I dont even own a pair of trainers. But I do have 12 pairs of Converse in various colours and age. My 25yr old pair being my fave but worn sparingly now. People who wear trainers are 'casuals'. I still hold grudges. Sambas are the epitome of casual to me and thus I look down upon their wearers with an air of superiority borne from being cool. And deluded.
Biased opinion of course - the yellow one - it used to be mine, for me it would be a no-brainer it was one i should've kept ,and i've never seen another Yellow 999S factory mono on the road.
I Prefer Red and have ridden a good few miles on an 851. Although I have never ridden a 999, had to Google Converse and don't own a pair of normal shoes - so what do I know? I do have one pair of leather shoes (steel toe-capped) which live under my desk at work and I "borrow" them when required for Weddings and Funerals.
I only wear trainers (laces tucked in) when riding, don't think i'd be able to get the hard to see/find side stand down on my pani v4 with biker boots on.
Recently bought a 999 although a regular Bip not an S, and have been very pleasantly surprised over the (admittedly not many) miles I've ridden it so far. But i voted 851. Why? I think it'll be the harder bike to replace in the future, and I've also bought a 900ss recently (so, similar vintage to your 851) that's absolutely got under my skin. It's far from standard, but when i open the garage door, it's the bike i have to convince myself isn't the right bike to hop on, for that days ride. It's got tonnes of personality.... Nowhere near as fast as the 999 but it really feels like an event when i hear it burst into life and i hop on it. Just my 2p.... good luck with the decision making!
I've got enough bikes at the moment, so that boat has sailed, and it wouldn't be worth the hassle of trying to explain to her indoors why I need another one...though IMO it is a thing of beauty.
It’s a total landslide for the 851. Thank you all for your input! In the end the 999s has been included in a deal on a very nice Mars red Mk1 gti (with only 50k on it!) pictures will follow