Originally Posted by
agent pombero
The benefit of buying new is obvious: it is new, less likely to break or fail right away, you have built up a relationship with the shop owner, etc.
I think the biggest benefit of buying new(ish) is purely in standardization; most new bikes are spec'd pretty much straight-up ISO and are a lot easier both to maintain and upgrade.
And I agree that Univegas are an excellent choice- the Japanese-made Univegas are seriously unsung bikes (and made by Miyata, no less).