Do you think a Dual purpose would be comfortable on highways for long periods of time?

And will 250 be enough, I think most roads on my trip will be either highways or at least 50 mph (80 km/h) roads?

Well - you might need to upgrade and adjust the bike you choose to your preferances, but that is goes for any bike. Seat, footpegs, handlebars, windscreen, grips etc.

A modern 250 will easliy cruise at 90-100 km/h and even more so your speed demands will be handled ok. I cant really see the need to go faster on a loaded travelbike. A 250 will be so much better than a big and heavy bike when the roads get tough and so much better for your wallet too.

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In the end everything will be fine. If its not fine its not the end....

The KLR would be my choice of the three listed but it's a bit of a moot point if there's none for sale in Germany. If you are, as you say, tall, skinny and inexperienced then I'd suggest as light a bike as possible and a 250 trail bike would be a great choice. Others have listed the possibilities and any of them would work.

A few points to consider though:

Don't dismiss the advantages of light weight and get seduced by power output and engine size. On anything but Euro motorways / trunk roads you'll rarely need more than about 30bhp.

Reliability is paramount, and especially so if grease under the fingernails hasn't featured much in your past. You can forgive a bike a lot if it starts ups and moves under its own power when you're in the middle of nowhere. IMHO and your circumstances stay away from anything that doesn't have its parentage somewhere in Japan.

Once out of Europe you'll bless the day you chose something with decent suspension. Small trailies (or big ones come to that) are not generally blessed with all day comfortable seats but at least the suspension eases the pain when you hit a pothole. Aftermarket "fixes" / reupholsters litter the internet but believe me when I say that your posterior does (eventually) adapt.

If you think choosing the bike is tricky, just wait till you start dealing with the paperwork!

Good luck though, it sounds like a great trip.

I found this yesterday. You might relate.

You can start watching at 5:30...

https://youtu.be/hAjlV2DdC5o

I can definitely relate to the "never rode a bike in his entire life guy"

I am definitely open to doing some aftermarket parts on a 250 dual purpose but since I know jack shit about bikes, I don't know what to get, how to put it on, etc.

For me, I think it would be a safer bet to get something that works from the get go, right?

That's the trouble with the internet; you ask 10 people a question and you'll get 20 different answers. The reality is that most of the gnarly old stagers on here would do a trip such as yours on whatever they've got rather than starting from scratch. I've done trips this year on half a dozen different bikes ranging from a mid 70's 125 Suzuki two stroke to a Honda GoldWing - including a KLR650 which I quite like as a travel bike. It's fairly basic but it kind of "fits" and I feel comfortable riding it long distance.

A KLR (if you could get one), a DR650 (again if you could get one) or a XT-Z would probably be the mainstream choice, but that mainstream would consist of people who have years of experience behind them. For someone starting out I think weight is the biggest hurdle you'll face. By the time you load any of those bikes up (and with the extra power of the 600s it's easy to keep piling stuff on) you'll be struggling at low speed. Maybe if you were built like a night club bouncer it wouldn't be so bad but if you're not it can become a real struggle at times. It's easier with experience but you have to get there first.

That's why I suggested a 250. Sure, you can't mix it with the Porsches on the autobahn and it can be a bit of a grind on long mountain climbs but the lack of weight will make riding it a pleasure the rest of the time. Use soft luggage (there's quite a few decent makes around) and if you can keep it down to around 15kg (I'd have my doubts ) you'll feel the benefit when the tarmac runs out (or breaks up). Personally I'd avoid loading the bike up with aftermarket parts - soft luggage (depending on the bike you might need some kind of add-on to keep it off the exhaust) and thinking about fuel range would be it.

Only 20?

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Bruce Clarke - 2020 Yamaha XV250

I would say that any bike of any type would benefit very much with some "personalisation". No need for upgrades if you really dont benefit from them. Lets say your a tall guy, that will often make the seating/riding position a bit uncomfortable and you could benefit from adding bar risers to the bikes handlebars. It will rise the handlebars with a few centimeters and your riding position will change - to the better hopefully. Similar with footpegs, the original might not be wide or grippy enough for your boots, thus some wider and more sturdy footpegs will benefit you. Also in Kazakhstan it can be very long between gas stations, thus an aftermarket bigger gas tank that extend your potential range can come in very handy in such a place. You can of course carry fuel in jerrycans and bottles but that are in my experience a real PITA.

When you testrided a few bikes and found one you like and bought it - take it out for a real testtrip. Load it up with the gear you would use on your main tour, camping gear, cooking gear and food, clothes, personal items, spare parts and tools, first aid kit etc etc. Since your from Danmark may I suggest going up to Notway, Sweden or Finland for a real shakedown of 2-3 weeks. You can test what works and what not works, what needs upgrading etc.

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In the end everything will be fine. If its not fine its not the end....

Kawasaki Versys 300 review and a bit of a Honda Crf 250L too

https://youtu.be/XYYf7iG1ih4

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In the end everything will be fine. If its not fine its not the end....

Yeah, I just watched it before you linked that