748's in general and R's in particular come with a justifiable reputation as one of the sweetest handling bikes anywhere. Certainly the ones I've ridden have been fantastic.
They're not going to steer as quick as a Gixer no matter how you set them up, but they should pay you back with rock solid stability once in the bend.
I guess it's difficult to tell what you consider to be a huge amount of effort because that's a personal thing. Maybe trying another 748 would tell you if there is an issue with yours.