The last R1 I rode was Whele's and that ain't no snail however I never had any problem's staying with him on my 999R or vice versa - straight line only mind - and we were'nt hanging around.

Obviously Gary is way more accomplished than me on the twisties but then someone way more accomplished than me would easily stick with him on a 999R on those twisties.

I liked the R1 but the power delivery is completely different to the 999R and therefore, dare I suggest it, not as enjoyable or usable than the 999R - or is it just familiarity on my part.

At the end of the day - I was at Foxes last night (which, strictly speaking, was at the end of yesterday actually ) and out of 300+ bikes there was 1 X 999R , 1 X 996 SPS and a couple of 996's of other specs. There were dozens of R1s, moreso than any evident Fireblades, Kwaks or K6s, oh and the crowd was round the 999R as always even in its neglected stated.

Power isn't everything.