Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1149641
PATON S1-R LIGHT WEIGHT TRACK TEST R I D E R E V I E W P96 footrests, which didn't impact on ground clearance. The street Paton's smaller, lower 4.22-gal- lon fuel tank also helped me tuck away even tighter behind its quite protective screen down the Cre- mona circuit's 0.5-mile long main straight, than I could on the race bike's larger 5.15-gallon one, just keeping the S1-R running straight and true with your fingertips. The steering is light but not nervous, and gives the Paton a respon- sive, involving personality. It also turns very easily, as you might expect from a bike weighing just 348 pounds, but it feels well- balanced and controllable at all times in doing so. It's a confidence-inspiring ride that encourages you to use lots of lean angle in pursuit of high turn speeds, aided by the grippy Metzeler Racetecs. And the Paton is super forgiving if, say, you want to turn a little tighter to cut inside a slower rider, or change your line mid-turn for an early drive out of the apex. Fast corners, slow corners, they're all the same to this sweet-handling motorcycle, which is living proof that having fun riding a motor- cycle hard doesn't require 200 hp or even half that figure at the back wheel. That came after thumbing the starter button to be instantly re- warded by the same distinctive, exceptionally stirring exhaust note as on the 1960s 500GP Pa- ton twins, sounding both muscu- lar yet high-pitched as I blipped the light-action throttle from its fairly high 1600 rpm idle speed. "A castrated Casanova of an engine," was how a journalist once described the 60s Paton GP bikes as sounding, and that seems about right even today! But the Paton S1-R Lightweight is a lot smoother and less tiring to ride, thanks to its Kawasaki motor's gear-driven balance shaft which completely removes any trace of tingles, even at higher revs. It's a lusty motor with heaps of midrange grunt despite its 650cc capacity, yet packs enough top-end power to be fun. PATON S1-R LIGHTWEIGHT TRACK TEST—WIDE OPEN THROTTLE However, even with the motor's ultra-linear power delivery it re- ally pays to rev what by today's standards is a punchy little powerplant right out to almost the 10,900 rpm limiter, before hitting a higher gear wide-open on the sweet-action race-pattern Dyno- jet powershifter (pity there's no auto-blipper, though, so you must still use the clutch for downshifts). That's because both power and torque peak quite high up, but then hold their values without falling away the harder you rev the motor. So, short-shifting isn't really a good idea, even though there are no steps to speak of in the power delivery from 4000 rpm upwards—just a little bit of extra zest from 7000 revs up. But fueling is smooth and re- sponsive from low revs, without the pickup from a closed throttle being snatchy exiting a bend. On Cremona's half-mile straight, the S1R pulled hard through the gears one after another via the crisp- action quickshifter, allowing you to clock around 125 mph before hauling hard on the Brembos for the second-gear hairpin. Braking performance is excellent, with outstanding lever feel from the radial front calipers via the RCS19 master cylinder. It's a pity there's no shifter light on the Paton, not even one mount- ed alongside the stock Kawasaki tacho that's the only instrument, as it would be really helpful if you're constantly flirting with the hard- The Paton is surely a beautiful machine, but it's more expensive than a Ducati Panigale V4 S!