I realized I have not updated this thread in a while. Seems like as good a time as any to welcome a new steed to the stable
Operation Oakland Motorcycle Rescue II: The Revengening.
This past weekend I flew to Oakland to pick up a "beater" bike from a friend of a friend. This 2011 Multistrada S Sport has had all the bags added and "racing pedigree" (meaning a previous owner crashed it in The Corkscrew at Laguna Seca).
This weekend she made it home and is tucked in on the hoist, ready for the work to begin.
I started by scraping all the skooge and crud off the chain to reveal how much neglect this bike has suffered.
EDIT: After work today I will get some more photos of the crash damage on the right side, drop damage on the left side, and the general state of disrepair. I will also post the requisite verification of ownership.
Despite how dirty the bike is, the Multistrada is a real performer. I learned this the hard way, coming from a very gentle and progressive V4 power delivery on the ST1300 (not to mention the ST's significant weight). I rode the Multi from Oakland to Redwood City to load it on the truck; pulling onto the first on-ramp I rolled on the throttle as I normally did - before I knew it, I had the headlight pointed about 40 degrees in the air.
Once I get her back into good form, new body work, painted, and generally rehabilitated, I think that I'm going to have a load of fun with this bike.