I've had the bike for a few weeks, its had its 600 mile oil change (can't quite bring myself to call it a 600 mile service) and the dealer told me to ride it normally and start letting it do some work.. Here's my impression so far..
I haven't had the time to taken the fairings off yet but I strongly suspect that the 1285cc Superquadro vtwin engine that is rumoured to hold the headstock and forks to the swing arm doesn't really exist. It is my belief that there is scaled down version of the Apollo 5 rocket ( the most powerful machine ever built by man) lurking under the fairing, either that or some kind of hyperdrive. The engine is simply amazing, the way it pulls effortlessly in 3rd or 4th is something quite unbelievable. If you are running in and have kept to the 6000 rpm ( see other thread on running in.. ) you are in for a massive surprise when you finally start opening the bike up. It is leagues ahead of the 1199, a different world entirely and requires a fair degree of mental recalibration to get used to the way it builds speed. The famous vtwin torque, infamously missing from the 1199, is back with a vengeance and reminds you so whilst simultaneously shoving you in the back and trying to pull your arms off. I remember being disappointed the first time I rode the 1199, wondering where had the mid range gone and what had happened to the engine but not so on the 1299, its just what the Panigale needed
The handling is different enough to be noticeable. I haven't had the bike on the track yet but my route to work gives me enough fast / slow bends to get a feel for the bike and as I rode the same route on the 1199 it enables a bit of a comparison. Corner entry seems more positive and confident, the front stiffening up under the influence of the DES and helping to settle the bike before tipping in. I seem to be carrying more corner speed and definitely more exit speed - the wheel control helping to keep the front down whilst winding on the power out of fast 2nd gear exits whilst still cranked over. Its simply confidence inspiring. I thought that the ability to clutchless downshift would be a bit of a gimmick but again the bike seems more settled on approach to the corner, it is a joy to use and is silky smooth but be warned, the autoblipper on downshifts and closed throttle along with the pop through the Akrapovics on upshifts becomes somewhat addictive.
The not so good bits.. Im not sure that the redesigned front fairing offers any more wind protection for your head (I'm 6ft) but it's a sportsbike, not a tourer. It did the Panigale stalling thing a couple of times before the 600 mile check up but not since. I don't have time to look at the lean angle meter, I'm generally too busy looking for the apex / exit or potholes so Im not sure how useful that will be - I'll fit the the DDA for the track day and see if that changes my opinion but that's about it. Its not even tried to cook me yet.
Its the best bike I've ever ridden. Roll on Brands Hatch track day.
I haven't had the time to taken the fairings off yet but I strongly suspect that the 1285cc Superquadro vtwin engine that is rumoured to hold the headstock and forks to the swing arm doesn't really exist. It is my belief that there is scaled down version of the Apollo 5 rocket ( the most powerful machine ever built by man) lurking under the fairing, either that or some kind of hyperdrive. The engine is simply amazing, the way it pulls effortlessly in 3rd or 4th is something quite unbelievable. If you are running in and have kept to the 6000 rpm ( see other thread on running in.. ) you are in for a massive surprise when you finally start opening the bike up. It is leagues ahead of the 1199, a different world entirely and requires a fair degree of mental recalibration to get used to the way it builds speed. The famous vtwin torque, infamously missing from the 1199, is back with a vengeance and reminds you so whilst simultaneously shoving you in the back and trying to pull your arms off. I remember being disappointed the first time I rode the 1199, wondering where had the mid range gone and what had happened to the engine but not so on the 1299, its just what the Panigale needed
The handling is different enough to be noticeable. I haven't had the bike on the track yet but my route to work gives me enough fast / slow bends to get a feel for the bike and as I rode the same route on the 1199 it enables a bit of a comparison. Corner entry seems more positive and confident, the front stiffening up under the influence of the DES and helping to settle the bike before tipping in. I seem to be carrying more corner speed and definitely more exit speed - the wheel control helping to keep the front down whilst winding on the power out of fast 2nd gear exits whilst still cranked over. Its simply confidence inspiring. I thought that the ability to clutchless downshift would be a bit of a gimmick but again the bike seems more settled on approach to the corner, it is a joy to use and is silky smooth but be warned, the autoblipper on downshifts and closed throttle along with the pop through the Akrapovics on upshifts becomes somewhat addictive.
The not so good bits.. Im not sure that the redesigned front fairing offers any more wind protection for your head (I'm 6ft) but it's a sportsbike, not a tourer. It did the Panigale stalling thing a couple of times before the 600 mile check up but not since. I don't have time to look at the lean angle meter, I'm generally too busy looking for the apex / exit or potholes so Im not sure how useful that will be - I'll fit the the DDA for the track day and see if that changes my opinion but that's about it. Its not even tried to cook me yet.
Its the best bike I've ever ridden. Roll on Brands Hatch track day.
