The other Japanese companies don't seem to be using this excuse to rip everyone off though! Even the Honda VFR 1200 is cheaper!

Loss leaders.... Yamaha don't have the financial ability to sell them at a loss.

Besides, the new VFR is pugg ugly, so they have to sell it cheap!

They're going to have to drop it eventually. I reckon once the novelty value has worn off, sales will plummet unless they bring the price down to a more reasonable level.

I'm not so sure.

I think the price will fall next year, but becaus they will remove the things like, the bash plate, panniers, centre stand etc

However, this will make the bike more attractive as most people like to choose thier own bits anyway.

All it takes is for someone like Ray to post up some good reports from his travels and that will start the ball rolling. I know of dealers taking GS's agains new S10's already.

Despite the initial cost, the 'whole of life' ownership costs are going to be much lower on the Yam than the BMUU. Triumph have lost out as the softened the Tiger, rather than hardening it - in which case they would have had a winner right now!

I suppose it depends what you want from the bike. If you want it "hard", and actually plan to go off road, then surely you'd be going for a KTM Adventure, a proven bike that's cheaper than a Super Ten, can be test ridden, and is available in dealers, not just to order unseen.
If you just want that off road style, but don't intend to actually do it, then why not save a few grand and buy a Tiger, which is also available to view and test ride?
Or better still, if you must spend �14k, a Ducati Multistrada S?