Many people go in search of that magic unicorn, either with 2 wheels or 4. In reality, all motorcycles and 4-wheeled vehicles are just different mixes of trade-offs. For a specific person and their desires, there is the right set of trade-offs but they are still trade-offs.
Let's start with 4-wheels. The very things that make a great handling road car, make it absolutely useless off-road. A road car will handle and perform best with a very low center of gravity, stiff suspension and sway bars. Take the extreme example of a Formula One race car. They literally hit the ground at times since they sit so low. This optimizes cornering and downforce through aerodynamics. An F1 car can't even navigate many driveways as it will bottom out.
Now consider the other end of the spectrum, a competition rock crawler 4x4. Aerodynamics is not even a thing here as they don't move very fast. They have no sway bars at all. They require large amounts of ground clearance and suspension travel so they sit very high.
Both of these examples are very focused on the one thing they do really well, and nothing else. In both these cases neither of these vehicles can even attempt what the other can do. Sure, the rock crawler could drive around an F1 track, but at a relatively glacial pace. The vehicles normal people buy generally need to span a wide range of use cases unless you can afford and have the room to store that perfect vehicle for every situation. Even then, you would be making a trade-off every time you took one out. Both of the competition vehicles above must be hauled everywhere they go as they are not legal on any roads. In fact they are only allowed in very specific areas. When it comes to competition, you build a vehicle very focused on that one thing.
We all make trade-offs. If we can only have a single vehicle, and we want to do a wide range of things with it, we will be making major trade-offs. If you enjoy proper off-roading on rugged trails, you will likely get an off-road focused vehicle like a Bronco Raptor or Jeep Rubicon. Both are great off-road, but nowhere near the competition rock crawler in the real technical parts. Both can be driven from your house to the trails, which the rock crawler cannot. Both can be your daily driver as well, but they don't handle very good on the road and they don't get very good fuel economy. While they are not optimum in many cases, it is the right trade-offs for those who enjoy proper off-roading often and also need a daily driver. They have flexibility.
I have 3 vehicles (4-wheeled road vehicles), all with different trade-offs. I enjoy performance driving on road courses so I have a Porsche Cayman S for that. For most of our daily driving we have a Porsche Cayenne. I have a Ford Ranger Fx4 to haul my bikes, and other things. I have a Husqvarna 701 Enduro motorcycle. These are my trade-offs that fit my use cases reasonably well. They are not right or wrong trade-offs, just trade-offs I chose.
The Cayman S rides very low, handles fantastic, and is a blast to drive on pavement. It has very little storage space and only seats 2 people. It cannot tow or haul anything. I can use it to get groceries, as long as I don't have too much to get. I can take it on trips, as long as I pack very light and only want one other person with me. I would avoid even gravel roads in this car and off-road is not an option at all.
The Cayenne has plenty of utility for most of my needs. I can tow with it, and I can get a full grocery run or pack for multiple people on even a long trip. It seats 4 people comfortably, and a 5th in a pinch. It has a modest ride height and firm suspension so it handles very good for an SUV, but these trade-off off-road capability. I might take it on a gravel road, or I could even go light off-roading but I would not take it on anything challenging off-road. These are the right trade-offs in my case and given my other vehicles.
The Ranger handles by far the worst of my vehicles on the road, but also has by far the most off-road capability. It also has the most cargo space, but much of that is in the open bed. I can haul multiple bikes or motorcycles in it.
The same idea applies to motorcycles. If you enjoy a spirited ride on pavement, you get a sport bike like a Ducati Monster. However, this would not be so great on that long road trip where you would chose something like a Harley Road Glide. Neither of those could go off-road at all so you might want a BMW GS. But that BMW is big and heavy for the more technical off-roading where a Husqvarna 701 would be better. But that 701 is also big and heavy for the more challenging off-road trails where you would want a KTM 500. The KTM 500 would be very unpleasant on any long pavement rides. So they are all various trade-offs.
I have the Husqvarna 701 Enduro motorcycle. I like being able to ride to the trails generally and not have to haul it. I prefer off-road riding primarily but most of my routes are a mix of on and off road sections. I thought this was a good video explaining an example of trade-offs and bikes versus riders.
On his scale, I would be in the 3 to 5 range. The older I get and the more crashes I have, the more I slowly shift to the left of his graph. Keep in mind his ranking is just for "adventure" riders. It does not span to road-only bikes or even dual sport bikes.
There are no magic unicorns. A jack of all trades is a master of none. If you get the flexibility of a Husqvarna 701 Enduro, you also made many trade-offs. While it is decent on the highway, not for very long. It can do adventure riding, but with limited luggage, fuel, and comfort. It can do single track, but it is a bit heavy for that. A good rider can even do some more challenging enduro on this bike but I lack the skill and desire for that. Motorcycle riders often customize their bikes to better fit their needs. I have added things like a comfort seat, windshield, and cruise control to move it more towards adventure riding to fit my tastes.
There is not really right and wrong, only trade-offs. For example, the Husqvarna 701 Enduro is not the wrong adventure bike, but it is not as good as a BMW GS for road trips or long rides. It is not the wrong dual sport, but a KTM 500 is better on the more technical trails. Some solve this by having more bikes. Maybe a KTM 500 and a BMW GS. Maybe a 300CC 2-stroke and a Harley road bike as well. Maybe add a trials bike too. All trade-off choices for sure.
Even choices such as tires are trade-offs. I choose DOT knobbies for my 701, such as the TKC 80's that came on the bike. I have also used Anakee Wild tires which are very similar. These are DOT rated tires with a knobby tread. The knobs are larger and closer together than a full dirt tire. This makes them handle better on the pavement, and last a bit longer than dirt tires. They get decent grip both on and off road but not as good on-road as a proper road tire, and not as good off-road as a proper dirt tire. They can do both, but are not the best at either. I need that flexibility for the places I ride.
The same applies to bicycles. I have a full suspension, fat tire, electric mountain bike. I prefer riding almost 100% off-road. Riding pavement is boring to me. I do ride some pavement as most of my routes will include some. I chose to add a 2nd battery to my bike to eliminate range anxiety and not limit my ride length. This combination of full suspension, fat tires, a powerful mid-drive motor, and 2 batteries results in a 90lb bicycle. Many look at this and gasp at how heavy it is. However, it feels like a feature compared to the motorcycle so I am quite comfortable with the weight. I don't like to ride real technical stuff anyway. I much prefer faster flowing trails. I love that I never have range anxiety. I ride as long as I want.
We each have our own desires, skills, perspectives, and wants. We each come to our own conclusions. Sometimes your skills and desires are not a great match so find a better match. In the end we each make our own choice.
