Big thanks to all of you! I am really appreciated that so many people put thoughts into my question and it is a big help. I actually never thought about adv bikes; now that I dig more into this type, I like what I found. Both cb500x and v-storm look amazing to me. I will do more homework and go to a dealer to sit on one. Again thank you all for your time and replies, will let you know what my final pick is in the future.
I have had three V-Stroms. A 2006 DL650 that I rode for 202,000+ km, a 2012 DL650 that I sold at 139,500 km when I bought my 2015 DL1000 V-Strom. The DL1000 has just short of 115,000 km on it.
Adv Bikes are pretty much universal bikes that you can do whatever you want with. The upright seating position can make for all-day comfort. The same position helps you see your way through traffic when commuting. The generally longer suspension travel means you don't spend a lot of time worrying about less than perfect roads or gravel, etc. Most generally look better when are not perfectly clean. You can pile tons of crap on them with no problem. I have a blast in the twisties! They are great bikes for riding.
Downfall is they are tall. (Some people think tall means top-heavy but are quite different things.) The Honda ST 1300 Sport-Touring bike I rented in 2012 and rode through California and Arizona was, in my not so humble opinion, top heavy. V-Stroms are tall but I don't think are Top heavy. Of course this is subjective and I'm about 6'2" and around the 240 lb mark so even at my advancing age I have no issue. I agree the Honda CB500x is a great bike. A friend that has one likes it a lot but misses highway power. (He previously had an older V-Strom 1000.) A V-Strom 650 has no issue running all day, multiple days fully loaded at 130 to 150 kph in temperatures ranging from 130 to 150 kph. ( I have done it several times.)
I ride about 50,000 km per year. My commute is about 140 to 160 km round trip depending on which route I take. I had about a month of non riding this calendar year but still have over 6,000 km since Jan 1.
I am going on an 8,000 to 10,000 ride starting in a couple of weeks. The first few days will have some longer mileage interstate days. (Just to make sure that I have no issue with long days this past Sunday I rode to Montreal and back just to make sure I was comfy slabbing on the superhighways. 987 km, no issue.) Main reason is to visit my daughter in eastern Arizona plus work training in Albuquerque. After those likely heading north through Colorado and up to the Black Hills of South Dakota. It's not the first long trip I have taken on this or my previous Stroms.
Someone mentioned the Goldwing. I had the extreme pleasure of spending about 4 days riding from Calgary through the mountains in BC and back on a pretty much brand new 2010 Honda Gold Wing 1800. I can't think of a finer bike for long distance cruising, in particular if you were doing it two up and loaded down maybe with a trailer. It is fast as hell with effortless torque at any speed. Very heavy but the weight pretty much disappears when moving. I would want to use it as a day-to-day commuter though.
There is often a debate about cruisers being comfy or not. A few years ago my wife and I flew to Phoenix and were going to rent a couple of bikes. The company were were going to rent from completely dropped the ball and we ended going to Eagle Riders to get bikes. I rented a Harley Road King and my wife a Sportster. We did about 1,200 miles/2,000 in Arizona and New Mexico. The road King was extremely comfortable! Probably the most comfy factory seat I had ever sat on! (My wife, on the Sportster, had similar comments about the seat on the Sportster.) I think cruisers can be very comfy, it depends on how they are setup. I suspect most aren't setup for comfort but rather for looks.
Ultimately there is no right or wrong. I think Sport bikes aren't that comfy but a rider here on GTS Motorcycle took a CBR600RR across the USA a few years ago and seemed comfy with it.
..Tom