Advice on which bike to chose

[Mongo]

Hello fellow riders.....

I am planning a long ride to Asia starting in Europe. Have been reading the blogs and looking at bikes here. Everyone says lighter is best of course, so I was originally thinking of something in the 650cc to 850cc range, but in light of other's experience have decided to go smaller/lighter. I live in Portugal and the bikes available here are what is typical for Europe: Hondas, Suzukis, Kawasakis, KTM etc, but the selection is limited compared to say what is available in northern or central Europe. The issue is there are road-ready bikes in the 500 to 650 range, or enduro/motoX style bikes that would need major modification that are lighter and a bit smaller. Many of the blogs recommend carburetor system Suzukis or Kawasakis, but they are no longer available in Europe.

Therefore, NEW bike candidates identified here in Lisbon so far are: Suzuki V-strom 650 (214 kgs), Honda CB500X (195 kgs), Kawasaki KLX450R (126 kgs), and the KTM 690 Enduro R (139 kgs). Both latter bikes will require significant rear frame modification to enable paniers/saddle bags, as well as turn signals etc. The Suzuki and Kawasaki are in the 8500+ Euro range, while the Honda is significantly cheaper at 6500 Euros, and the KTM is over 10,000 Euros. Any input or advice on these choices is most welcome.