The 501 and 570 are a great platform, I'm the custodian for the one in the pic below, it's been in my garage for about three years now. They are INCREDIBLE bikes, IF you live where I do. But as you mention, even with the 6 speed gearbox, they were never meant to be long distance touring or ADV bikes. But it's still fun when my buddy texts and says go rip some wheelies on the 570, to charge the battery of course. He has two of them, this one is a converted FE, and he has a full HMC racing built FS 570 with no expense spared that is ridiculous. I've done plenty of 300 mile days on my DRZ, but there are no highway miles in that, again, just not a long distance bike in design, we see eye to eye on that one my friend.