999s back to back with 749s
 

When I took my 749s for it's first service to DLS I booked the 999s courtesy bike to fill the time whilst the my bike had it's oil changed and Termi's fitted.
I didn't do any research in where to go, just headed south out of the big smoke!
I quite quickly picked up signs for Eastbourne and thought that'll do, I'll go there. Anyway coming out of town the bike felt quite similar to my 749 which was by that time nice and loose and more or less run in due to not being able to get the time off to get the bike to the workshop. I did however find myself doing my usual cringe in preperation for going over UK spec pot holes, craters and general bumps, but on going over them I thought, mmm this bike is less harsh at high damper speeds with the Ohlins than the 749 spec Showa's.
After what seemed an age of leg burning I got to the M25 roundabout signalling the end of the city and quickly wazzed round it and out towards Eastbourne.
The first time I was able to give it some welly I was very impressed, the power delivery was fantastic, with creamy smooth forward motion that left me laughing, I have had an R1 for over 2 years which had as I remember similar performance but absolutely no soul.
The bike was showing 2000 miles so it was nice, loose and rattly, I was quickly getting used to the machine and started to push around corners, I was sure that again the Ohlins were able to cope with the small pattery bumps far better than the Showa's can but still keep the responsiveness. It did help that the bike had super corsa's fitted over my machines standard corsa's but due to the fact that the traffic was quite heavy and I did not want to have explain to Martin (DSL) that I need picking up from a hedge bottom somwhere I didn't push it too much.
Anyway I arrived in Eastborne thinking a few things-

1. I am hungry
2. Eastbourne is nice and clean
3. The roads down south are too busy
4. A 999s is in my opinion worth the extra £4k, the dampers and engine are outstanding. but I do not have the money (yet)
5.My machine should be better with the pipes and ROM

(it is, alot, but not enough to stop the longing for the extra 250cc and Scandinavian boingy bits)