IMHO there are two groups that the big adventure bikes fit into. The first group are those that can do dust road and offroad well, these are the GS, S10 and KTM
Then you have the second group that do tar well, Like the Honda CT, duke, and so forth.
It is a fact that 97% of the people who own bikes in the first group have never seen a dust road or even off road on their bikes. True story. It's also true that with will and skill you can take any bike anywhere.
For me the CT was the best of group two although it scored some points in group one. It suited me the best. That's why I choose it.