I probably made a mistake
 

Yesterday I was offered a 2000 MotoGuzzi Jackal for $2500 and I passed on it. Looks great and I was assured it wouldn't last the weekend at that price. Actually, from what I am reading, it would be very fast and I may as well have kept the hotrod Sporty. Also seems as if parts may be a headache for the MG. I could have kept the GZ for my short runs.......

Re: I probably made a mistake
 

You probably did yourself a favor by backing away. Dealers are few and far between. Parts are quite costly in North America and you never never want a break down far from home. However parts are available from England at a much better price and availability. No "Value Added Tax" to out of country sales.
A friend here has a 2007 MG Norge that he bought new and it is a beautiful machine in many ways. Last year he planned a long distance tour of 14,000 miles. Did he take the MG............no. He bought an excellent old 84 Gold Wing and spent a month going through it from end to end. It was a perfect ride and he was totaly trouble free while on the road.
Although the Norge has never left him stranded in 7 years he uses it for day rides now and again while the GW is a day/week/month rider willing to go anywhere anytime without being fussy. If it ever does break down there will be a better chance of a dealer to contact for parts or service.
I am not knocking a MG product as they do make some very nicely designed bikes for various purposes. It just seems the $ value to pleasure of ownership ratio is in the favor of Japanese bikes.