I don' t know about you but for me to get to the places that I prefer to fish, a bit different from where I get to fish most often, I travel pavement, to narrow paved road to gravel road. The perfect combination for choosing a dual sport motor cycle.
I have a Yamaha XT225. These bikes in the Serow version have large fan clubs in Japan. The 225 has been replaced by a 250 version a few years ago. Unfortunately they do not import the Serow version into the USA. Same bike but made with stronger components for the wheels, swing arm, etc. And wouldn't ya know the year after I purchased my bike Yamaha finally started importing the 250 version to this country that had already replaced the 225 elsewhere a few years earlier and Kawasaki brought back the 250 Sherpa another popular 250cc bike. But they may have gone out of production again. Either of these bikes will get you around 75 mpg. And would be fine for places not to far away. Maybe within 60 - 120 miles. But you have to get used to being passed by everyone.
http://www.yamahamotorsports.com/sport/products/modelhome/574/home.aspxhttp://www.kawasaki.com/Products/product-specifications.aspx?id=371Not sure how they would do in strong side winds. In general bikes with a lot of engine metal down low ( think BMW boxer engines) and with minimal stuff up high, lower small faring do best in high winds. I do understand your concern about high winds. Years ago I rode to the N.C. outer banks on a Honda 500CX. A transverse V-twin, kind of like a Moto Guzzi, and top heavy. There was talk of evacuating the island due to an approaching hurricane. Just riding down the island in high gusty winds it felt like the wheels were being blown out from under me. There was no way I could ride the bike to the main land over the high arc bridge over the sound. Thankfully the hurricane went ashore further south. On a trip through Wis strong winds would just blow me into the next lane, on the BMW 750 the bike still felt stable but I was still blown around. Choose the right bike, use a small faring, learn to put your weight on the foot pegs. And definitely know what counter steering is. ( push right to right - really it's more pressure left go left) Always important to know but more so in strong winds.
Anyway, quite dated but it does make the case that bigger is not always better. And 225cc will get a 200#er up and over the hill and across the stream.
Big Bloke on a Girl's Bike - the point being, a light weight bike offers a lot of advantages. ( it certainly makes it easier to hide it behind a bush. One of my big concerns is returning to the bike after wading way down or up the and finding someone made off with my motorcycle boots, jacket, etc.
http://www.bcanet.co.uk/bikesite/big_bloke_on_a_girl.htm(hmm, that url title is a bit unfortunate )
The advrider forum a few years back had a thread about a Japanese woman who was going across America on a Suzuki 250. She had already traveled through Asia and Europe and S. America on the bike. They are cool looking little bikes too.
http://www.suzukicycles.com/Product%20Lines/Cycles/Products/TU250X/2013/TU250X.aspxIf you plan on riding a little further and assuming some gravel road riding I would consider something bigger. 350cc to 650cc range. The Mundo Enduro / Terra Circa guys in the mid 90s proved 350cc Suzuki's were a good choice for going round the world or across continents. They went 40k miles, their goal to circumnavigate the world by the longest land route possible.
http://www.mondoenduro.com/mondoenduro.htmlThere are several dual sport bikes in the 400cc range today that might be worth a look. But I don't know much about them. The 350cc bikes seem to be a thing of the past.
Jumping up to 650cc I know the Suzuki V-Strom 650 and the Kawasaki KLR650 bikes are quite popular. With lots of after market accessories like skid plates, engine guards and racks. ( in some circles the V-Strom is nick named the Poor Guy's BMW GS ) These bikes are heavier and more like 40 - 45 average mpg. Maybe 50+ mpg on long highway riding. I've really been quite tempted to get a V-Strom my self. Big enough to get you down the highway at speeds that will transfer cash from your wallet to the Court House. Yet nice for getting round the camp site spots at motorcycle rallies. A dealer 2 miles from my house too. I've been a BMW guy for 24 years but BMW has been making excessive demands on dealers driving them out of business. I have to go more than 130 miles for service.
http://www.suzukicycles.com/Product%20Lines/Cycles/Products/V-Strom%20650/2013/DL650A.aspxhttp://www.kawasaki.com/Products/product-specifications.aspx?scid=14&id=702Statikpunk beat me to it - but if I had more garage space and $6k I'd be darn tempted to get a Royal Enfield. I have read that more people have ridden more miles and made more round the world travels on these bikes than any other bikes. Until about 6 years ago they were built the same way they were in the 1950s. But since then they have updated the engines, and added some German engineered electronic ignition. Making sure they could be self serviced with out the need for an expensive electronic diagnostic box. otoh, some folks say they need this because they break down a lot Or as I once read if you want a $4k bike to ride get a Yamaha XT225 if you want a $4k bike to wrench around on get a Royal Enfield. But from what I've read the updated engineering is pushing that reputation aside. But you can no longer walk to the junk yard and find an ignition coil that will work fine.
http://www.enfieldmotorcycles.com/models/classic-g5.htmlA few years ago we had a local RE dealer but he moved to Minn. to work for the USA importer of the bikes. I occasionally see a couple of the bikes he sold going down the highway fitted with sidecars. Pretty cool looking setup. But side car bikes scare the heck out of me. If the side car wheel is on the ground, push right go left. If in a curve the side car wheel lifts off the ground then the bike reverts to counter steering and it's back to push right go right. Well, you can see in the right situation if you intend to swerve to the right for a safer distance from an oncoming vehicle you could suddenly find yourself going left into his grill.
You might find some interesting ideas or inspiration in the Thumper section of the Advrider forum.
Covers several single cylinder bikes. Generally 650cc to 200cc.
http://advrider.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=2fcfdef36ec995f0c79d13603cc0370a&f=15The - Minimalist Touring Thread, 250cc and under covers several of the smaller bike models.
http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=201349&page=446And if you ride past the dirt road to something more like a path to find your fishing spot and you lack riding skills and don't have a training center near you. You can find some nice information in these DVDs. I have the first one. Watch it, then find a place to practice the techniques.
http://www.dualsportriding.com/However, if you always fish next to paved roads then there is no advantage to being limited to looking for a dual sport bike model and several others could be contenders.
Perhaps I lost you around the 5th paragraph . Anyway - good luck with your choice. If you recall the actor Kennan Wynn. He was also an accomplished motorcycle rider/racier. ( along with Steve McQueen). I once read that in his garage, above his motorcycles, a sign hung from the ceiling that read - " If you think you know how to ride it. Don't." Over confidence or lack of skill can get you in trouble. What ever you buy - ride safe. I know from personal experience you can ride safely, doing everything right, yet come darn close to loosing limb or life. ( long story but 18 years ago I had a head on collision with a guy on another bike who went wide in a curve and nailed me on the right side edge of the pavement. If you'd seen the two bikes you wouldn't think everyone walked away with only minor injuries ) Oh, yeah, wear ear plugs too.
https://www.createspace.com/en/community/people/stevelemco/blog/2011/12/13/hanging-out-with-keenan-wynnfwiw, ymmv,
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