I disagree. I learned on the road almost 40 years ago and have never ridden a dirt bike.
how is France now for touring? I learned to ride about when you did. Here in South Carolina there is three times as much traffic today as in 1973. The big menace today is people operating cars while talking on cell fones. I think a motorcyclist needs far more skill today to learn to ride than when I learned as a kid. Even if you are experienced it is dangerous to ride in metropolitan areas today.