Having just swapped my 999S for a 749R I can tell you it was definitely worth it.

The service intervals are not an issue , both bikes require belts every year or 6000 miles.

Yes the 749R is down on power but 99% of the time you don't really notice it , you just use a few more revs on the smaller engine , it's much smoother at high revs anyway than the 999 engine.

The big tank is a big plus , I always had the fuel light on between 90 and 100 miles on the 999 , the earliest the light has come on on the R is 130 miles.

The carbon bodywork is completely different to the ordinary plastic stuff , it's not even the same shape , the air tube covers are integral to the fairing , not a bit of black plastic trim , the air deflectors are closer to the body and are fitted differently , they look less like bolt on afterthoughts , I don't know if it's the top fairing is different or if it is the screen but the top edge of the screen is clear of the idiiot lights and you can see them without dipping your head , a small point I know but very annoying on the standard bike.

All in I am very happy with the swap and would reccomend anyone to do it , the biggest problem may be finding a 749R , I believe they are very scarce :sing:

there is no doubt that aesthetically its a better bike, i can see all the 749/999 variants going that way soon. on a purely performance basis on track do you think you are quicker on the 749r than the 999s ????

Just to add a bit more spice to the original question. How about MV Agusta? Has anyone owned one? I went into a dealership today. They had a lot of used 748, including a 748 R. They can also get a MV Agusta F4-1000 for similar price....

i px a 999 for a 749r but having just picked it up its difficult to tell difference bearing in mind i'm restricted to 6k revs,but first impressions apart from the subtle difference in looks the bike turns much faster and generally has a different feel to it.I cant wait to get the running in process out of the way so i can give it some.
This is the first bike i've owned with a slipper clutch which felt a bit strange at first as it appears some engine braking is lost - but i guess you get used to it.
It was interesting in a recent track test in MCN the 749r out paced the 999s!