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I'd also get the V-Strom 650. While the one I owned was an older model, it was a great do-it-all machine. I've owned multiple Ducs and I had a monster at the same time as the 'Zuk. The V-Strom was more versatile (as you would expect). Buy a used one so you aren't as worried about dropping it.

Since this is your first street bike, I don't know that you could fully appreciate the Ducati. I don't mean that in a condescending way, just that the 'Zuk will make you completely happy for at least a year and probably more. Once you've progressed, dip your toes into the performance/exotic pool. My bet is that you'll still keep the V-Strom as a stablemate to the fun bike.

I lusted over the Monster for the longest time, it really was a stunning bike and a buddy convinced me that if that is the type of bike I really wanted, skip right over it for an SV650. Even if I perform the maintenance I am still on the hook for parts.

Neither the Monster or the SV fit the "adventure bike" profile the OP described as wanting. Not that either bike would not be fun as hell but probably not on the dirt although there is a Ducati Scrambler.

I have not ridden, only looked at and sat on the V-Strom I agree with the suggestion.

That’s on the list too lol... as you can tell, I’m a bit torn here

I have a 2009 kawasaki er-6n for sale

Saw your edit...

Something in the middle weight range no more than half faired. Leave yourself some budget for upgrades.

A quick spin through CL brought up these ideas..

An older monster

A Smaller GS 650-800cc

A Suzuki bandit.or SV

Something you could put a pair of TKC 70 or 80s on and still have plenty of clearance..

A good saddle like a Corbin or sargent will vastly improve comfort for long rides.

I've ridden every type of bike there is, rode bikes exclusively for years, road-raced, and done countless training schools and clinics. I don't currently ride on the street. I've often thought about returning to it and the probability that I will in the next few years is pretty good. I feel like I'm in a similar situation to the OP because I'd have to choose a first street bike in some time. Yet I'm not a new rider, and I'm not young and immature. I don't know how old Scott is, but I don't think he's in his twenties anymore.

For my taste, the "adventure" bikes are stupid heavy. I would pick a BMW GS for international adventure travel but if serious transcontinental travel is not the goal then it is needlessly heavy. If the focus was more toward emphasis on off-road but with long-highway capability then I would pick the Honda XR650L.

It might be a mistake to hold onto any vestige of "offroad" if it will really be a street bike. The only appealing feature on the street could be the light weight, but it's exclusive to the weak ones. The offroad-styled street bikes with power are all heavyweight. If you're going to pay the weight penalty, doing it without the offroad styling pretense has advantages.

The Goldwing and the BMW K1600 are the best for touring on US interstates unless you want to do it on a Harley. For less ambitious destinations, the best choice can depend a lot on what kind of roads you have around you because without traveling longer distances, you're stuck with the types of roads near where you live.

If you live where the hills or mountains are enough that the roads curve through them, then I would prefer the Sport Touring bikes which seem to be all discontinued in favor of the adventure touring bike trend. Still, two bikes from the past that I can highly recommend: the Honda VFR800 and the BMW R1100/1200 S. They still make new VFR800 but I do not think they import them to the US since around 2017. Either of those bikes is absolutely fantastic for twisty roads while still being comfortable and forgiving compared to a supersports bike.

If you're a flatlander and you're not going far, get a Triumph Rocket 3 or a big-displacement (>105") Harley. My preference besides the Rocket 3 would be one of the now discontinued dyna's with an S&S V111 motor but some people are more softtail/fatboy types. Also consider a British classic bike like a vintage Norton. They're awesome as long as you don't need to go far or in a lot of comfort. For modern standards, I'd look at the current model Honda CB500F and the current model Triumph Trident 650 or the Suzuki SV650.

I don't know everything though. I got to the point where I was focused exclusively on superbikes and road racing and flat track for training and stopped riding on the street. I missed out on a lot.

Congratulations on not reading the thread whilst keeping your dick in your mouth.

I had an older Triumph Tiger 900 for a couple of years. It was great fun on the street but way too heavy for anything rougher than a gravel road. It was more top heavy than my buddy's Vstrom 1000.

650 Vstrom seems like a good option but I've never ridden one.

V-Strom.
Followed by an XR650L/DR650
Or a motard

My first (and only) bike was a Suzuki DL1,000 V-Strom. It was a great bike and totally trouble free, with plenty of power. As a distance road bike it was phenomenal, and I loved it on the twisty roads. I ran it on a few dirt roads and a cow pasture and it did ok. It was big and tall and heavy, but if you put your nuts up by the fuel tank and let the back end do what you want it was ok. I think the DL650 would be better for more dirt, but I loved the power of the 1,000. If I bought another bike I would lean toward a more dirt focused model, just because I think they look fun for running around town. I was commuting 75 miles one way on the Strom, so it made a lot of sense.

