01 monster s4 or 07 sv650?

Help! I have a bit of a dilemma on my hands. I have a 01 Monster s4 with about 8k miles on it. But i’m thinking of trading that in for a 07 sv650. I love the s4, but pricey on the maintenance, a bit heavy for my liking (I’m 5‘8 @ 178lbs-the sv650 is almost 80lbs lighter) And i’m freaked out by Duc’s power. It sometimes makes me nervous. I’ve always ridden 750’s and below. I like the twists and turns that a smaller lighter bike gives you. And the sv650 seems alot more reliable, with probably fewer shop visits, and cheaper at that. I’d like to ride it to work, which is about a 18 mile ride through the busiest parts of L.A. I might be kidding myself. It’ll probably be a weekend rider. But it is a Ducati... should I keep it, or get the sv?

thanks for the advice.
Jayellay  

If somebody told me to pick between a Ducati Monster and an Suzuki SV650 I would take the Monster every time. I like Ducati's. I wish I had one.  

cmoore,
thanks for the reply. I think you’re right. I got a feeling that I’ll regret it. I took it for a little ride last night and got that feeling again. Thanks again for the response.

J  

No problem. I ride an '02 Kawasaki Concours. Every once in a while I will get the itch for a Honda ST1300. I've never been on one but I hear they are smooth and I'm sure they run Honda great. When I go into my local Honda dealer I always pause over 'em. Once they offered me a great deal on an '05 still in the crate. Mr. Practicle here said no but boy was I ever tempted. There are just so many great motorcycles out there now. I wish I could have three or four of 'em in my garage at any one time.  

I commute on sv650 in NYC and highly recommend it. I bought mine used with about 6K miles on it. Put another 7K with no problems. Excellent and fun bike.  

While shopping for a used bike I noticed Ducatis were relatively cheap and the SVs didn't last long enough for me to hurry over. Is the insurance high besides the maintenence? I enjoy reading about the Ducatis and would like to ride one for a day, but then my practical side takes over. Since the SVs are not the latest and greatest thing, the magazines have lost interest, but they have a loyal following.