Hello from Grand Cayman... mostly.

Hi, I'm a US citizen but also a permanent resident of the Cayman Islands (been here 14+ years now and still loving it).

I didn't grow up with bikes, and never owned one of my own until I bought a new '07 Vespa 125cc scooter. Nice "bike" if I don't say so myself. So well built and solid feeling. I've not ridden it all that much, but do enjoy it when I do. Maybe 1000 miles per year, on average. Enough to have a general feel for riding, but of course at highly 'contained' speeds, both because the Vespa itself struggles to get much over 60 mph, and the speed limit is 40 mph in most places in Grand Cayman, and 50 mph at max anywhere here.

About 3 years ago, I bought a used 43' motorhome (actually an open road Class 8 Volvo semi truck that was converted), which I keep in the US and use to travel throughout the country (and Canada as well) during the summer months. Behind that motorhome (which has endless towing capacity) is a 40' toy hauler trailer. In the trailer is a full sized Dodge diesel pickup, an '07 Ariel Atom (300 hp supercharged), and an '08 Ducati S4RS Tricolore.

What, you may ask, is an inexperienced rider doing with an S4RS? In truth, not a whole lot, at least not right yet. I bought it used last November and mothballed it during the winter months while I was in Cayman. It sure does look nice on the car lift above the Atom. Then in the Spring this year, I took the MSF course in Florida and got the cycle endorsement on my license. But I still didn't feel terribly comfortable on the Duc.

To be honest, I can get pretty much the same adrenalin rush with the Atom (0-60 in under 3 seconds), and have the security of a 5 point harness and at least a modicum of structural support (i.e., things that will need to be bent and broken before it's my turn). Whereas, with the S4Rs, it would be my body first!

So, ya... wrong bike and all. But I like it. In fact, I love it. Just a little (maybe more than a little) gun shy, and rightfully so. It's not a bike for a beginner. At the same time, I'm not a kid (48 years old) and do have a realistic outlook on my very limited riding skill set and thus can (and do, on occasion) ride well within my limits. Until now, mostly on straight-ish roads and putzing around town trying to get a better feel for the power and how best to control it.

An obvious solution would be to sell the S4RS and replace it with a lesser powered and less expensive (preferably well used and perhaps even a little beat up) bike. But I've decided to keep it in the hope that I'll gradually/eventually grow into it.

Thus, I'm in the market now for another, lesser powered, Ducati monster that I can ride in Cayman during the remaining winter months (80 degrees and clear skies today) and thus be able to build more confidence before next summer rolls around (when I'll be staring at the S4RS again, and hopefully with much less fear in my eyes).

I'm thinking possibly an '06-'08 S2R800 or S2R1000, possibly a used M796 or M1100, or possibly something new. I like the idea of ABS, so that may play a big role.

I should also say that I've been a lurker here for some time, actually before I bought the S4RS last year, and have greatly enjoyed (and benefitted from) the interaction here.

I figure it's one step at a time. The first step was the Vespa, which I feel very comfortable on and ride it like it's a "bike" in the sense that I sit as far back as I can and lean forward to simulate a "normal" bike riding position (as opposed to the girly upright 20 mph scooter commuter position). The second step was more like a quantum leap to the S4RS, but I did so knowing that it would be some time before I'd be able to become a "serious" rider.

So now it's time to step back quite a bit for my third step, which really should have been my second step to begin with. Well, Ok technically, I should have bought a 250, then a 600, and then a couple of years from now be considering an 800 or 1000 2-valve Ducati. At the same time, given that I already have the S4RS and intend to keep it, I'd like to now start riding another Ducati from the same family that is at least a somewhat comparable bike. Thus, the thought is to take a step or two back rather than 5 steps back.