I went through the same process about 10 years ago and ended up with a Suzuki DR650. I like the feel and simplicity of a thumper. Several times a year I would try out a used bike, including most of those you mentioned, but kept saying that my DR was the most fun of them all.
The V-Strom 650 was too heavy and smooth (just didn't feel like it had any spirit - perfectly smooth engine, but boring). The Versys was too buzzy. The Triumph Tiger felt like driving a tractor - too heavy and cumbersome for any scootin' around fun.
I sold my DR a couple of years ago when I found myself being more and more careless and doing stupid things that I knew would have eventually put me in the hospital or the morgue.
Do yourself a favor and try a DR650. You can pick up a 2-5 yrs old one for half the price of used ones of most of those others you listed. Try it for a while and test-ride some of those others while owning it and see if you find anything else you like.

The motor they put in the Vstrom 1000 is a great engine. I road raced that engine. But the Vstrom is a turd. The factory superbike was a failure too in spite of the engine that was very good for its time and class. It was aborted because of a focus on 500 Grand Prix (Kenny Roberts Junior's championship) and then the GSXR1000 in AMA. The only bike where this engine really shines is in a Supertracker: https://www.cycleworld.com/supertrackers-dirt-track-looks-to-future/

I addressed the OP because they indicated an interest in "adventure" bikes but it was also written, "I expect to be nearly all road riding" and long durations were also mentioned. I expressed my own opinions while encouraging the consideration of other types of bikes based on the given rationale. If my post seemed self-absorbed it might be because I felt I can relate to the OP. If it seemed to address circumstances other than the details provided by the OP later in the thread, it's because there are other people interested in this thread too. In any event, I won't get crude. Enjoy your bike.

get something with pedals first to work off the blubber.

I also had a Triumph Tiger 900. Sweet triple sound and a pretty good road bike. It did OK on forest service roads and such but it was porky and top heavy. I know the newer Tigers are a different animal but I have no first hand experience with them. My Wee-Strom did well even loaded up for camping road trips:

Check out the Ducati desert sled, if you’re gonna growl, growl like lion!

All the recommendations have definitely narrowed my list down a good bit

I'd avoid the Ducati, Triumph, BMW etc. They are decent bikes but are expensive and don't have the dead nuts stove-bolt reliability of the Yamaha Tenere and Suzi V-strom. I wouldn't want to be beholden to a Duck dealer for anything!
Bigger displacement is better for some of us; a passenger, gear, mountain climbs and headwinds make that an easy choice.

I personally like the Honda VFR1200X--aka the Crosstourer in Europe--with its DCT trans and will hopefully find one this Summer. I've clutched/shifted bikes all of my life but want to try the automatic DCT (they make a clutch/shift model as well.) The big Hondas been outta production for a few years, but still plenty of new non-current bikes out there.Honda's Africa Twin 1000 is another insanely good bike, it has a choice of DCT or manual transmissions as well.
Those Hondas would last you a lifetime.


The Tenere is a great bike, and probably a better choice than the Suzi, IMHO. Its bulletproof shaft drive solidifies that choice over the chain-driven Suzi if you do much gravel work. Other than that they are likely a toss-up.
The funky looks of the Strom are pretty cool.

Did ever rebuild your dirt bike motors?
A lot of the race and recreational guys do.
Thumpers are pretty easy..
Have a look at the thumpertalk forum.
Also ADV rider forum.

^^^check out the f a g ^^^

LOL

I thought this thread just died an ugly death but guess not yet. I thought of two other considerations for you. I know you didn't ask about them, but they would be important to me.

Do you ride with anyone else? Do you have any social purpose for riding? You didn't mention it and mostly described a loner thing. I think you can see that if you ride with anyone else or want to, there is value in compatibility in terms of the roads you go on and the pace you share. There's really a whole lot to the social aspect in so many ways. Among other things, bikes are an "identity" thing for a lot of people.

More practically, the clothes you'll wear are a major factor in your enjoyment. On a dirt bike, you probably wear a helmet with goggles, a jersey maybe with a chest protector, trail pants, mx-style boots and gloves. None of this is any good at 50+mph over pavement. Regular street clothes are also worthless. Even if you wear a motorcycle jacket, cotton jeans don't provide any protection. When you ride on the street, the only way to protect yourself is with a two-piece motorcycling suit or a one-piece suit in either leather or Cordura. You'll also want a back protector, road boots and a helmet with a face-shield. Unlike dirt bikes where you sit over them and often stand up on the pegs, on almost every style of street bike you sit in them and hump the gas tank. The only kind of streetbike where you don't hump the gas tank is the foot-forward, ape-hangar cruiser style. Because you will be bent in the middle with your crotch to belly up against the tank, regular street clothes with belts and jackets with a long front are awfully uncomfortable. If you have a bigger belly, it's even worse. I'm not judging your body type, but you won't want to add bunched up clothing into that bend. One-piece suits are by far the most comfortable because they don't have the overlapping double layers where you're bent. I always wore leather, but I never get hot and rode in a climate where rain was rare. A suit from Aerostich or Klim might be better for some climates. To me, the bike and the suit are a package deal. I might like the way a bike looks standing away from it, but once I've figured out all the apparel that works best with it, I might find myself down a path in a direction I didn't want to go.