Its not the ride, its the rider. Get the maintenance up to date before you leave and she'll probably run just fine. The bike you have now that you know and love is almost always better than the unknown. Worst case, have the motor rebuilt and everything else checked out before you leave.
I'd also give another half nod to the WR250R (can't wait to hear about your siberia trip Ed!), pricey because there aren't many around used but they are basically bulletproof, excellent gearing, better than average suspension, tons of electrical reserve for gadgets and heated bits, strong subframe, and more than enough motor for any sort of road, trail, or goat path you want to take it on. And IMS is working on a proper long range tank (4.5gal) now too...
More than a little jealous, wishing I could afford to leave North America to travel...
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2008 Yamaha WR250R
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