So, if Buell was not an option what would you have? Think it might be interesting to see if there is a common thread here.
I'd get, in no particular order:
Ducati - a/c only - many to choose, 851 a favorite Moto Guzzi V7 and such HD Sportster pre-rubber, Stortzed out BMW twin before silly suspension and electronics Laverda - sex on wheels Kawi 500 triple
89 Honda GB500 84 Harley XL1000 78 Harley XLCR 08 KTM Super Duke 990 08 Triumph Speed Triple & 08 Triumph Scrambler (it takes two triumphs to replace my CityX) Kawasaki KLR 650 08 Ural Troup Side car 08 Harley FXDF Fat Bob 08 Scrambler from Jesse Rooke Any bike by Exile or Sucker Punch Sally While we're at it, the new XR1200, The Wakan, the Confederate Hellcat And the 1986 Buick GNX Grand National Turbo. As long as we're filling out the garage
The Ducati super motard and that new 850cc BMW GS look pretty good to me, though when push came to shove, I am not sure I could pay that much for a bike.
The super duke looks cool in theory, but again, its a bit pricey, and perhaps a bit to edgy to really live with.
Maybe an SV-650 with a GSXR front end grafted on...
To be honest, it would probably be a 450cc single, with two sets of wheels (one for dirt and one for the road). It would have to be a street friendly one though, maybe the Yamaha or the KTM? Don't know that much about them. And I would probably be rebuilding its motor a lot .
"in no particular order" A Ducati, or a BMW, or a Yamaha YZ1, or most likely just some older bike that I wouldn't know the make/year/model of until I decided it was the one to buy.
I don't like shopping with pre-conceived notions, might miss something good. Kind of like walking into a restaurant looking for a burger and totally missing the tuna steak sandwich because all you could think of was a hamburger. Damn, now I'm hungry, and I want another bike too.
Easy enough. BMW, most likely the R1200R as that is their best "Do everything" model. I just HATE the linked braking system they use these days. Of course, there is always the KTM Superduke that I had my eye on originally before I bought the XB12Ss.
Other possibilities are the Suzuki Bandit, the Yamaha FZ-1 or maybe the Speed Triple.
When I bought my bike in early 2000 as a leftover it was between it and the Speed Triple. So there you have it. But I believe I made the wiser choice this time.
Cityslicker, I had a friend who had a GN for a little while, good choice to put one in the garage!