I’m not 100% happy with how my bike performs on the road. It’s great for off-road; it’s light and easy to manouver. On road it lacks power and makes my hands and feet buzz and tingle from the vibration coming off of the single cylender. I’ve lost count how many times I’ve gone to shift into an imaginary sixth gear.
I want to like riding off-road. I know I haven’t really given it a chance. There’s only been a few times where we’ve ridden off-road in a place appropriate for my skill level, and I think I enjoyed it. They’re so few and far between I honestly can’t remember. I also have to confront the emotions around my accident; I’ve made progress on it but I haven’t been able to let go of the last bit of negative emotion, nor desire for closure I know will never come. It did seriously impact how I feel about enduro/dirtbiking/off-road riding (among other things).
I want to love the Sertao but I really just like it.
I’m considering the KTM 390 Adventure as a replacement. It’s the same weight as the Sertao, and it’s a single cylendar but it’s a much more modern engine and I think it would go on road better (i.e. be smoother). It’s nearly the same dimensions as the 790 Adventure; it’s just a little narrower. I spent time looking at one at the Vancouver motorcycle show and I did a triple-take when one passed me on the highway: it was going faster than 120 km/h and it looked like a full-size bike.
An alternative is to return to riding the style of bike I’m happiest on and leave off-road behind (for now?).
I loved the FZ8 from the moment I first rode one at Miller Motorsports Park. The riding position, the smooth and linear power delivery, and how damn good it looked and sounded never faded in the time we owned one.
I think the closest bikes to the FZ8 in spirit and character are the KTM 790 Duke, the 890 Duke R (although overkill for me), Honda’s CBR650R, or Yamaha’s MT-07. The Kawasaki Versys 650 might be a blend of an ADV and naked bike.
Honestly, if I was going to give up off-road riding the Duke 790 would be my choice. The 390 is the practical choice though. Just look at the difference in the handlebar and footpeg position. I’m too decrepit for an aggressive riding position.