For years I have lust after a BWM R1200 GSA and it may be what I end up with but I am keeping my options open. I absolutely love to ride everywhere and anytime of the year and it is killing me not having a bike currently ( saving for a home ). However, it isnt stopping me from looking! I am looking to purchase a new bike in the next year or so that will be used for commuting, short and long haul trips. I have been looking at the 1200GSA, Yamaha Tenera, Tigers etc. A lot of my riding is alone but will include camping gear and my fiance at times.

My overall goal for my next bike purchase is to get something that I can keep for a few years at least thatll take me where I want to go without wishing I had a different bike for a specific trip. Some trips Id like to take in the next few years would be riding from the east coast to the west coast and then up into parts of AK. That would be my "big" goal for the next few years. I would do many weekend trips to places like south FL (Key West) out to Louisiana to see family and up the east coast.

With these types of trips and wanting a bike thatll allow me to do this type of riding for a few years, what would you all recommend looking at? My riding for this bike will be mainly on road but it would see fire service roads and the like. I would plan to stay away from really bad trails but you never know.

If you want a big ADV bike but fire trails are the toughest you'll get onto, then all of them, save maybe the Ducati Multistrada and the Kawi Versys 1000 (both of which are distinctly STREET bikes!)... You're not hurting for choices!

- BMW R1200GS/R1200GS Adventure
- Ducati Multistrada 1200 / Multistrada 1200 Enduro
- Suzuki V-Strom 1000 / V-Strom 1000 XT
- Aprilia Caponord
- KTM 1090 Adventure
- KTM 1290 Adventure
- Honda VFR1200X
- Yamaha Super Tenere
- Triumph Tiger Explorer
- Honda Africa Twin
- Moto Guzzi Stelvio NTX
- Kawasaki Versys 1000

Here's the fucking great part... no matter what you get, you're bound to be pretty happy with it, barring some sort of catastrophic failure.  ALL of them are capable bikes in any circumstances you'll deal with on the road.  Most of them will do fine on dirt and gravel.  None of them will be spectacular on really tight or soft stuff without an awful lot of practice, and it takes a lot of work to do relative to a real off-road bike.  And many of them (Tenere and V-Strom) will need some sort of under-engine protection for long trips over gravel to prevent the engine and oil filters from being beaten to hell and back.  

I'm on a 2013 Super Tenere.  It's a stellar motorcycle.  I've owned 14, this is the best by a huge margin.  I have no qualms about it being a pretty poor dirtbike... it's just a gigantic, porky, ultra-durable UJM to me.  Upright seating, excellent front end feel, great brakes, very good suspension (even on my basic model), great mid-range kick, and I got it brand new for a song.  The seat is, frankly, amazing for a factory item.  And... the newest ones are even better in pretty much every way!  

As for the R1200GS/A, if you won't be doing heavy off-road riding, you may be better off with the base model, with its road-oriented tires and lower seat height... and lower price, of course.  As for the other models, it's really a matter of prioritization.  For a sportbike guy wanting something upright, the MTS is the best, by far.  For someone getting dirty, a Africa Twin, GS-A, or one of the KTMs might be the way to go.  

Each model has its own collection of high points and compromises.  But none of the compromises (aside from weight) are going to stop you from doing most things you want to do with them...  I don't think there's a bad bike in the lot of them.  Of any model I remembered to list above, I'd gladly own/ride any of them.

Riding any of the "adventure" bikes on anything but super tame forest roads takes lots of skill and is exhausting.

Yeah, KTM 690 Enduro is as big as I care to ride on trails.  That's my bike and I love it but I frequently look at the 500 EXC when I wish I had something that weighed less.


ETA:  Obligatory 500 EXC video

Ok so it sounds like the OP wants to do some big trips with some highways and some back roads and then when he gets there not have to stop because there is a crappy dirt road, forest roads, mud, or whatever. That is the land of the big ADV bikes for sure. As mentioned above, all of the current crop are amazing and they all come with pretty good price tags. I have a '16 R1200 GS Adventure and it is a technological wonderbeast to be sure. Simply amazing. Plus it handles better on dirt than you would imagine. But it will always be tall and 570lbs. and that is without any gear. But 8 gallons of fuel is awesome and the bike is a dream to ride.

