Opinions wanted on bikes ver. 2.0

 

Hi folks, first time poster here...

I followed Mimi's thread with great interest, as the VT-750 Honda Spirit
and  Sportster were a couple of new bikes on my short list.

Maybe a little history first. I just turned 50. Rode everything from
a mini bike at 13, Honda 90 at 14, Kawa 125 at 15, Suzuki and Yamaha
250s at 17-18. Mix in there quite a bid of riding my older brother's
Nortons when he needed to borrow my car ;-). I've owned every model of
Yamaha XS-xxx (750, 500, 650, 1l00 in that order) at one point or
another.

At first, I was thinking about a simple cruiser bike for my normal
about town and Sunday cruising; but now I'm itching to try some 800-
1200 mile (one way) "touring." I've discovered in the past; with Vetter
equipped bikes that I like the protection of a good fairing. It makes
the ride so much more enjoyable. I also don't think I'm keen on sitting
flat on my butt with legs stretched forward and spread like many bikes
nowadays. Legs somewhat under me is a natural riding position for me.

Also, while I don't mind a bit of throaty sound, I'm totally out on
blasting loud pipes. On top of all this, I like simplicity in design
for easy maintenance. To top it all off, I see no need for even a
1000cc + cycle to weigh in at much, if any over 500 pounds. Oh yeah,
I'm not too keen on "sporty" bikes that keep you bent over. (At least
not for this endeavor.)

Meeting as many possible criteria, What are my choices? BMW, Triumph?
Buell? (Light off-road capability would be a plus.)

Thanks in advance for any helpful suggestions.

John

Since I'm not up

 

John King wrote:

I may be a little biased, but here's what I use for touring:

    http://www.yamaha-motor.com/sport/products/modelhome/180/home.aspx

I honestly don't think it gets much better.  Neither do most of the
reviewers.

 

EffJay R. Yamaha wrote:

Disclaimer:  When I said "here's what I ride," I meant the model, not the
year.  Mine's an '05.  Still a very sweet bike, and late model FJR's are
starting to become more readily available now, as enthusiasts trade them in
on '06's.

 

EffJay R. Yamaha wrote:

Thanks for the suggestion. I certainly like the natural looking rider
position and styling, and as my list of previous ownership attests to,
it should be obvious that I have no problem with Yamaha. I even have a
bit of a preference towards them. Guess I should have mentioned my
budget though... That is a pretty steep price for me, and the design
is a bit more complicated (and "sporty") than my simple tastes.

Here's where I start to rant: Why do *ALL* the cruiser bikes nowadays
have forward controls? My Bro says: "Ahh you get used to them, and
they're comfortable." But I can distinctly recall more than one incident
where forward controls would have certainly made me spill; where pegs
under me, and standing up quickly, saved my ass (and other assorted
appendages).

John

 

John King wrote:

Because they