I've read from many sources that the V-Strom (if you can get past the name) is absolutely the best biking bang for the buck you can get. It'll do everything for you and you'll have a great time doing it. If I were a few years younger I'd get one. As it is, with bad back, knees, wrists, shoulders, neck, and almost everything else bad to a degree, I'm relegated to riding around on something closer to a lay-z-boy. Tell him to get one and have a great time!