I also have a KLR650 which I have done a lot of upgrades to. Also an awesome and amazing bike. It is ready to ride in the neighborhood of 400lbs. before you add any accessories. It is as basic as it comes and it will carry your ass around the world without batting an eyelash. Arguably better off road but I think only because of weight. I have bombed down the highways at 75 fully loaded but you wont have anything left to give and is probably a bit hard on a thumper. Funny enough this bike is as comfortable or more so than my GSA. I can tear this bike apart on the side of the road and short of a catastrophe fix anything. 200 miles on a tank of fuel. So freaking reliable its almost boring. I actually have mine for sale but I am on the fence because I love them so much.

Both these bikes fill the same roll. With benefits for one a little towards higher speeds and one a little more off road. But essentially they are both ADV bikes. This is not the same as a dual sport in my mind. To me a dual sport is a dirt bike that can be ridden on the road in order to get to the trail head. There are going to be recommendations on here for great bikes but they will have a very strong bias for dirt. For example I was at an ADV rally this weekend and we had riders from Canada, Louisiana, Connecticut, Wisconsin, and those of us from here in the Appalachia's.  None of those riders rode in on what I am calling true dual sports. The guys who had those trailered them.

Having said that there are guys who ride 250cc bikes and smaller around the world. But even then you most often find that these bikes look like dirt bikes but still wont handle hardcore trail as well as something like the aforementioned KTM.

Back to my bikes...If I were going to Key west today I would ride my BMW I think. If I were going back to Central America or the Trans American Trail I would take the KLR.

OP, or anyone who cares, here is a link to photos of the ADV rally I was at. I am sure they will keep posting pics as the week rolls on but if you wade through photos of the drunken idiots you will see what people are riding and get a feel for what these bikes can do even with average riders...

Pics

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I have actually taken a KLR650 from northern GA down to Key West and back all while being on A1A just taking our time and enjoying the views. I really did enjoy that bike but the biggest downsides for me where trying to do anything highway just sucked and the fact that my fiance likes to two up, also kills the KLR650 for me since she will at times go along for trips.

I am going to start heading out to ride some bikes in the following weeks and to see what I can put together.

Never been a better time to shop for a big-bore adventure tourer, so many options out there now. Just comes down to comfort, fit, budget.

Given what you're wanting to do, the Super10 & GSA would be ideal (shaft drive, long range comfort, very competent on mild two-track or fire roads). But, any of the others on the market are quite up to the task too....KTM adventure, Vstrom, Tiger, etc.

If you have the means, take some offroad/adventure classes with a good school/trainer....unless you have a lot of dirt experience, it's really beneficial to learn how to handle a big bike on low-traction environments, it'll be the difference between enjoying the back roads and being scared of them.

This is what you seek:  
GS Boxers - ADV Rider
http://advrider.com/index.php?forums/gs-boxers.3/

I had that bug too about four years ago. Having a KLR650 it just didn't have the guts to go long and far for what I wanted (similar to your list). I bought a new 2014 Versys 650 for $5k...great bike and I added some bags for trips. Then, I made the mistake of test driving a Versys 1000 LT (2016). And brought it home.

Lots of good bikes listed above but the Kawi is affordable, capable, and has metrics shit-ton of torque for those mountain passes with your gear. I've got 5k on mine now with three good camping trips. Summer is here, time get back out.

Oh, and I still have my 06' KLR...great commuter and weekend forest road bike. Will get a 2017/2018 Gen II in November.

ETA: if off-road is a necessity, the Versys has a small front tire which is not the best choice for that application. Some are putting on 60/40, 80/20 dual sport tires but again...small front wheel. I'll also add, a 1200 BMW is not a 250 dirt bike as far as off-road handling.

Are they making significant changes to the KLR I haven't heard about? If not I would keep your Gen 1 for a number of reasons.

Awesome pics. Thanks for sharing.

OP, check out the KLR. IMO it fits the bill of what you're looking for.

I disagree, it sounds like he's more interested in a tourer, not a big bore DS.

I have been the route of the KLR650 already. Owned a 2015 and rode it from northern Georgia to Key West and back. It was a great bike but I need something better for interstate riding at speed and a passenger for some trips. The KLR650 just wasnt cutting it and is why I sold it.

I think the Super Tenere or R1200GS/A are probably the best for your use. The Tenere will be the better value.  The Africa Twin is my next bike but shaft drive is better for the longer trips you are plannning.

I didn't see your other post about the KLR Go to a dealer and see if you can test ride to get a better feel of what you're looking for.

Love my Tiger 800XC. Not too big, but powerful enough for high speed pavement riding. 28k miles with no issues. Pretty good on two track dirt roads. It's been to Mexico and Alaska.
I'd recommend something a bit smaller than the 1200's if you're never going to ride 2 up.
And it's best to have multiple bikes. Embrace the diversity!