Honda NT 700. You can probably find slightly used ones or even new leftovers from 2010-2012 within your budget. Great commuter, tourer, whatever. Exceptionally reliable, economical and comfortable with good wind protection and built in but unobtrusive luggage. Check out this forum for more info: http://www.nt-owners.org/
Yeah, I suppose if you want the epitome of reliable and unexciting, that would be it. Me, I'll get one in my next life. For this go-round, I'm going to live a little.
I am looking for the "live a little" or "a lot" bike options (I'm under 30, what can you expect :huh)
OK, how about a Hayabusa? I tour on mine all the time. Been thru eleven states so far and have over 50,000 miles on it with nothing more than a small tank bag and a large seat bag behind me. Never, never boring....
A Suzuki Bandit 1200 or 1250 would keep you WAAYYY under budget and allow money for luggage/farkles. MPG Isn't stellar but the thing pulls. Cheap, reliable, and fun. You really can have all three. -Jake
None of the bikes you mentioned have a lot of support, though the Triumph should be reliable enough to not need much. BMWs and Ducatis are expensive brands with expensive problems. Your other choices are basically Harley or Japanese. Harley is different than any other bike, either you get it and really want one, or you don't. Japanese bikes offer a wide range of different types, and have the best support by far. But you really didn't say what type of bike you are looking for. A sport bike, sport touring bike, cruiser, standard, dual sport, adventure, or all out touring bike. I would love a DRZ, though I might have problems with the seat height. For a "daily driver" I would go for comfort, but comfort and exciting don't usually go together.
"....not a lot of support..." "expensive bikes with expensive problems" OP, it's tough to buy a bad motorcycle these days - find something that gets you emotionally involved and you look forward to riding....and fits you well, you're good to go. Spend a few Saturdays kicking tires, then read up on what catches your eye. The two Ducs you mention are both small of tank...so if you'd like a bit of range that could be an issue. Same with the excellent Aprilia Shiver or Dorsoduro - but the Dorso would be on my list. The R1150R might be the most practical choice, since it's a generation old and can be had for a good price. The Triumph triples are very good and getting better every iteration (I've had two from the late 90's)
^THESE^ 'N I'd add mah daily rider an FJR1300 ta the list; new or used depending on budget. (I dun bought used)
Looks like good touring fun on that Busa. I have a Dorsoduro 750. I got mine as a demo with 3800 miles and full warranty for about 2/3 your budget. A full set of hard luggage will set you back $750 or so. It is a blast, and a good compromise between supermoto and commuter. Not as fast as a Ninja 636, but no slouch. Top speed about 125 - 130 ish. Mine has been trouble free for the 2 years I've had it, and service intervals are long. It can get expensive when the valves need adjustment, though. I was just just quoted $700, but other owners report $300-$400 for the same job. I'll just do it myself, thanks... Fuel range on these bikes is about 100 to 140 miles, so you would be filling up every other day. Seat comfort is good for 2 hours, and can be upgraded.
You can certainly tour on a 'Busa, just check out pashnit.com. I couldn't because of the extreme pain it would cause. But then I find riding a Zuma 125 exciting. As for BMWs and Ducatis, just do some reading on this forum about all the problems they have. That's right, all the evidence is right here. I can see how someone might be willing to put up with some issues for a Ducati, same as a Harley. But newer BMWs don't seem to have anything Japanese bikes don't, except reliability. They are smooth and quiet. What is so exciting about that? I just Googled the Triumph Triple R. Looks like a blast for anyone interested in a sport bike. It would be just as sanitized as a Japanese bike, but it sure looks great, and has the Triumph name on it, so you wouldn't see one every day.
Fun times, trying to find the right bike! So many great bikes out there. Enjoy the search and buy something that speaks to you. For a commuter, one of the benefits of hard bags is you can lock your helmet and gear away. That all depends on where you are when you arrive. If it's a very safe garage, then you can put your helmet anywhere (and a lot of bikes have helmet locks). Same with the gear. Or you can walk in with it all, depending on how much of a pain it is getting in (security?). I have hard cases. When I pack up to leave, I put my backpack (with computer) in my top case, some shoes in one of the side cases, and my lunch box in another. When I get there, I put my helmet in one of the side cases, my jacket and overpants in the top case, and my boots in the other side case. But a guy that I often see coming in parks his bike, and walks in with his helmet on. No fuss. Just depends on which approach is more "you". I commuted on a Versys for a while. Great bike. Good gas mileage for commuting, it sits tall so you can see over cars, a lot of fun to ride on the weekends, and I found it very reliable. I also did some touring on it and it is very capable there as well. You can get some nice Givi racks for that thing and put whatever bags on there you like. Lots of Kawi dealerships around too. I am currently commuting on an R1200R, but my commute is max once a week. But the bags on the R1200R are very convenient. And that bike is a ton of fun. Gas mileage isn't as good as the Versys, of course. There are also benefits to choosing a light bike for a commute ... easier to manage in traffic, move around for parking, whatever. The Versys is nice and light. The R1200R as well. And many of the bikes you and others mention in this thread. Unless your commute is really long, I personally wouldn't recommend a big tourer because they're not quite as easy to manage on your feet. But others might see it differently. Have fun!