BMW S1000XR

[ribbert]

It is interesting to note that the $4,995 I paid in June 1984 for my FJ is equivalent to $11,392 in today's dollars.

If you had invested it at 10% it would now be worth $96,000!

Noel

[Arnie]

But the 30yrs of experiences with his FJ are "priceless" :-)

It is interesting to note that the $4,995 I paid in June 1984 for my FJ is equivalent to $11,392 in today's dollars.

If you had invested it at 10% it would now be worth $96,000!

Noel

[Flynt]

Feel free to re educate me on modern Ducati's.

My only Duc ever is the current '08 Hypermotard...  last of the air cooled, dry clutch "Desmo" 1100cc twins.  Far from modern, but even my vintage has 7,500mi valve adj interval, EFI of course, and decent (but no frills) electronics.  One time an obscure relay in the tail section came unseated and all of Ducati-dom couldn't diagnose based on the symptoms, connecting to the CAN bus to check errors, pulling off other connectors and checking signals, etc...  Got lucky and, while making sure connections were solid by seating pins with small screw driver, one of the pins to this obscure relay popped into place and problem solved.  Next step was going to be a $1000 instrument cluster, so I dodged the bullet on this one.

The Multistrada is as modern as motorcycles get, with liquid cooling and long valve adj intervals along with modern traction control, ABS, electronic suspension adjustment, etc.  I haven't really gotten serious enough about one to know much more.  Reviews from everyone I've met with one are glowing...  the bike appears to do its job fairly well.  

Still, I'd fundamentally agree the German version is much more likely to take a beating over the long haul...  Gotta love that big twin in the Multistrada though.

Frank

PS - Gratuitous picture of Hyper

[TexasDave]

"I have a long standing love/hate relationship with Italian products, I love what they build but hate how they build it"---Noel. I thought I was the only one who felt this way. Many years ago I was plant manager of the largest stone working plant in Texas with both German and Italian machines. At the time the only two countries in the world who manufactured these machines. How these machines were built showed remarkable differences between German and Italian engineering. German machines were not complicated and logically put together. If you found one in pieces you could logically put it back together without a manual. Italians on the other hand there was no logic to the way it was assembled, overly complicated and you would have to have a manual to get it reassembled. I love the look of Italian motorcyles and cars. Their design is beautiful but I will pass on their engineering.   Dave