Which Machine to Commute On?!?!

[birdman]

So some of you may know that I moved further away from my job and scooting to work on a 50cc scooter is no longer viable for me. I have a 70 mile round trip (all freeway) now  .  So I was thinking that I no longer want to be a fair weather rider and will ride rain or shine, cold or hot. I want to invest in a new bike to commute on because I dont want to rack up miles on my suzuki vs800 or the fz-09, and I dont want to expose either one to rain very often either. So I narrowed it down to these 3 machines.
1) Yamaha Majesty YP400
2) Suzuki DR650 S/SE
3) Honda XR650L

Now the breakdown of the pros and cons of each of these bikes (to me)

1) The Majesty
Pros
- Good storage space without the addition of saddle bags or the such, a GIVI top case would be nice I just dont like saddle bags because I like to keep a slim profile for lane splitting.
- Good wind protection and a very comfortable ride
- Good fuel mileage 
- Strong A/M in Japan that I could bug tsimi to mail me parts 
Cons
- May not be powerful enough to keep up with California freeway traffic. Legally 65mph is the limit on freeways, but 80mph is our unspoken legal limit here in Cali when there is no traffic/ congestion.
- It may not be used for anything else other than commuting.
- High maintenance with its two different filters and stuff.

Next on my list are the two dual sports, before I list the pros and cons of each I will list the pros and cons of owning a dual sport over a Majesty (for me and what I will use them for).
Pros
- Ive been thinking of getting into adv riding and trips so a dual sport could serve that purpose. I also thought about getting into the whole super moto thing it could also serve that purpose... At the same time even... So I could buy some sumo wheels and rip it up, then put the stockers back on and add some hard luggage and go adventure to the earths end.
- Easier to maintain compared to a Majesty
Cons
- No storage without adding luggage. Thats really the only con I can think of but one of these bikes with saddle bags may still be as narrow as a Majesty without saddle bags

Now the DR650 vs the XR650L
DR650
Pros
- Has an oil cooler stock, so it may be better for extended highway use.
- Lower seat height than the XRL
- Strong A/M
- Can cruise comfortably at 80mph (according to reviews)
Cons
- Is not the most capable off road machine
- Suspension is lack luster in stock form

XR650L
Pros
- Has great suspension out the box
- More capable as an off road machine
- Honda proven reliability
- Strong A/M support
Cons
- No oil cooler so extended highway high rpm riding may be a problem
- High seat height may be alot for me (5'10) to handle

So with all that said what do you guys think? Cast a vote and give me your opinion on the matter. Im already kinda leaning towards one but your opnion is valued 

[tiny]

If all ya is doing is riding the highways go with the Suzuki.

[90GTVert]

The 80MPH freeway cruising probably rules out the Majesty as a great choice. 80MPH is about my cruise limit on the TMAX 500 with ~25% more power than the Majesty. It can cruise faster, but I don't really want to run the big scoot too near WOT to cruise like the little ones. Big scoots are nice for commuting otherwise. The storage and protection from the elements and ease of use are superior to the dual sports. The Majesty should be far more comfortable.

The DS choices will have more speed/power and be more capable of going anywhere.

[jackrides]

Skip the idea of using the highway bike off road. Given the air speed, why an oil cooler? Rain will not hurt any you named. Just be sure your tires have good tread, and you have a real rainsuit and a place to store it on your bike. The spark plug wire should be new with good connectors and all ignition connections greased. Be sure your fuse connections are also rain tight. The higher seat heights make no sense on a highway bike. Get some extra exterior warning lights.

[aeroxbud]

I would go for the DR650, or the scooter.
The XR is going to shake it's self to pieces at 80. Vibrate like hell too. I really wanted a KTM 690 sm, but because I have to do a lot of highway riding. It would of killed it.I
The DR is a great bike. My mate had just brought one to go touring on. Not the most powerful thing, but when I had a go, so comfortable.
Fit hand guards, heated grips and luggage it would be great.

[birdman]

Nov 5, 2017 23:09:01 GMT -5 jackrides said:

Skip the idea of using the highway bike off road. Given the air speed, why an oil cooler? Rain will not hurt any you named. Just be sure your tires have good tread, and you have a real rainsuit and a place to store it on your bike. The spark plug wire should be new with good connectors and all ignition connections greased. Be sure your fuse connections are also rain tight. The higher seat heights make no sense on a highway bike. Get some extra exterior warning lights.

I say oil cooler because it's an air cooled bike and it's a good way to keep Temps down, it's easier to do than a liquid cooled conversion. I dont think anyone even makes a lc kit for a xr. 

[Lucass2T]

Id pick the good old piaggio hexagon. Because two stroke! But don't even start about looks...those things are so friggin ugly and un naturally shaped it's beyond words.

Or look for some cheap beater of a cage.

[scooterpimp]

Any dual purpose bike wont last long at highway speed. Not to mention they arent that stable at higher speeds like a conventional street bike. Just my 2 cents.

[moofus02]

I love scooters for the protection from the elements. That said I would side with Brent a 400 would seem on the small displacement side. My experience with Hondas would say the xl would be wound tight at 80. Gearing could fix that and Honda is reliable as a stone. Any 500 to 650 single Enduro would work. I like the old klr650, lots of aftermarket support etc but Suzuki, Yamaha or Honda would be as good. I think the Suzuki had adjustable seat height but that had never been an issue with me. 30 inseam and a 35 inch seat height was never a problem even off road. If you can take the rpm out of the big Enduro so it doesn't shake your retinas loose the suspension travel makes the road nice and they have the power to roll along without a problem. People circle the globe on klr650 and the big Hondas. I live 40 miles one way to work and if I was going to do that on a bike it would be a big Enduro

[aeroxbud]

Do you get the Yamaha XT660 in the U.S. That might fit your requirements too.

[jackrides]

Another thought. Change the dual purpose tires for good street tires. Replacing the front sprocket with one tooth larger will reduce the vibes. The height of the tires effects the gear ratio also. A simple ratio comparison will show how much.

[jbjhillbilly]

Have you thought about the Suzuki V-Strom? Not as sporty as most dual sports, but considering the amount of miles you're going to put on road, versus off, you might think about it.

[birdman]

After some more research I've been kinda leaning toward a honda nc700x or a nc750x when it comes out for 2018.

[moofus02]

Dec 20, 2017 6:18:12 GMT -5 aeroxbud said:

Do you get the Yamaha XT660 in the U.S. That might fit your requirements too.

I know we got a 600 I think but not sure about the 660

[aeroxbud]

Dec 24, 2017 6:02:09 GMT -5 moofus02 said:

Dec 20, 2017 6:18:12 GMT -5 aeroxbud said:

Do you get the Yamaha XT660 in the U.S. That might fit your requirements too.

I know we got a 600 I think but not sure about the 660

This one
2008 Yamaha XT660Z Tenere by Daniel Levy, on Flickr