Yes, I agree, Nigel - no suffering on the actual bike but it's warm off it. I have a lovely ventilated Oxford Montaine jacket and Hood jeans. Boots and jeans are warm once you stop.

I had an ST2. Immaculate looks but it had stood for a year in an underground car park. £600 to buy, £1200 to rebuild and I recall: the clutch had been done up so tightly that I broke the official locking tool whilst undoing the centre nut using my 2'6" extender bar; the starter solenoid aperture was so tight in tolerance that on a hot engine the solenoid stuck on. I realised this when I stopped and walked away. Engine off, key in my hand, starter motor turning merrily away. It was quite the job to get to it and the battery in a hurry as both are under the fairing. Next the sprag spring gave up - more fun. It was only marginally worse in the build quality and trustworthiness stakes than my immaculate 900SSie but significantly less tortuous to sit on. I'd never buy a Ducati again after having those two.

In comparison, Guzzis and Laverdas seem very well made. I'd be happy to do a tour on either, but more especially the Guzzi as it's less raucously anti-social and comfier plus all that lovely torque. I'd never tour on a Ducati - I'd take the bus, bicycle, train, car, plane, my own feet - anything, in fact, that I could genuinely trust to get me to my destination!