Just been out for 2 hours on my 1198 not ridden it since September last year, sort of forgot how fast they are, but I can't help feeling that it's a crap road bike as it don't like riding under 70mph is rock hard over our shite roads but my god it's a good looking bike when it's just sat there, I'm really thinking about removing the mirrors , no plate holder and indicators and just using it on track as it's a lovely bike on a nice flat surface being ridden like I stole it.
You spend as much time over analyzing your bikes and what to do with them as I do! Stripped and regressed my 996 slipper for no reason whatsoever today .
My 996 works much better the harder I push and that's just a base version. It's shite at gentle pootling about.
Not ridden 1198 but I have had a few IL4 1000’s. And that’s still the only bike that was like a knife edge to ride.
I might see how the k2 is on the road for a couple of months even with race shift and a quick shifter on now.
Interesting to read about this , I love the 1198 last of the analogue dukes , but read reviews and ad you say most people say the 1098 was just right but the 1198 just too much for road use although every one who reviewed it loved it but all said it was a bit of a pig using it on the road apart from when at warp speed then everybody said it was sublime then , I’ve a 2000 r1 and it’s an amazing road bike makes me look like a good rider super smooth and easy to ride and I’ve an Agusta 1000r which is angry and aggressive and wants to kill me and feels a bit too fast if there is such a thing , it’s exciting but the power is delivered in an aggressive way
Not rode an ie but the carby ss is a comfortable place to be. Not scary at and joy to ride hard (despite the wallowing and lack of brakes!) Had a lil swap with @Stu848 in spain and the difference between the 900 and 848 was unreal. Can only imagine what a 1198 would be like... probably unnecessarily fast!!!!
My 1198 is fine on open road but a bit of a handful in really slow traffic ie filtering ect I still love it though but I sometimes wonder if it's the right bike for me as it belongs on a track, instead of me using it for going work on??
It really is a bonkers machine, it's not unrideable but it's hard work, they really are a race bike with lights. A softened 848 I think would be a better road bike, I rode @mapper899 bike and thst was nice you could ride it quick but it's wasn't at stupid speed.
