I keep thinking back to Kope's response on a similar matter a while back in another thread. He and some other friends that have similar $$$$-modded 1199s love to go the track, and another friend who has a bone stock 1199 base goes with them and is the fastest of their group. It's the Indian, not the arrow.
However, like outhouse says, you don't have to be the fastest guy in the zip code to appreciate nice suspension and the difference it makes in increasing confidence - which is the point of a good handling bike, right?
I used to be really into photography, before the digital age, actually. I got back into it when my son was born a few years back and got a modern Canon DSLR setup. Knowing the difference great lenses make, I wanted to get some "L" lenses, which average $1500-$2000. Too many hobbies and other expenses made me look to the aftermarket "value" lenses and with top-end Sigma-brand lenses I can get 80%-90% of what "L" lenses produce, but at $500-$800. I still want those "L" lenses, just like I would love an 1199R. But the $10,000 of mods over 1.75 years on my base that I bought new for less than $16,000 makes me very happy and fit my situation perfectly.
