Having read comments by @cookster and @bradders on another thread, I'm beginning to think low miles isn't necessarily a good thing!
Gen 1 is electronic suspension. It was an S with an R badge…whereas the gen 2 has all the ti internals and a race-bred motor worthy of an R
1299S v 1199R Gen2 for a summer road bike? Are they very different to ride, bearing in mind there's probably only £3-5k between them.
I suppose I’ll know next week. I’m expecting the R to be worse as a road bike due to where the power is made, and also the suspension felt almost solid when I sat on it. It’s a work of art tho and yes my thoughts exactly for what is not a lot of extra cash there is a lot more desirability.
I really liked my 1299S, but with hindsight I should have had it mapped and altered the gearing. Plus anything over 2 hours on it, and I was knackered. I'll limit my riding time on whatever Ducati I buy next, to less than 2 hours I reckon.
Even though I want an R, from what I have read, as Matty says, in comparison to the 1299S. The S is a better road bike due to the “extra” torque, electronic suspension and the clutch is easier to get on with. The R suspension is manual adjusted so will not adjust like the S and the clutch is grabbier and it only comes alive above a set rpm when it all makes sense. The R also comes with ti headers with road akras as standard and an adjustable frame so the swing arm pivot can be moved. The unknown for me is the future servicing costs for the engine due to the components inside and that the piston only having 2 rings in comparison to 3 on the S, also the rarity of spares. I even went and looked at the high mileage S at Frasers to view a high mileage S and it didn’t seem too bad and that bike is only 12k. Seems for an S at mo is 12-16k and the R is 18k+. But this doesn’t stop me wanting one.
If you’ve ridden Ducatis for a few years, imho it’s probably like comparing a 996 to a 996sps when looking at 1299 vs gen 2 R. One just is more raw, doesn’t run as sensibly at low revs and demands you ride like a twat. The other is a quicker overall summer ride road bike. (Only real difference being the 996 will have more torque where 1299 probably has more)
When I had my 1299, sellers were asking silly money for used Akra exhausts, almost the difference between a 1299S and a 1199R.
I'm at the point now, where noisy exhausts just annoy me. A bit more noise than a standard 1199/1299 would be enough.
