Someone talk some sense into me...

Aight Inmates,

I've always had the adventure bike bug, but the more I look at the new Water Cooled GS, the more I want one.

I currently have a Ducati Sport Classic, and it is an awesome bike in some respects...but as far as comfort goes...well..lets just say Pierre Terblanche was a Masochist. I can get really good money (more than I paid for it) for the SC, but will probably never be able to get one again. I just don't know what would be the best route. actually profit from owning a motorcycle (WHAT?!) and use that to buy the GS, or keep what I have because of the nostalgia, and the fact that I actually HAVE ONE.

confused. if i could afford both, I'd do it...but that won't happen for a little while...I just really like the "ride whenever, wherever" attitude that goes with the GS, where I'm limited to about 3 hours on the Sport, and I don't wanna do another minute.

I think you have to really decide what kind of riding you are doing/going to do, and get the bike appropriate for that riding. You could try making the SC more comfortable with risers, like from an ST3?

I'd like to have an SC, but I couldn't do it as an only bike. There will be other SCs available, but of course who knows what the value/price will be. Some are postulating on the impact if a Ducati Scrambler is built.

Sell the Duc.

Just don't mod the SC too far from stock.
There really is a bit of a cult around those bikes in N.America, the prices people are paying for them should stay stable for another season or two.

Far be it from ME to try to talk sense into anyone.

I spotted a new KLR a few years ago after being away from bikes for over a decade and thought "that would be cool, and practical when my truck is paid off".

After sitting on a few I'm now looking at Ninja 1000's.

The truck will be paid off next Spring.

Stay tuned.........

If you love the Duc keep it. Buy something like a Tiger 800 for half the money of the GS and every bit of adventure capability (more, actually, if you buy the XC). If you decide you're all about adventure biking there will be plenty of water heads available both new and used for many years to come, and you can move from the triumph at that time. Speaking from experience I don't know why you'd want to, but to each their own.

I agree with Bueller. The SC could be one of those bikes that you regret selling, either immediately or down the road. If you can, you might look for a used Triumph or an older GS that you can afford to buy without selling the SC and keep one foot in each camp until you are certain.

If you really want a GS why does it have to be the latest model? Look for a well cared for 1100 (considered by many to be the best quality), an 1150 or early 1200. Or test the waters for even less money with a KLR650 which can be bought for even less but with more extras and is far less expensive (less than 3000 for earlier versions which are still good bikes) when you drop it. And you will drop any model if you really get into adventure riding. By adventure riding I'm assuming you mean actually exploring beyond the asphalt. Keeping the Ducati for another year will cost you very little and buying a cheaper off road capable bike might surprise you by how much more fun it is to not be fretting over $500 here and $1000 there for minor drops. Not a few global explorers have sold their GS and moved up to a KLR.
Another thing to consider with adventure bikes is resale value when the bike has multiple scratches, dents, misaligned plastics, etc. Unless you have a generous insurance policy that will rebuild your bike ground up, or total it when that external perimeter frame is scratched, you will take a HUGE loss. And the insurance company will get their money back, from you and the rest of us. Just another reason to go in cheap.
All of this can be ignored if you just want to ride down a graded gravel road for a couple of miles and then go for a latte. If that is the case go spend your retirement on a BMW or be ignored by the pretty boys.

I'd echo the other sentiments here: Keep the SC. My brother has a GT1000 which he's basically modded into a SC (minus the SS swingarm), and he was this close to selling it a couple of years ago. He's so glad he didn't now. Loves that bike, and it fills a role that only a not-entirely-practical Italian beauty can. Tiger 800 XC, Yam S10 (and just now saw Slipknot's comment - the KLR is a great way to see if ADV riding is your bag, I'd like to have one myself in the next couple of years).....there are plenty of trailies out there that can fill the need, and more importantly, can show you whether the ADV thing is really for you. I had an 09 GSA - and it was fantastic. Couldn't fault anything about it. I'm sure for street use the WC is even better. But I found the Boxer to be somewhat bland and uninspiring, to be honest. Comfort and practicality are wonderful things - especially if your bike is a commuter or long-haul tool. But if it doesn't ring your bell, you'll miss the bike that already does that now....

You forgot the sarcasm smiley.

You can never own too many bikes......

yeah, I agree with most of you guys, the SC is like an Italian Supermodel...and I would regret getting rid of her.

guess I'll have to save my pennies! I've seen a few later model GS's for good prices, and I went through a tiger phase...and a KLR phase....and a Supermoto phase.... Maybe this GS thing will pass.

Sense? It is the first year of the watercooled GS, there will be problems.

Keep saving and buy one when they are on the third year of production, in the meantime get an older GS, just pick your preferred failure, clutch splines or final drive, you can get one that has been repaired recently and that ought to last you until you save enough for the watercooled boxer or get bored of the whole GS thing.

