They are related and you’ll have all the skills to get your balance and get the bike moving but I think maneuvering safely on the road is a little different set of skills. Thats why everyone here recommends taking a saftey course geared towards the road. If you are on a military base, you might even be required to take one before you can ride on base (I know Groton Naval Base requires a person to complete a rider saftey class before being allowed to ride on base)
Why not look for an enduro aka dual sport? Then you can have the best of both worlds, on and off road!
I’m still trying to get my hands on a yamaha tw200. It’s a great little enduro with these huge fat tires. The bikes are just pure fun, but aparently no one in CT is willing to part with theirs for a reasonable price
Crash has a drz400 that he described as giggletastic I beleive.