Recommend a commute motorcycle brand/model.

[maroonandwhite]

Within the next month or two I am likely going to start looking for a used motorcycle for commute/leisure. Budget will likely be around $2500-$3000 tops. Would prefer around $2000.

From previous experience with my Suzuki Boulevard, I know I want a 6 speed for highway comfort. My commute is about 30 -35 minutes mostly highway. Apart from that, I am looking for some advice. I think I would prefer a windshield. Smaller 600 or 750 is fine.

What would you other riders lean towards?

[Darrell]

Do you need to carry stuff with you?  Will you need to secure your helmet and jacket on the bike?  

I have a few bikes, each with a little different target, but if I wanted to have just one for commuting I'd probably stick with my BMW F-700GS.  At 800 cc it's got plenty of oomph for freeway riding, and as a two-cylinder FI bike it gets great fuel economy, better than 50mpg the way I ride. (I wring its neck most of the time.) Mine has saddlebags that will handle a helmet and riding gear.  One benefit to my mind is that the bike will handle dirt and gravel roads really well.

I think you'll be hard-pressed to find one under $3K unless it has a lot of miles on it, though. 

 A Kawasaki KLR-650 might be easier to find in that price range, but it's a single-cylinder bike. I've owned three and was happy with them, even at highway speeds, though I wouldn't take a cross-country freeway trip on one unless I had to.

I just went on Facebook Marketplace, looked at motorcycles for sale, and set a max price of $3K.  There are quite a few bikes listed there, some of which look like a pretty good deal. Bear in mind that for that money you'll find older bikes, or bikes with a lot of miles on them.

Good luck!

Edited 24 minutes ago by Darrell