My Airhead is smooth, you just have to think ahead, consider if you really need to change a gear and if you do take your time a lot of time, feel and modulate your effort through the whole process
Why on earth would anyone buy a bike on the basis of a residual value?
A pal of mine has a really nice sportsbike and hardly rides it because he's worried about the value even though he's unlikely to sell it anytime soon and yes, I do tell he's a fucking idiot.
I certainly would, BMW bikes are no longer worth their premium price when build quality is questionable and residuals are so shaky. If it was my only bike and I was getting good value from ownership I'd go again but they are too heavy, too expensive to own and too complicated. I now run an R100r (and a lively Transalp for when the Boxer is out of action).