+1 for an 1100 GS.

Reliable, easy to work on, not too much techno-wizardry, and looks good (IMO). And the best part??? A good one can be had for around $5-6k. It's what I'll be looking for in the near future. I want a bike that can be scratched up, dropped, etc and not have to worry about it. I wouldn't want to drop a $20k bike!

Buy used. You can get a majority of your investment back if it isn't for you.

Bingo, if Ducati brings back the Sport Classic concept in a new retro bike, how will those SC values look? I'd rather own a motorcycle I'm using then hoping for my motorcycle to retain and increase in value. You'll also have to pay the money to keep it in good condition, so factor that in. I'd gladly trade a few theoretical dollars years down the line for a motorcycle I'd actually enjoy using.

Owning a bike you like makes a big difference in your attitude to riding. I tried a standard for my previous bike, and didn't like it. I'm averaging over 10k miles a year on my current bike and put less then 1k a year on that old standard. I wouldn't trade my riding experiences in the mean time for anything.

If the SC is to painful to enjoy riding (and I can certainly see how it would be) then I'd sell it. If you can't ride it, it's only value is as a collectors item, and while it may be holding it's value right now, I believe it will newer be a true classic, as it is too modern, unlike the old early '70s bevel drive 750SS. Those are "pure" bikes, with no electronics.

As far as the BMW goes, I am not a fan of newer BMWs, but if you want it, get it. A bike that is not fun to ride is worthless.

As for me, I'd get the KLR. To me, anyone who thumbs their nose up at a KLR is just some kind of an elitist. KLRs have taken riders everwhere a motorcycle can go, and are actually more reliable than a BMW. And besides, I would cry if I dropped a $20,000+ bike.

Just my .02. I had a beautiful 05 ST4S and it was beautiful sitting in the garage and loved to see peoples faces at the gas station when the open clutch made it's music.

Alas, I bought an 05 GS 1200 (first year of the 1200) and LOVED it. Did it have a few issues??? Yes but that's what a warranty is for and I was never without my bike for more than 2 days. Do I miss the Duc? Nope. Ive recently sold my GS and picked up an RT but can't seem to fall in love with it so....I'm currently in the market for an 08-13 GSA. The GS has given me MILES of smiles.

It's mid-September and you live in Nebraska. You've got time to let this rattle around in your head for a little while. See what you think in what, mid-April of next year? Even if you pulled the trigger now, you'd have the misery of a new bike and the Nebraska winter to contend with.

Have you ridden one? Might find an answer right there. It is not an adventure Ducati, let's put it that way.

Maybe there is more you could tell us, but if you like to ride then that doesn't seem like a good enough reason for hanging on to a bike. Rightly or wrongly, I get the sense that you're not enjoying riding that SC all that much, or at least not in a broad enough range of conditions for it to be satisfying. I've never tried one, but have sat on one and have read plenty about the suspension limitations. You could fix those by spending (lots of) money on it, but the reality would remain that its value will hold up better if you keep the miles down.

It's an attitude, but the question is whether you'll really want to ride that bike all that much. As I said, it is not an adventure Ducati. When I test-rode one, I was surprised by how undergeared it felt and how big, and how disconnected the RBW throttle felt, and how flimsy the cruise switch felt, and ... well, you get the idea. Lots of great things about it too. Comfortable, yes, and nice airflow management from that adjustable screen, and I could get used to all those "surprises", maybe. But I didn't get off desperate to swap my Duc for it.

But then, I like riding my Duc, not just looking at it, and have set it up so that it is all-day comfortable. If you happened to like riding the Beemer, and sold your SC for it, I doubt you'd look back with regret. So to me, that's where your decision point lies: is the GS something you'd really enjoy putting miles on.

As for those observing that early GS LCs will be a glut on the market in a year or three, they have a very good point. Hell, the Adventure version will be out in a few months, and low-mileage LCs will be traded for those.

No sarcasm here, global exploring has little to do with interstates, waiting lounges at the BMW service center and fashionable coffee shops. I first took notice of the change of chosen ride when a Dr Greg, after trips into South America suddenly moved up to a KLR. If I recall correctly this was recorded in an actual paper media, before ADV Rider came about. And since then even BMW has tried to address the deficit by adopting Rotax singles, finally to build their own, and Chinese vertical twins because these are far more practical in crowded city streets, safer on roads that question the description "road" and far easier to obtain parts for which is not an "if" but an actual logistical nightmare of days if not weeks in addition to double and triple cost thanks to import duties. KLR parts are cheap, often shared with other brands (think drive chains as opposed to drive shafts and consider wheel bearings instead of crown/pinion bearings) and the bikes are for more represented worldwide than BMW. The cost of operation is far less, the miles per tank exceed 300, the likely damage when dropped is far less and the attention from thieves and robbers is not near the attention you will get when on a BMW. Or is attention what you really crave?