Fish on a Bike: Choosing My New Weapon

I have come to the conclusion that it is time to replace my 2012 Ducati Multistrada S Touring. I am going to record my thoughts, ideas, and (internal) questions as I go about making a choice. Think of it as my Kerouacian stream-of-consciousness novella to arriving at my next ride.

Let's start with a little about me and my riding. I am 6 feet tall with a 32 inch inseam and I'm 51 years-old, but a fairly athletic guy. I log about 6-8,000 miles a year, and this number has been increasing steadily. My riding:

• I commute to offices across Central PA, riding slab for 1-2 hours to get there and then finding fun, twisting roads home. I do this maybe 1-2 times per week, and this is one area I am looking to increase. I wear a suit and tie for client meetings, and will ride to offices, get out of my overgear there, then go to meetings with other folks driving, often, so I can get to my out-of-office appointments in good shape. The rides home are a beautiful tour of some great roads, and because a lot of people are on the highway and I am on the backroads, it's even better. 
• On weekends, I do 3-400+ miles at a clip, mostly on back country roads, around farm country, and through gorgeous forests, with lots of twists and turns. This is the meat and potatoes of my riding, but commuting is an increasingly larger part, as noted above. The guy I ride with the most is on a C14, and we are somewhat comparable in the twists, though he is a far better rider than I, and when he wants to get into it, he gets that pig up and rolling, then slows and waits for me in the "boring" sections.    
• Take longer (weekend) trips occasionally, on mixed pavement, mostly twisting or long, sweeping roads. I am planning on taking more of these (2 or 3 or more day) weekend jaunts.  
• I also log a 6-10 day 1500+ miler once a year. We pick a city or a state, things we want to see along the way, and roll out. I love this type of traveling, and it's where I feel the shortcomings of the Ducati's wind management. 

All of my riding is one-up, as Mrs. Fishr doesn't ride. It's cool. I am primarily a fair-weather rider, but Brad could find a rainstorm in Death Valley, so I try to be prepared. I like to ride year-round, even in Pennsylvania, so with some heated gear, I will get out in Winter if the temps are in the 40s and the roads are clear. I can wrench a bike, and even enjoy it, occasionally; I have a very good friend, Roge, who doesn't ride anymore, but, even when he did, probably liked this side of it as much or more than the riding. He's probably forgotten more about bikes than I will ever know. I like doing projects with him, and it is always time well spent.

So, I am looking for the "one bike to rule them all." There are inevitably going to be trade offs, I know, and I am going to set about exploring what those trade-offs are, and how they impact my decision.