| Legendary Italian race firm Paton is building a ￡13,300 road-going version of the Kawasaki 650-powered twin they will race at this year’s Isle of Man TT.
The new Paton S1 will be raced at the bikesocial.co.uk Lightweight TT race, but now the firm plans on using its 56 years of Grand Prix heritage to build S1’s for the road too.
The road-going version was originally unveiled at the Milan Show last year, but these pictures show the finished version. Changes from the original prototype shown last year include a new, bigger tank, new geometry to make the bike steer quicker and a new billet aluminium swingarm.
Two versions of the front fairing will also be made available, the dual-headlight one seen here, and a more classic-looking nose with a large, round headlamp.
Paton’s Technical Director, Roberto Pattoni said: “Racing has been Paton’s goal since it started in 1958, and with modern classes it means making a street legal bike, which also carries the added motivation of increasing our small firm's technical knowledge by having to solve problems it has never had to face before as well as providing a new challenge. It is a culmination of all our history into one single product."
Paton will build four versions of the S from the standard ￡13,300 (16,000 Euro) standard bike to the top-of the range ￡19,100 (23,000 Euro) edition run of 25 bikes called the ‘First Factory signature’.
There’s also a ￡17,500 (21,000 Euro) version named after one of the firm’s founders called Pep Memorial, and a TT edition which costs ￡15,400 (18,500 Euros). Note: All prices exclude VAT and delivery and registration. The bikes differ with different paint schemes and different spec suspension and detailing. The most expensive bike uses brass welding and clear paint on the frame to give it that authentic feel.
Race bike or road bike? Only the numberplate bracket gives it away.
Kawasaki's 650cc engine is taken straight from a commuter ER-6f and wrapped in a hand built chassis and retro-style road racer bodywork.
The large-looking tank just oozes classic racer class and comes complete with deep knee indentations so you can pretend you’re tucked in over the Mountain, even if you're on the way to your weekly bike meet.
Paton claims the bike weighs just 158kg ready to ride and makes 71bhp. It’s geared to accelerate from 0-62mph in 3.9 seconds, and top out at a maximum 133mph.
Clothes on or clothes off, the Paton S1 looks hot to us.
The chassis features the firm’s own tubular steel trellis frame, with fully-adjustable Paoli 43mm front forks. On the more expensive versions there’s a fully adjustable Ohlins rear shocks. All bikes get Brembo four-piston calipers with 295mm discs. Tyres are a 160/60 x 17 inch rear and a 120/70 x 17 inch front.
Paton originally started business in 1958 and was founded by ex Mondial men Giuseppe Pattoni and Lino Tonti after Mondial closed its doors and stopped building GP bikes. The Italian firm has been building GP bikes and classic racers since then. More recently the firm has raced its 500 at the Classic TT in the hands of Olie Linsdell and TT legend John McGuinness. 
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