I've since upgraded to a liter machine, but the 1984 GS450 I bought and restored over the pandemic (predecessor to the 500) still has lots of OEM parts available, very easy to work on, I camped with it, and felt stable on the highway at 80+mph. Takes any kind of gas, and ran like a top even after seizing the engine (and doing the restore work myself). I had a lot of fun painting the tank myself, open to all kinds of fun ideas, and she was light enough to mildly off-road with.
However: suspension and handling have dramatically improved in the years since. Safety-wise, newer bikes are better, but the low weight and "good enough" disc brake on the front will do the job if you have less of a lead foot than I do. The several rides I did up from LA to San Francisco and back several times went perfectly, no safety issues, lots of fun.
I sold my 450 to a friend from LA a month ago, he rode it right down from up here in the PNW, no problem. Good luck, ping me if you have any deeper Qs as I've done everything from making new wiring harnesses, new seats to new front/rear suspensions for the bike over the years.
I just cannot believe, in spite of all the warnings we progressives have pointed at, we're really here at the threshold.
I'm not saying we've crossed it. But it feels like we're here. Maybe this is what the cuban missile crisis felt like for our parents, albeit on a smaller scale for us.
Is it? 😂