I have a confession............

[the_undecider_imp]

I hate to say this, but I've become bored with my 1100. Where I live its so flat and straight its vulgar. I've ridden all the good roads without making it an 8-hour ride.
I only get to ride on Sundays and that's only when the temp is 50 or above.
Reynauds Syndrome prevent me from riding for more than just a few miles before my fingers turn white and numb at temps below 50.
There have been many times while riding my CB that I would come up to a side road in the country when I would think "I wonder where that road goes", only to find out that the pavement would soon turn to gravel and dirt. Obviously the 1100 isn't too comfy on those kind of roads.
For several years I've wondered what it would be like to have a dual-purpose, big-bore thumper. Then I see this........
A Kawasaki KLR650 NE. Its been in production for years, has many after-market suppliers. It has a single carb, extremely easy to maintain, and is practically bulletproof.
At this stage in my life, I feel this is the bike for me. But then I'm a Geminii and things could change soon!
[url=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/z1zr7/media/KLR650NE_zpsa24b3833.jpg.html]

It sounds like you are ready to try something different and no harm with switching things up. Sounds like you take shorter rides given you can only ride Sundays. The KLR will take you anywhere you need to go on a public road. Heck, people load these up and ride across continents. While I wouldn't want to give up the smoothness and power of my CB, the KLR runs down the highway at 70 mph just fine. As long as you know what you are getting into with a big single, shouldn't be any surprises with it's character.

If you aren't set on a big thumper dual sport, there are a couple of suggestions I might make. If you want a bike that will handle dirt and gravel, adventure bikes might be worth a look. I had a V-strom 650 which is a bit heavier than the KLR but much better on pavement. It has nearly twice the horsepower and the 90 degree twin is a smooth motor. You have lots of aftermarket support and the bike's are reliable. Used Stroms can be had for as little as $3000.

I also like the Honda CB500X. It's about the same price as the new KLR and offers more power, fuel injection, reasonable dirt and gravel performance, and you can find a decent amount of aftermarket parts. I thought about buying one, but I can't afford one and keep my CB.