[Noah930]

I've lusted for Monsters ever since they came out in '93. I'd pick one up in a heartbeat. Well, if I had more garage space, I would.

Personally, I lean towards the 2-valve end of things. Simpler for maintenance. None of the pesky "flaking rocker valve" worries. And a bit cleaner in styling. Then again, it's not like you see that radiator up front while you're riding the thing. And I've already got a 4-valve Duc to scratch that Superbike itch. Admittedly, maintenance is a bit more complex/expensive for the 4-valve motors. But c'mon--if you can afford the bike and a car habit, you can afford the few extra hours (or few extra couple of hundred dollars) a year that routine maintenance will run you. That S4R is gorgeous.

I agree with trying out the Speed Triple, too, before you buy. But at the same time, that rumble of the Ducati V-twin makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up as much as the sound of our beloved flat-6s. I've found that similar to our Porsches, where outright speed/acceleration doesn't tell the whole story about our cars, it's more about the feel of riding a Ducati that sets it apart from other manufacturers.

In the last 15 or so years, there are certainly a lot of Ducs around LA. They're everywhere, now. Who cares? If you like it, you like it.