Well, my bike is still in the shop - probably another week til I get it back.
In the meantime, my husband got a 1098. He'd been drooling over the 848, but the dealer had a "demo" 1098 (with 1 mile on it) that they made us an amazing deal on so he got it. He's been riding it and having fun, and yesterday we went up to a straight, not highly traveled road so I could give it a try.
It's definitely not much heavier or harder to handle than the 696. The height is comparable. And the power wasn't as scary as I thought.
However, the clutch is AWFUL!!! I have big strong hands and the clutch is so stiff my hand hurt after 5 minutes! Apparently, there is a mod you can do to help that. Also the rear view mirrors need an extender terribly - all you can see is your jacket! He's getting those as well.
I was really glad I didn't drop it!
Such a pretty yellow bike....