Hey there all. I am a 32yo looking to move back into the world of motorized transportation and being a life-long cyclist (it really upset my Detroit-born dad when I wanted to get a high-end bicycle instead of my driver license at 16) I have decided to stop thinking about it and stay out in the open air. I have been doing a lot of research and perusing of things the last few weeks and have pretty much nailed down my decision to either a Dnepr M650 with 2wd (which I can get easily from Vostock by just going over Donner Pass) or an RE, leaning towards the C5 Military, but open to suggestion, and was hoping that some of you here might be able to offer some advice and answer a question or two.
The RE has a huge advantage due to being a new machine with great reliability, but I have read a bit here and elsewhere that they aren't necessarily the best for adding a side to. Of course getting the side added to it also jumps the price up to the cost of a decent used Ural (which I have also considered and not completely written off) and well over the KMZ.
The KMZ/Dnepr on the other hand is an antique machine, despite being completely restored and in fine shape it will require more frequent tinkering. A task which I have only a bit of experience, but am more than willing to learn. It (at least the bikes I am looking at) has the benefit of being 2wd, though I'm not sure how necessary that would be in the roads even with the occasional storms that get past the sierras and hit Reno. I am pretty sure that REs can not be converted to a 2wd. At least not without some serious work done.
Performance wise it seems they are in similar ranges with the Dnepr being specifically designed for the side and the Re needing some adjustments. Pretty much it seems to be coming down to is the reliability of the RE worth the extra cost as well as it being less ideal for a side than the antique bike designed for one. And sadly my budget currently won't allow me to just get both.
Thanks for your time