If you have to have only one bike for riding in the mountains, the Suzuki DL650 should be very high on your list. It's cheap, powerful, relatively light, and you can load it down with a lot of gear. While it's not a true dual-sport bike, it is the better choice when road- or weather conditions deteriorate, which they quickly can when one is riding in the mountains.
I have a lot of add-ons (aka, Farkles) on my bike. The most critical is the luggage - I have basic Givi hard saddlebags - E36N's - and an E46N topcase with a backrest for my lady. This upgrade instantly transforms your basic Strom into a cross-country-capable hauler. I can load all three bags down with stuff, put my wife on the back, and we can GO.
A lot of people wonder about the power difference between the DL650 and the DL1000. I've never ridden the DL1000, but I can tell you that I've never felt slow on the 650. With my wife on the back, I'm not going to be hot-dogging it, anyway - not if I want everyone to stay happy! I weigh about 215, and my wife weighs about 115, so we weight about 350 with full riding gear. We probably pack close to 70lbs in the bags. The DL650's gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) is 926lbs, and the bike itself weighs about 450lbs, so carrying capacity is about 476lbs, and we get pretty close to that number on a regular basis. The goes up the mountains and down the mountains with absolutely no problems. Power and handling are still what I would consider sporty.
One thing people don't realize about the DL650 is that it has a greater carrying capacity than the DL1000 based on the GVWR - it even has a greater carrying capacity than the Honda Goldwing at 418lbs! Trust me, if YOU'RE bringing your wife or girlfriend, SHE'S bringing a lot of stuff!
Riding solo on the DL650, with minimal load, the bike really feels sporty. It's not as fast as the VFR, but it really starts pulling in the upper rev ranges.
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