I'm trying to decide what direction to go re: a commuter bike with some substantial luggage capacity. A lot comes down to personal preference, but I'm just trying to get some thoughts/feedback/things-to-consider from those with a bit more experience on a variety of bikes
Background: I joined this site a few years ago, had a 1999 EX250 that eventually was more expensive to repair than replace (and I didn't have time for a "project bike"). A few years later I'm looking for a commuter bike, specifically with the ability to carry and secure a backpack with laptop/books. I can't bring it in to work before heading to school in the evening, so it needs to stay locked to the bike. The most practical solution I've come to is a bike with the ability to mount a large Givi top case. Most of the riding is highway (about 30 minutes) - a little bit of stoplight-to-stoplight, but the majority of the commute is by major highways.
The wife has also expressed an interest in something she can jump on the back of - I don't know how often that will actually happen, but something I need to keep in mind (kicks a lot of sport bikes out of the running). I'd also prefer something that can be put on a track, if only for training and practice.
I'm trying to stay under $3k for the project (ideally under $2500, but realize that there will be additional expenses that will creep in).
The options I'm considering are:
1) Go back to an EX250. SW Motech makes a
luggage rack , as well as an adapter for Givi cases. I like the light weight and the ergos of the pregen, but occasionally wanted just a bit more power out of it. Additionally, while the adapter isn't terribly expensive the reviews are so-so. (NB: I'd go for an EX500 in a heartbeat if there were a way to mount a luggage rack - everything I've found comes up dry in that regard).
2) Newgen 250, 300, or CBR250 - main thing keeping me from this is that the used market is really thin, particularly for the 300, and the majority of the ads are "bike runs good" with a single photo. Additionally, wife is not a huge fan of the high passenger seat a lot of sport bikes have gone to in recent years.
3) Sport touring bikes - RxxxxRT, ST1100/1300, Kawasaki Concours, Ducati ST2/3/4, Triumph Sprint. The advantage is that many already have cases and are already set up to carry them (or parts are readily available to mount a topcase), the major disadvantage I'm seeing is that the weight, and most in my price range are high mileage - I'm still trying to feel out what the maintenance costs are for a bike (particularly a BMW) after 50,000 miles. I know they tolerate the mileage well, but if it's with a heavy price tag for specific parts...
4) I've been looking at some Honda Nighthawks (650/750cc) - they have my attention, as the standard ergos look good, the power is substantial, and the price is reasonable for most of them. The only disadvantage that I see is having to rely on the relationship between Givi's universal mount mating up with the standard "Weber grill" luggage rack. The weight is also a bit higher than I'm used to (albeit not as much as a sport tourer)...
5) Last but not least - cruisers (HD Sportster, V Star 650, Honda Shadow, etc). I'm not really opposed to them, and they may be the most comfortable (riding position-wise) taking on the highway. I'm not a huge fan of feet-forward controls, but could manage. The market is full of low-mileage/low-cost options. But mounting hard top cases to them is going to be a MacGyver operation, and limited - if any - ability to train on a track with it.
Like I said at the top, I'm not looking for anyone to tell me what the "right answer" is, just to get some thoughts/opinions.