Depending on Price difference (and warranty difference ... maybe new "glee" model will have a longer warranty) I would probably go with the 2011.
A few reasons:
1. Proven Track Record. The existing "generation 2" DL650 has now been going 4 years with good proven durability.
2. Large existing group of owners that you can learn from and your existing motorcycle garage knows how to maintain and work on.
3. Depreciation. Because you said that you intend to keep this unitil either you die or the bike dies, used values are pretty immaterial. i.e. Your not selling it so a couple points difference in used value at the end of a few years is meaningless
4. Since the existing model is being discontinued, you might and should be able to get a little better price on a "close out" ... for lack of a better phrase.
5. This ties into "1" above. I am disinclined to pay for version of 1A on anything (cars, software, motorcycles, toasters anything. Even the incremental revisions are still largely unproven on the retail public. We "beat up" the bike worse than the factory is going to. So what appears as a minor revision on paper could prove to be a major headache out in the real world. And generally (it seems) when you're 300 miles from anything.
Just my 2cents worth. YMMV
Banks
A few reasons:
1. Proven Track Record. The existing "generation 2" DL650 has now been going 4 years with good proven durability.
2. Large existing group of owners that you can learn from and your existing motorcycle garage knows how to maintain and work on.
3. Depreciation. Because you said that you intend to keep this unitil either you die or the bike dies, used values are pretty immaterial. i.e. Your not selling it so a couple points difference in used value at the end of a few years is meaningless
4. Since the existing model is being discontinued, you might and should be able to get a little better price on a "close out" ... for lack of a better phrase.
5. This ties into "1" above. I am disinclined to pay for version of 1A on anything (cars, software, motorcycles, toasters anything. Even the incremental revisions are still largely unproven on the retail public. We "beat up" the bike worse than the factory is going to. So what appears as a minor revision on paper could prove to be a major headache out in the real world. And generally (it seems) when you're 300 miles from anything.
Just my 2cents worth. YMMV
Banks