was most definitely from the heart but i was very lucky in the fact that i find it pretty comfy (seats getting a bit hard ) , and the riding experience has improved since the later carbs with more midrange were fitted . On the whole it been a good bike but definitely not faultless reliability . I paid over the odds for it in 2009 at £2500 and will never part with it ! Make sure you buy a bike that you enjoy riding , for the first 6 years of ownership i used to grin my head off whenever i opened the garage and saw the half-one
People tend to buy either from the heart , for the "beat the Jones's " attitude or reliability ! When i bought the half-one it was most definitely from the heart but i was very lucky in the fact that i find it pretty comfy (seats getting a bit hard ) , and the riding experience has improved since the later carbs with more midrange were fitted . On the whole it been a good bike but definitely not faultless reliability . I paid over the odds for it in 2009 at £2500 and will never part with it ! Make sure you buy a bike that you enjoy riding , for the first 6 years of ownership i used to grin my head off whenever i opened the garage and saw the half-one
Which is why it's neither right nor wrong in buying one. We all buy our bikes for our own reasons be it looks, riding or performance
Nothing wrong with admitting you bought the wrong bike for you. Least you got to give one the berries. I'm dead jealous.
Just been for a 90 mile ride "around the block" to scrub in my new SC1 and SC2 Supercorsas on my 1098R... Since it was a weekday, the roads were much quieter than the weekend so I was able to give it some stick on some of my fave roads. I haven't been able to do that for a while and never on this bike....faaaak me it is SUCH a beast...it is so easy to go waaaay too fast! On a day like today, little traffic, roads I know well...it was wonderous. Fantastic. Being a short-arse, I find it very comfy too. The suspension is perfectly set up and not over hard... 10/10
Nice ride out on my RR to a BBQ at Brands last Thursday in the rain. The Monster 1200R is OK for all other occasions
The key to rideability of any high-strung engine at lower speed is the ECU map, gearing, and ergos. Get it mapped right with slightly shorter gearing, and it can be a lovely bike to ride. Yes it has about 10 times more power than needed for bimbling along, but you can modulate that with your right hand. I have Helibars on my 1098R and it made a huge difference in overall ergos when riding on the road.
