If you weren't planning on your wife riding on the back, the 09 could be just the ticket (to get a ticket).
But riding on the back of an 09 (an FZ at least) is WAY uncomfortable.
Not sure about other bikes nowadays, but back in my day, bikes were much more passenger friendly. I rode with passengers on the back of my Kawi 500 Triple, Honda 750, Suzuki GS 1000 and Honda V65 Sabre all day long and they were quite comfortable. I sat as a passenger on the back of my 09 for a short trip and figured maybe for a little kid it might be OK, but not for an adult.
I'd check other models and weigh heavily toward what is comfortable for your wife. Some of these bikes have the passenger sitting so high they can see over the driver's head. Seems weird to me, but maybe it's OK.
I have noticed though, that to feel safe on the freeway nowadays, you need something that can QUICKLY get out of it's own (and other's) way.
So a huge part of your choice should include where you intend to ride. If you're going to do freeways, you need something with some poop. And the 09 has some. But so do lots of other bikes.
And, whatever you get, I suggest good blind spot mirrors, crash bars , really good gear (I wear a dirt bike striker jacket, shin and knee guards, Kevlar pants, 6D helmet) and steel braided front brake lines (rears don't really matter) Maybe even aftermarket front pads. And if you buy used, flush the brake lines.
I like this style blind spot mirrors, They're on a swivel. They might be a bit large, but I like large. They're also kinda expensive:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0170J3DZ2/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_Zv8TCb4A9AKYW
These ones are really cheap, but they're littlier:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NY1222X/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_gu8TCbFRJFD6Q
I still turn my head to change lanes, but really only as a signal to other drivers. Like driving a truck, you can drive with blind spot mirrors. And in really scary traffic, I don't want to be looking over my shoulder when the guy in front of me decides to stand on his brake pedal.
Good luck with whatever you end up doing!