The more I ride my XT the more I realize I made the right choice. I simply love this bike. As a commuter or weekend adventure ride bike it does everything so well. Don't let the surging worry you, it's not a big deal on the newer models, and certainly no worse than other thumpers on the market. Once you start tracking down some aftermarket bits for it you'll realize just how good the bike is. I was worried about lack of info and support for it, but that too was unwarranted. If you've ridden a DR650 or KLR then you'll certainly know why the XT is worth the extra dosh. Only complaint I have is the weight, it's a beast, but all the 600+cc thumpers are. This is truly a bike you could ride for days and days on end.