I took a day off today and rode a 200 mile loop that included two bike shops that google thought were RE dealers.    

One of them is a RE dealer.  Decatur Al.  

So here is an interesting item I learned today . :    The new one called the " METEOR 350 " is claiming 101.25 mpg.    
also
Top Speed is rated for 4th gear not 5th gear @ 71mph (HP Rated @ 6.1k) , Seems kind of odd ?

NO , I don't think I could live with 71 mph top speed .   I had the day , and needed a ride !  

It sits a lot like a Savage , and is the same size too.  The World hasn't forgot the LS650 , its just been changed a little !

https://royalenfieldna.com/meteor350/

Mike:

The local fellow who owns the Himalayan just traded it and a Stelvio in for a new V85.

His Royal Enfield Himalayan will likely be available at a good used price.  Moto Guzzi was offering a $750 discount if you traded in a 400cc or smaller motorcycle in on a new bike.  He traded in 2 bikes and got one that was smaller/lighter than his Stelvio.

I am checking to see for sure where he traded......you could come up here and take a test ride!

MM:

I will send you a PM with some of the particulars.

The bike has 2,000 mile on it, it has about $1,500 worth of farkles that include hard aluminum bags.

The owner said the bike is in like new condition.

Looks like a deal as is , but I would work them a little more on the price.
Just for fun !

Geez.... you guys must live in nirvana. $3500 for a W650 wouldn't last 5 minutes on C-list up here, and I would be first in line!
The price difference between the Meteor and the RE650 up here is $1500...2000.  Some dealers play games with the 650, prices up and down like a toilet seat.
Saw a new '20 MG V7 for $6995, out of my league.
The '21 V7 850 puts it square in the high cost insurance bracket.
Cheers!

Honestly...

1) I wish I was in a position to take that W650, but my wife and I sold our house, and are in the middle of move that will have us in apartment for the next 4 or more months.  Having the two extra project bikes in the garage isn't helping.

2) As much as I love the RE 650 twins, I would not buy a Himalayan for anything more than an occasional dirt road.  I would buy a used Honda or KTM or something with some true dirt heritage.

3) I think most of these "Adventure" bikes are no different than the Mall Crawler Range Rovers, Jeeps, and SUVs.  They appeal to some desire that most people will never actually scratch.  If you're not going camping or fishing in some inaccessible spots then you don't need it.

4) But if you just think it's cool, then more power to you!  haha

I agree that a lot of the "Adventure" bikes are too big and heavy to be ridden hard in the dirt for us mere mortals - they are however very good touring bikes that can be ridden on unimproved or crappy roads by most folks. And it is also likely that a large number of them never get off the pavement. They all tend to be a bit tall in the saddle for me - part of the side affect of having good ground clearance.  There are however some folks who can ride these heavy Monsters well in the dirt.  The first video doesn't look like fun to me - it looks like a lot of hard work and a lot of heavy lifting.....why in the world would you want to pay so much money to drop a motorcycle in the mud?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPG7L9i_9mc


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYp1zXyc0fA&t=14s


When MM, Stew and I are down in Suches, the majority of the folks doing the dual sport rides trailer in and are on 250cc motorcycles.  They have enough power to do the fun stuff and are lightweight.  There are a whole bunch of dirt and Forest Roads that are likely a lot of fun with the proper bike to explore them with.

For true dual spot adventures that include packing gear and include highway miles - the KLR650, DR650, V-Strom 650 and similar large dual sport bikes are used as they have more power for the highway work. The seat height is a bit tall for me on most of these bikes.

For some reason the mid sized 400cc dual sport market just seems to be a bit weak.....not sure why.   I would think it would be a good compromise and the bike could do highway work well, and it would not be horribly heavy.

I think the Royal Enfield Himalayan is a very capable dual sport bike.  Several folks have documented their travels on them, and they seem to be able to handle rough stuff well.  The highway speeds are not impressive and my friend that owned one said 60 mph was comfortable but higher speeds were not.  I think the 350 Meteor would not be great off road - low ground clearance, soft suspension and slippery tires are going to limit what it can do off the pavement.  

I think a 250cc dual sport would be a far better bike than the VanVan or Yamaha TW200.  Those fat chunky tires are really more of a novelty than they are a solution for any shortcoming from a good dual sport bike.

I need to look around and find a good test ride or comparison of the little chunky tire bikes.  If they were really a great bike - why are there so few of them around?  I have never seen one anywhere but on the showroom at the dealer.