I was seriously in the hunt for a new R1200RT earlier in the year. I thought I "needed" one. Much of this thought of "need" comes from getting through the SW desert every year for my annual cross country tour on my 1978 R100/7, which by the way I purchased new. After serious consideration and contemplation of the price tag, my reasoning changed. Can't fix the new bike on the road side, or even in my shop, and even though the comforts of a new bike are appealing there's something very respectable and exhilarating in my opinion to a +7,000 mile tour on a vintage bike. It does everything well. It's simple, functional and sexy. Not to mention the pleasing aesthetics of an airhead. If I had money to throw around I may take the plunge for a new bike, but I have a very strong suspicion once I got out of the desert and into the Hill Country, Black Hills, Smokey's, Rockies, Ozarks, or Sierras, to mention a few - I would long for my airhead with heartache and separation anxiety. I'm looking forward to the completion of the 650 restoration to get it out on an extended tour. I'm still on the fence but my guess is my biggest future decision will be what year, model and version airhead to restore next. Just my opinion.