My initial impression of the 1299 S

Without trying to sound insulting I wonder if the issue you feel with the brakes is due partly to your weight??

To me the brakes are fanfuckingtastic however I am half your weight..

they may be struggling to retard the extra mass...

80shilling said:

That R1 is impressive to say the least. So, am I correct in saying that at one point, you and your R1 weighed about the same??? You might have cause to be in the Guinness Book of Records for that. Also, kudos on your speed; I do know a guy who is 400+ lbs who rides, but he rides a Hayabusa, not a sport bike.

Glad you have joined us. Cheers.

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ultra300x said:

LOL - someone had to say it

This guy must bench 500 or something. No stock suspension is going to be anywhere in the ballpark much over 200, but what I really don't get is the comments on the brakes, the brakes on this bike are superb

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endodoc said:

You have a Triathlon bike? At your size regardless of the body composition, thats impressive.

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Ox Man said:

Without trying to sound insulting I wonder if the issue you feel with the brakes is due partly to your weight??

To me the brakes are fanfuckingtastic however I am half your weight..

they may be struggling to retard the extra mass...

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At one point, yes. About the same, but I will say I didn't ride much during that time. I gained about 40 pounds due to medication trying to resolve a pituitary tumor. But that's a different story.

Yes. I did a few sprint triathlons. I still ride the bicycle about 7-8 hours a week. I lift, and run on the treadmill for the extra cushion to save my knees.

In all I don't look my weight. I can bench 290, curl 55 with each arm, squat 390, etc. So I'm not a weakling to say the least. I do carry a spare tire but it's going down slowly.

In terms of brakes. Everything plays a factor. Try riding a race prepped bike, something with good pads, a master that you get feedback, and you will see what is lacking. There is no feel to the brakes. They ARE stopping, I just have to pull harder which loses the feedback, and in then feels like wood up front, so feedback, no finesse. Part of it is the pads. I am sure a new set of pads with a better initial bite will help. Another part is break in, another 500-1000 miles of getting the pads. Added will help as I don't brake much before corner entry. I need to bleed the brakes with better fluid, some RBF600 as it looks a touch dark.

But yes, weight plays a factor, but it also shows a lot of what a bike has issues when you can test things like this and push them. It's moving mass, and this about this. If I can test the bike with my weight at 50 mph, it would be like a 180 pound guy needing to go 120+ to get the same test. Sure the brakes feel great at 30 mph, but hussle the bike in the Twisties and now you start to get a feel for what is lacking.

I can say I had my stock R1 brakes on my FZ1 with stainless lines and a Brembo 19RCS master with Carbone Lorraine XBK5 pads. They had better feel, and felt they could stop better. That bike weighs 80+ pounds .more than the 1299, with me on it. I need to read up on our master and really compare it to their other series masters.

I will keep reporting as I make changes. My Akra exhaust was delivered last night with my PitBull stands and pins, mirror block off plates, PAIR block off plates, and my final Rizoma reservoir. But today I ride if it's dry and work later.

IIRC, with the M50 calipers you shouldn't go any higher than an RCS17, or 1 step higher than stock. I am eventually putting an RCS19 on my 899, but that came with M4 calipers.

mtb said:

IIRC, with the M50 calipers you shouldn't go any higher than an RCS17, or 1 step higher than stock. I am eventually putting an RCS19 on my 899, but that came with M4 calipers.

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Thanks for this. That is what I had read. Part of the issue might be the ABS as well. I know you lose a little feel with it. I will probably get an RCS17 for the bike, but am going to wait for the rotors and pads to be in first, give it a whirl, then upgrade if still needed.

Welcome to the forum and congrats on the new bike.

I find we are quite a bit alike in many regards, from modding bikes to being BIG MEN... 6ft2 285lbs.

Re-springing the bike and also have the forks re-valved to better handle the IMMENSE braking this bike is capable of will help your handling as well.
The panigale for me is better than some of my past builds with over $5000 in calipers, rotors, pads and brake master (all billet brembo stuff).

As a small suggestion: replace your stock pads with the EBC HH sintered ones. They should be part number FA447HH.

I too am just north of 280 pounds and never felt the brakes had a lot of bite when stock.

These new pads are an order of magnitude better. And, a hell of a bargain at ~$34 a caliper.

steveved said:

As a small suggestion: replace your stock pads with the EBC HH sintered ones. They should be part number FA447HH.

I too am just north of 280 pounds and never felt the brakes had a lot of bite when stock.

These new pads are an order of magnitude better. And, a hell of a bargain at ~$34 a caliper.

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I was going to put some Vesrah SRJL until I figured out my rotors will move and they require special pads. So once I get them sent in and on I will have the upgrade done. $70 will be spending t elsewhere I am sure. But the XRAC are around $90/caliper so I'll spend it there.

Removing from the R1 tomorrow night after a good 250 miles ride on the 1299.

Railing,

I'm puzzled with your bike weight. Under 390 lbs. You said? The only thing on your lengthy list of accessories that would drop weight off the bike were the BST'S and titanium exhaust. But no where near 100lbs. Off the bike. Am I missing something?

Speedhaus said:

Railing,

I'm puzzled with your bike weight. Under 390 lbs. You said? The only thing on your lengthy list of accessories that would drop weight off the bike were the BST'S and titanium exhaust. But no where near 100lbs. Off the bike. Am I missing something?

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Yes you are missing somerthing. there are two different items of weight loss. First my bike... and next was me. 100 pounds was me... I was Around 380 pounds at my heaviest while on medication to resolve a pituitary tumor. I now weigh 282 pounds and dropping again.

Stock R1 never weighed anywhere near 100 pounds heavier than I have it now, for easy sake, weighed 440 wet (I say this because I personally never weighed it 100% stock and can only go on posted weights which was 430-445). I lost 22 pounds with the exhaust, another 27 pounds with the wheels/rotors (rotors are 4 pounds themselves of weight loss), lost another 8 pounds with the gigantic undertail, more weight in the mirrors, signals, PAIR system, brake lines, rear sets, clipons, etc, which all seemed to be under stock weight. Lots of titanium bits, some aluminum fastened in places like holding the airbox on (which are lighter than Ti). Gained some back with adding the Bazazz, suspension, and dash... finally time I weighed the R1 was 2011 on a pallet scale. I filled the bike full gas, rode 1.1 miles to the office I worked and weighed. The previous night I put on new tires and did an oil change it was 386.3 pounds. I rounded up for the 1.1 mile of gas usage, and the 11 miles of rubber loss from the ride for 387 pounds.

If you look at the photo I posted of the wheel and rotor above with no tire you will see it sitting on a scale. It weighed to hundredths, and this was the initial calculations of checking weights. It was a friend who had the scales, four of them, which he used for racing karts and setting up balance between corners. I weighed a ton of the stock parts I had and had a list of the things I as doing.

Heck at one point on the R1 forum we did a group buy for carbon fiber kickstands that ended up totally wrong. I was looking for weight to drop every where I could.

Sorry to hear of your illness. But glad it is taken care of and you are on the mend. Kudos on your weight loss I know that is a tough road. But sounds like you got that handled pretty well. Thanks for clarifying and enjoy your new Duc.

What a load of drivel !!!