Here is what I am looking for....

• Enough power to carry a pillion and gear
• Able to cruise for long periods at speeds around 110kph
• Something I can buy new or fairly new (Would prefer not to buy something that went out of production a long time ago)
• Something that gets good gas consumption
• Something that performs well offroad

I have plenty of experience touring but always on bikes no other overlander would touch. I've never felt the need for a big bike...I'm not into speed and thrills, I like to take it easy, but also need a bike I can take on the highway when I want to reach the Pyrenees in less that 3 hours.

I was thinking a good dualsport bike, like a Honda CRF450

Or even something a bit bigger like a Suzuki DR650.

The problem is, they dont sell any of these kind of bikes in Spain. Not sure why. But it seems these type of bikes are hard to find in Europe

Any ideas of a bike I can buy in Europe that would fit my needs and I could buy a relatively new model?

in Europe not many choices now thank to EU, maybe next year with yamaha T7 and ktm 790.
Currently all of your list do well xt660z and ktm 690 enduro then a gap and maybe kawasaki versys 650, suzuki v-strom 650, bmw gs 650.

Enduro bikes are not good for pillion rides so ktm 500exc, crf450, wr450 won't fit the bill.

So let me summarize: you're looking for a powerful, yet lightweight and maneuverable bike, in current production, with extraordinary carrying capacity and smooth function both on and off-road. Right? I guess it should also be reasonably affordable, reliable in the long term, and from where you sit its probably necessary that it conform to EU safety and emissions standards.

People have been searching for this very bike, essentially, forever, in the process debating (and sometimes pontificating endlessly over) its absence. Of course it doesn't exist, since your requirements are at odds with each other. Of course the best solution is to make your peace with severe compromises: buy an older bike and manage to keep it running; buy a heavier bike and suffer its unwieldiness and off-road shortcomings; buy a smaller bike and wallow around overloaded with your pillion and all your various gear. You can do better or worse in accommodating to compromise, but you can't find the complete package because it doesn't, and probably won't ever, exist.

That's certainly true for all the bikes mentioned above, including the ones which you can't find in the EU (and the ones which might come into production soon). Make your peace with it and move on, as one does.

Hope that's helpful.

Mark

Edit to add: I see by your post on a nearby thread that you already know all of the above--why else extoll the virtues of overland travel on a Royal Enfield? It's all about adjusting expectations to the limitations of what exists in the real world, then settling in and enjoying the results. IMHO, of course.

I agree, dual sport or dirt bikes with narrow seats and no way to carry luggage are not going to work well, especially Two Up.

Best bike out there for reasonable cost at the moment, IMO, is the Honda CB500X. Low price, super reliable and ... you can upgrade it with a Rally Raid kit, although maybe not needed if not doing serious off road.

Enough power for two on fully loaded bike, enough room on seats for two and good provisions for carrying a RTW luggage load.
Lots of reviews on this bike besides the ones I posted below. Research!

If you want more, add the Rally Raid kit. I would look for a nice used example.
It won't be as interesting as your Enfield ... cause it probably will never break down!

https://adventure-motorcycling.com/h...0-mile-review/
Road test review of the 2016 Honda CB500X | Visordown

Maybe a Yamaha 660 Tenere might come close?

CRF 450 L seems appropriate...

I wait for WR 450 R. Hope it comes out in 2-3 years !

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"where the traveller goes, nobody knows ! "

Thanks for the answers guys.

Yes, I guess it might seem like I am chasing a unicorn here, but I am willing to make some concessions.

Agreed that the dual sport options are not so comfortable, especially for a passenger. But last year I did about 6000k through Indonesia on a KX150 with a passenger and we just took the seat off, gave it to an upholstery guy on the side of the road with some instructions and had him cut new cushion to our specific ergonomic needs and throw some new vinyl on it et voila....not so pretty looking on a dual sport but problem solved. I guess I could just to the same.

And for luggage....It doesnt need to be perfect or pretty. In Indonesia on the KX I just bought some iron rod, sketched out a luggage system and handed it to a welder..just needed something to bungee two packpacks onto either side. Worked fine for me. I also have a Triumph scrambler here in Spain that I made a funny little luggage solution for that involved a strip of canvas that runs under my seat with nylon straps and eyelets...kindof hard to explain, I think I actually posted a thread about it with picture son this hubb somewhere. Anyways, I rode like that with a passenger all the way to Albania and scrambled some pretty dodgy dirt tracks like that. I still use that same system today on the scrambler (which will be sold to buy this new bike )

Anyways, thank you all for the answers. The CB500X could fit the bill, but yes, I would need the Rally Raid kit and an improvised luggage system and seat....I will look a bit more into that one.

And yes, there is the long awaited Tenere, but still no idea when it will be here and when it does arrive if it will make it through the EU's net.

All the other ideas that were shared (Honda 500x, Kawa KLR650, CRF450L, etc.) are not available for purchase here in Spain. BTW...anyone know why that is?

Well, its like you said Mark,
"It's all about adjusting expectations to the limitations of what exists in the real world"

Im happy to adjust expectations with some wonky innovations of my own, I guess Im just A.) frustrated all these dualsport options aren't available in Spain and B.) also wondering...even if they were would they even work to travel long distances at sustained higher speeds of 100kph or above.

Not sure either of above bikes could realistically handle TWO UP riding with LUGGAGE. Maybe the Tenere if fitted with a WIDER custom seat? Not sure you could do it on the so skinny new Honda ... with just 25 HP.

New bikes soon to be available:

Moto Guzzi V85 , promises to be the Swiss Army Knife of Adv. Touring bikes
Yamaha T7, this is the one most are waiting for.
KTM 790 ?
BMW 800 ? New offering I may be corrected here.
Others.......??

Existing:

Yamaha Super Tenere. (2012 forward) Meets most of your wants. Very reliable
KTM 1100 to 1250 ?. Meets most of your wants
BMW offerings ??. Some really like others not so much.
Ducati Multistrada IMO too techie
Moto Guzzi Stelvio. To be discontinued
Africa Twin more biased to off road
Others......??

Air cooled, easy maintenance, Jap moto’s easier to find parts.
Rebuild engines, strengthen frames, outfit for Adv. Travel

Yamaha XS650 parable twin.

DR650 is a good choice. Not a perfect bike off the floor, but the accessories available is almost endless, including a range of bigger tanks from 16-30l, side cover protectors, footpeg lowering kits, carb jetting kits for more responsive power, suspension and more.

Added advantages include easy service and repair, longer service intervals (as opposed to CRF450 and the like), lower compression engine that'll run on the crappiest fuel etc. And very reliable. Air cooled means less things that break if you drop it.

There's a good reason why this bike is the most popular choice for outback riding

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Squily

DR650 would be great ... only reason I didn't list it is that I don't believe you can buy one in Spain. In fact, they haven't been sold in UK or EU for like 12 - 15 years, AKAIK.

A few DR's may trickle into UK via Grey market, but rare.
Also, EU and UK do not get the KLR650 or XR650L. Yes, the DR650, KLR650 and XR650L are ALL still in production.

The UK do get some nice Yamahas that we DO NOT get in USA.

The DR650, KLR, XR650L are also sold in Australia, Canada, Ecuador and a few other countries RTW.
Single, Carb bikes can't make it past Euro 4 smog regs.