Well..... ......As Phil says, the differences come down to what type of bike you're looking for. 996R - its a limited edition collectors piece - the engines were hand-built as they were the new Testastretta type and no processes existed to manufacture them, so in theory blueprinted(ish)!! - they have carbon fairings and extras - they have 50mm termis as standard - it was the bike that won the WSB crown (no 998 did - not even the 998R) As for the 998S - it can be Biposto (a good or bad thing) - the fairings are plastic - you'll need to shell out £1K+ for termis +cpu - they come in yellow or red (again a good or a bad thing) - you may spend a fortune on carbon on it? Also, as I've been looking for a 996R recently, I reckon you'll be lucky to get a 996R for under £11,500 from what I've seen. Whereas a 998s, can be had for £10,500 or so. Just my opinion, but I'd go for the 996R everytime. In fact, I chose the 996SPS over the 998S for most of these reasons. Tim |