The shaft drive UJM isn't dead, it just retired to Italy

In the glory days of the mid 1970s through to later 1980s, every single one of the "Big Four" Japanese manufacturers had at least a couple of UJM's in their line-up.
If you never heard the expression, UJM stands for "Universal Japanese Motorcycle" - a no bullshit, unpretentious, basic street bike that's just as good at getting you work every day, as it is for a coast to coast adventure trip. Such bikes came in many configurations - 2, 3 or 4 cylinders, air or water cooled, engine size varying from "medium" to "massive" - but most had one thing in common: they were available with a reliable, easy to maintain shaft drive option.

official Moto-Guzzi V7 promo image

As we all know, the "Big Four" have lost the plot years ago, with the market divided into dozens of individual niches and the UJM has gone the way of the Dinosaur.... but all is not lost! Step in Moto-Guzzi, and their fabulous V7 motorcycle.
This bike encompasses all the qualities that made UJM's so great - except it's made in Italy not in Japan.

OK so the latest V7 II model comes in three distinct versions (street, racer and scrambler) but really those are just styling options, the underlying mechanics are pretty much identical and all three make an excellent choice of all-round, everyday motorcycle.
This Guzzi doesn't really have any stand-out attributes -  power is sufficient, handling is competent without ever getting scary, the ride is comfortable without getting boring - instead everything is "just right".

Some might find the 750cc fuel-injected engine lacking in outright power, but that's not what this type of bike is about. Having said that a few extra HP certainly wouldn't go amiss - perhaps an 850 to 900cc version would be perfect in that respect.