The demo unit is a 749 "Dark" which is finished in matt black. The first thing I noticed when I got on the bike is that the seat height is fairly low, which is good for me as I'm 5' 9" with short legs, and I could easily get both feet down.

We had a route planned, down the A23 to the A25, along to Box Hill, stop for coffee, Boxers to the M25, round to the M23 and back up the A23 to Croydon.

Well I stalled it twice, the clutch was not adjusted as I expected. But I soon got to grips with it, and off we went, through the Saturday morning traffic. In it's standard guise it doesn't sound particularly inspiring, I'd got so used to all the noise the Falco made that unless it's over 100 dB I have to check that the engine is still running.   I'm sure that a Termignomi system could soon sort that though...

The 749 handles itself very well in traffic, there is some pressure on your wrists & palms but no more than any other sports bike and if you stick with it you'll get used to it.  We eventually got out onto the open road and that's when the 749 really revealed itself.  You see this is a 750 V-twin that actually thinks it's a 600 supersport...    It has the mid range you would expect from a traditional V2 motor, but it wants to be revved, and revved hard at that...  So much so that you tend to forget all about the engine configuration and just get on with riding it.

The ride is hard but surprisingly comfortable, in fact I would say that I could ride it every day across London and back, but I am smaller than most, although I would want adjustable pegs to make things easier (standard on the "S" version). Once I had got used to the bike I started to get more confidence in the tyres and suspension. Hitting the bends on the A25 the bike just went exactly where I wanted it, almost like telepathy. Coming out of them, just point and twist and you're into the next one. The front did feel a bit skittish at times, but the "Dark" doesn't have a steering damper, all other models do, so it's not something I would worry about unless you're contemplating the entry level machine.

The brakes are awesome, no, their better than that.  Rich's 'Blade has great brakes, but if you grab a bit of right hand the 749 stops, but it tells how quickly and where - must be that telepathy again......  I even got confident enough to drag the brake in some of he corners. Not bad for less than 30 minutes into the ride.

So, back to the ride, we're now getting to Box Hill. Now Boxers isn't generally that busy on a Saturday, but almost everyone there turned their heads as the 749 came in, now that's street cred... (It could of been my new leathers but I don't think so).  We met some friends in the cafe but couldn't stop as we had to get the bike back.  I went back to the bike and 2 people came over and asked "how long you had it, and what do you think ?" Now I was tempted to make out the bike was mine, but decided to show my true virtues and tell them the truth (Martin, I gave 1 guy the number, so he may be calling you).
 

Off up the A24 and the Box Hill bends, chasing Taran who had shot off on his Speed Triple the 749 just eased itself into each bend telling me it had plenty of clearance to tip the bike more if required. By the time we had reached the motorway I was at one with bike.  Luckily for us the M25 was fairly clear and I had a chance to experience some of 749's acceleration. Rich came past on his 'Blade, with that Akro wailing in my ear, so I decided it was time to see how the bike performed on good tarmac. Dropping 2 gears, I hit the gas and shot off, whipped past Rich and realised I was in custody territory with another gear and plenty of revs to go...  Junction 7 coming up.  Now I'm not sure how many of you will know this particular junction, but as you get off the anti clockwise carriageway and head north on the M23 there is a very nice tight left hander which if you get it right is a barrel of laughs.  Suffice to say the "duke" had me giggling inside my lid. The bike went over so far and so easy I started to think I was one Mr Rossi.  That over, we went straight back to the showroom where another potential customer was waiting. One thing I will say though, when caught up in traffic, the underseat exhausts do start to warm your backside, which could get quite uncomfortable on a summers day.  But you don't buy a 749 to get stuck in the traffic do you ;o)

So my verdict:  A great machine that really wants to be ridden. Great handling, fantastic feedback, and terrific acceleration for the power.

Would I buy one ?   Well Rich commented on how comfortable I looked on it, and I must say I am truly tempted. But if I did it would have to be the "Standard" rather than the Dark, and at £8800 I would have problems justifying it, especially as I would have to run a second bike for commuting.   Add on another £850 for an exhaust package, plus a tinted screen etc and you're almost at £10k.  I think a divorce would be more expensive, but not by much...

I'll give it serious thoughts but I need to try the '04 GSX-R 750 first. However,  be warned, this bike will lose you your licence unless you have very strict self control. When you get on it you hear this voice in your head saying "race me, race me..."