In my opinion the best bang-for-your-buck USA tourer is a pre-2008 ninja 250.
You can get a low mileage example with a few scuffs for less than $1500 anywhere in the USA. It's got 35hp and will happily sing along at 75mph all day long. They're reliable, they've been around for 20 years and parts are cheap and plentiful. Huge tank and great gas mileage means you'll be over 250 miles per tank. You can get oil filters and spark plugs at most auto-parts chains.
In my mind there is no better value bike for a budget USA tour. Sure, you could stretch your budget and get a high-mileage, adventure/touring bike but I would choose the reliability and economy of a smaller low-mileage bike every time.
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