Fair point about the DL-650 - buying a bike because it checks out on paper is a mistake I have made more than once.
Something else I just remembered about the Ninja 1000, and a problem you may already be familiar with on the Tuono. I did a short commute on it for a while, and it wasn't necessarily bad, one thing that absolutely drove me crazy was that I almost never had an opportunity to stretch its legs. There would always be a car in front of me at all times. It has a nice motor! But I would almost never know it. Also it takes premium gas surprisingly. I had an earlier model (2011?) and it had literally the worst stock seat I've ever experienced, but that is fixable
I think nicer bikes like the Ninja 1000 are off the table for now. Having really hammered down what I want (with huge thanks to everyone in this thread!) and what I'll be using the bike for, there's not much point in looking at something pricier just because it's more suitable for touring. If I'm really honest with myself, distance riding is more of a daydream rather than reality for where I am in life at the moment. If I have a week or more to spare, it'll be with the family or in Italy with the wife.
So the big bikes are no longer in the alert list, it's just middleweights and maxi-scooters left. It's all about getting bang for my buck, and that includes good mileage and cheap insurance.
Don't do it. Riding tired is a big gamble and motorcycle driving on the highway in rush hour sucked.
Haha, fair enough. I have commuted on a bike on and off for most of my life, it's only the last few years that I've gotten out of the habit. I know what I'm in for, and have the luxury of taking the car if I'm not feeling up for riding.
I'm actually curious how often I'll chicken out now that I'm approaching old-farthood. I used to be a rain or shine guy, but definitely not any more...
The V-Stroms are not the best bike in the world and I never liked them before buying one. I even distinctly remember a conversation with a co-worker around '03-04 where he was excited to buy one and I endlessly mocked him over it. Then I was in need of a cheap touring bike and the V-Strom fit the criteria and budget better than any other so I bought one as a stop gap.
Was really surprised that I liked it and found it pretty fun. Nice thing is they are so cheap (generally) that if you don't like it, can sell it without any significant loss. I want to say it cost me $600 in depreciation to ride my V-Strom for 2-3 years and 30,000km's.
I have literally nothing bad to say about the baby Strom. Weirdly, it might be better if I did. I think the issue is more that they don't provoke much feeling in me at all, which is hard to describe. I really need to go look at one, and preferably try it out.
I wish. Love the Tiger series.
A naked 300-400 would be fantastic on economy but the rpms at 130+ can get tiring for commuting comfort.
Anything middleweight naked with an aftermarket screen and hard luggage would be great. You get the nimbleness of a handlebar at low speed, the ease of maintenance of having no fairings and generally are cheaper both in insurance and base price.
300s are out, just a bit too small. The smallest I'm going is 400 scooters for now, and then the 500 to 750 range for 'real' bikes.
I love my KTM 790 Duke as a daily street bike that can do anything but something Japanese in the 65hp range would be more appropriate.
I like KTM's generally, but reliability is a huge factor here, so they're off the list. I've actually been very, very (very!) tempted by some KTM supermotos, which are absolutely amazing for true urban riding. The problem is they absolutely suck for stop and go.
Mt07 (if you can even find one for a reasonable price)
Z650 (though I don't think the resale on that is as good)
Sv650
Similar to the CB500X, the FZ-07 (MTs are too new for my budget) is tough to get value on.
I would stay away from the mt09 due to the thimble of a gas tank. Cb650r, gsxs750, z900 because the engine layout gets you all the disadvantages of an inline 4 for commuting.
The 650 is the only one I'm looking for of the above, but I'm not expecting to find a good one close enough to my budget. FZ6s come up, but I'm not looking for a revver.
I would DQ the SV650 on the basis of its riding position, but for short commutes it would be fine.
The riding position of the faired SV is not a negative for me comfort-wise. I used to tour on a ZX-10R, and don't mind sportier ergos. The bigger issue for me is that clip-ons force a leaned forward position, which is less ideal for navigating traffic and getting a good view ahead.
First-gen CB500x with some go-less-slow bits would be my top vote.
It's pretty ideal, as I like the look, it's got Honda reliability, and would be cheap to run and insure. It's just hard to find value, as I'm not alone with this shopping list, apparently.
Might be a good deal if the seller is negotiable
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Top value, but as stated above, I've changed my mind about bigger bikes. Too much gas, too much insurance, too much weight for a pure commuter. When I'm ready to tour for real, I'll either mod some luggage for the Tuono or get a dedicated mile muncher.
Very much appreciate you looking, though! Apologies for being so impossible...
@Priller No interest in going back to another Hawk GT?
Oh, I always have interest in Hawk GT's. Always. But I'm looking for something I can beat and pile on miles without mercy. Something I can idle in 45C heat without a glance at the temp gauge, start and ride away immediately without warm-up, get home in a rainstorm and just park it without a wash, scrape and drop without tears, and generally abuse guilt-free.
I love the GT too much and they're getting too rare, so I'd end up babying it, which then defeats the purpose. In typing that, I've realised I want something that I hate a little bit, which perhaps explains the attraction to Burgmans that I can't seem to shake...
Thanks all very much for your input (and keep it coming, even if I'm not always heeding the advice!) Lots of great ideas, and lots of practical experience. I know a V-Strom should be top of list, so maybe I'll go look at one to see if I can find it in me to either love or hate them more.
I'm still very tempted by the practicality of the bigger scooters, though, especially at my meagre price point. I've recently discovered the BMW C650GT, which would be top of list if they weren't so bloody expensive. The C400GT would probably be a better fit, but they pretty much don't exist used (except for one over-optimistic seller who's dangerously close to MSRP on a new one). The Honda Silver Wing and Yamaha Majesty 400 are both too ugly for me, but there are a couple Piaggio MP3's out there that are tempting just for the pure wack factor (even though it would make my claims about wanting reliability out to be pure lies...)
