I've roadtested both the new Moto Guzzi Stelvio NTX and the Ducati 1200 Multistrada in the last few months.
Guzzi looked nice, and has a lot of "launch" from the engine. It was good fun to ride and I think it would make a great buy 2nd hand but £11900 for a new one ..... ouch. Everything vibrated like heck, mirrors were buzzed out on the motorway above 50 mph, clutch was very odd and the layout of the gearchange meant accidentally hitting the propstand every now and then... not wise or maybe safe. The plastics looked good but were thin and wobbled. I've owned older MGs which were better made than the new NTX. I also think that if you did "neglect" it, it'd look rough very soon. I think the Stelvio has a lot going for it, but it's a better buy at say £5 - £6K for a well looked after 2nd hand one with luggage and some aftermarket stuff but not a good buy new. When I got back on the GSA1200, it was like getting back onto a comfy, well designed and well behaved allrounder which really is a better bike in my opinion (and it's just my opinion mind you).
Now, the Ducati MTS 1200 is altogether different. It's a bit rough and tatty when you fire it up and also vibrates but in a different way. However, it is a real missile in disguise and despite what anyone says, it's more rough and edgy compared to a GS on any basis. However, whereas the Guzzi has "character", the Ducati has a touch of zest or "edginess" which is good for those whose blood runs faster through their veins but would be hated by many other more traditional BMW riders. It's really small and cramped in the riding position compared to the BMW GS, the screen is about as useful as the GSs (not as good as a GSA by any means) and the bike wants to be ridden in a "sporting" manner. It has what looks like a lot of electronics (maybe not as many as one might think though) via the "mode switching" facility but other than that not that much more than a GS with ESA and all the electronic goodies. It also looks to be less for your money than a GS when you analyse it more carefully although the Sport and Touring do offer more. I liked it but found it a tad misbehaved and like the Guzzi you'd need to get used to it. I think there's a lot of bull@*%t on the forums and although my test bike engine ran smoothly in all modes, the forums reveal a big issue with surging and hesitation which appears to be driving some owners pretty crazy. There are quite a lot of declared issues which Ducati really need to fix before the early love affair sours for some owners.
However, if you were to buy a Ducati MTS, I'd say "buy new" rather than 2nd hand. I think a good few owners new to Ducati will tire of their new Ducati's "character" and will say it was a learning experience and move on to a different bike. Their MTS with all its resident niggles wil be on the forecourt to be bought 2nd hand. Hmm. Will they be sorted by the dealers ? Don't count on it.
Better to buy new maybe. Moreso as the 2011 or "next edition" MTS1200 should have more of the underlying issues addressed hopefully.
The GS is still the best "all round" bike and isn't popular just because of fashion or "Ewan and Charlie". I think that effect is wearing off fast. It is a bike that meets the needs of today's roads and today's riders.
Moto Guzzi dealers are truly a mixed and odd bunch. They all seem to look a bit dodgy and slightly shifty and smell of old oil, but that might be me. I asked one well known MG dealer on the south coast of England how he found MG supplies these days and after speaking highly about the MG motorcycles themselves he launched into an astonishingly expletive splattered diatribe about Moto Guzzi Italy ... gosh what a lot of new swear words I learned that day.
The Ducati salesmen are different. They all seem nervous and twitchy and have lots of little nervous tics ..... must be that free Ducati coffee you see in all their showrooms. If you're not instantly interested in their products, you're almost dismissed from the showroom as a timewaster or a peasant. Hmm. The showroom does contain a lot of 'interesting' people ("yes that's my Lamborghini blocking your van, Charlie"...) and chaps admiring each other's contours just a bit too closely in their "skintight" Ducati leathers. The bikes do smell nice though ..... anyone noticed that ?
So, to summarise, buy yourself a nice 2nd hand Guzzi and even if it's crap, you won't have paid too much for it. If it's a good 'un, and probably will be, enjoy it !
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) it gives trouble,
, I seem to remember Honda were talking about a Varadero replacement using the VFR1200 engine 
