Best highway touring small dual sport?

[rivercreep]

Originally Posted by sendler

Based on 10,000 miles of riding mine. The rear seat will carry a passenger. It can easily carry any amount of gear. The fairing is minimal compared to a Goldwing. Compared to any naked dual sport, it is much better. I barely get wet when I ride and it rains here a lot. And rarely have to wipe my visor as the air in the bubble just over the top of the screen has very little rain in it.
.
Show me another fuel injected 250 that is better at slicing through superhighway night time rain storms at 75 mph while getting 75 mpgUS and I will buy it.

Depends on what you like I guess....
My TU250X gets 84mpg and is a little slower than your bike in acceleration but can cruise comfortably @ 75 as well. PLUS = I have full sized saddlebags on mine and switch between a full sized touring screen (better protection than some full sized touring bikes) and I also set her up (like right now) with a mini shield and handgaurds as a marginal D.S. mount.
I'd rather not have all that plastic to break if/when she gets dropped and feel bikes like yours (and the baby ninja) just don't offer enough flexability and, you get stuck with them looking like what someone else thinks a cycle should look like. (standards can carve a niche into almost any role with the right mods)
....as long as you enjoy your ride =
I'm sure my TU simply doesn't have the look you're after so...you wouldn't buy it even though it's just as capable as your bike is. (and it too is F.I.)

My issue isn't with your choice in rides, just the way you worded things as an absolute. "Best" is a relative term at best!

I.M.H.O. You're stuck with the nich the marketers designed for you, where as my bike can be anything...making it "The best" for me.
I for one, could NEVER stand to fit into someone elses' mold.