For what its worth, here is my 2p
I ride a 97 ss and its my first bike, so i guess my opinion counts even less than all of you haha.
Anyway..
Ive been a fan of Ducatis since the late 90s, and never actually thought id own one.
When i was looking for a bike, the first bike shop i went to was the Ducati dealer, and yeah, i couldnt afford a new one, or even one of their second hand ones.
I figured id have to settle for a japanese 400 or something.
As it goes, i got a good deal on my ss, and the insurance is actually cheaper than a Jap 400 (go figure).
I think whoever said that it was the marketing people not doing their job properly really hit the nail on the head.
As a new biker, i see the monsters or smaller capacity SSs as ideal.
It's a shame the entry level monster is so much money for what it is, and new smaller cc SS's dont exist.
Personally i really like the 749/999. I feel the shape is a grower. i saw my first one up close in January and hated it, but now id love one.
But, even if i had the money for one, i doubt i would buy one.
The servicing costs/dealer hourly rate put me off.
Cy