I ride a Kawasaki KLR650 every day-well as long it isn't snowing and the waife says "NO"-and love it. I like the fact that I can be riding down the asphalt and take a gravel or dirt road anytime I want. Gotta love a dual sport bike.
No real stories, haven't ridden much farther than work and back, yet. I did go with a couple friends on their ATVs and kept up with them all day in all types of terrain.
And, about BMWs. They are nice bikes. If I had the money, I would own one. Maybe when the kids get a bit older I will buy a big BMW adventure bike. Or the RS1300 street bike.