First ride impresions of my new 999

[Sport999]

I have to say this bike is fun! Light, and not only fast but quick! Those Brembos stop very well! Very nimble and yet very stable at speed. I say speed, but haven't gone over 120. The period article I read in the January 2003 issue of Cycle World, when doing my research prior to buying it said at 7,000 rpm it was doing 120 in 6th and the speedo was off by 8 mph. I got to 7,000 in 6th and sure enough the speedo read 128. I'm still breaking it in with not quite 1,400 miles on it so far. (I found it properly stored in the dining room of a Montana ranch house last month with 1,042 miles on it) New tires, belts (OEMs were perfect but low mileage not withstanding, they were eight years old) plugs, OEM Champions were changed out for NGK Iridiums, and all fluids were changed before I rode it. More speed will come later as I get more familiar with it.

The only comparison with my Hayabusa so far is this, it hates going S L O W and slowly downhill, like following traffic for miles you just can't get by. Way more so than the Busa, my hands and wrists get really sore. After a day's ride at various speeds and terrain my hands still got too sore where they don't on the Busa. Not sure what to do about that. The seat needs some cushion too. Very flat and very hard, not for LD rides. Oh and those tractor like power impulses are a gas! All my experience has been with Japanese multis. Anyone ever drive an old tractor with a zillion ton flywheel? Only as soon as I twist my wrist though, those tractor like impulses sure straighten out and quicken up!!!

Even with only a 4.1 gallon tank, getting 42 mpg (so far) still gets me around without having to find a gas station every 90-100 miles...or else. So, for its intended purpose, making me happy, I have to say that so far, it was a very good deal! Oh, I like this funny note from the owner's manual. As you know, there isn't a redline marked on the tach. It just goes from 0-13,000. The dyno readouts say it quits making power at 9,500 revs so the book just says that after breakin at 2,500 kilometers there's no real reason to go over 10,000 revs! I agree. The Busa revs higher than it has to to make power as do my CBXs so unless I was trying for an all out top speed run, there really (isn't) any reason to exceed the 'redline'. Looking forward to next weekend.

[Bill_Anderson]

I have always prefered the unique Art-Deco look of the 999/749 over its successors. My favorite of the bunch was the 749 Dark.

Nothing else on the road resembled the 999, but I think the 1098 and its progeny look like many Japanese bikes.

[tye1138]

Congrats on the purchase, they're great bikes. Good find as well, very rare!

One note about the tachometer, there is a rev limiter on the bike, so yes the tach goes to 13k, but the motor won't go anywhere near that.

I wouldn't worry about breaking it in, just ride it. It was manufactured in 2002 probably, so the thing is more then 8 years old.

Sounds like your already having fun! Just be forewarned, now that your hooked, you might have relationship problems with humans... LOL

[thelumox]

beautiful, beautiful bike! congrats.

i have always liked the looks of the XX9 bikes.

[DuckMan]

Man! talk about a great find! I only know one other person that lucky.

[John]

The hurting wrists are common at first, your in a different position compared to the Busa. However, one of the nice things about the 999 is its adjustability. You can move the seat 25mm-30mm and the rear sets have 4 or 5 mounting points. You can go with clip on risers, I have the 1" Woodcrafts. Keep in mind if you raise the forks and get a thicker aftermarket seat like a Sargent, that will throw you more into the front and thus more weight on your wrists. In most cases 999 owners get used to the bike and the wrist issue fades away in time.

The more I hear about the 999 the more I hear good things about the bike, even from people that never received it all that well back in 03. I think Bill summed up the bike well. The longer I own my 999R the more I appreciate its looks and performance. Stick some 999S cams in there and get an instant 10HP boost! A good full system and another 10HP can be had. Thats how it begins.

If the DOG boys do the ride to Alice's restaurant in August, you should hook up with us. We will be coming down from Sacramento. I posted it for August 6th, but I'll have to postpone it, I'll be attending a memorial service that day. Keep your eyes on the Nor Cal section for updates.

[Sport999]

That thought had crossed my mind John but after posting in that thread there hasn't even been an acknowledgement of my post there...