I'm 61 5'10" and 175lbs, and in good health. The week after I'll be off "shopping" and til the weather gets bad,(Chgoland), practicing. I'd LIKE to get a list of bikes,(who makes what, by engine size), and recommondations. Maybe a little leary right NOW about "the highway", but, you guys/gals are the experts. ANY advise would be GREATLY appreciated
Thanks,
        Don  

I gather you have no experience on a motorcycle? If not, how confidant and skilled are you on your bicycle right now, when you go out into heavy traffic? What use do you intend for the motorcycle? Different styles of bikes are better for different uses.

regards,
Joe  

To and from work, which involves some 50 mph traffic. Then the highway, after I get enough experience. I've ridden a regular bike all my life, and in the '70s I had an old Sears scooter, which did about 45. I'm not going to be going into traffic, until I feel confident in doing so.

                  Don  

Okay, the two wheeled experience reduces the need to start out tiny and work your way up. On the other hand you'll find it easier to get used to the handling if you avoid the larger bikes and those with an extreme amount of trail. Anything in the vicinity of 500 cc can be expected to still have plenty of acceleration to get you out of trouble at interstate speeds, although only the heavy bikes will be comfortable if you get to the point where you are trying to spend hours on the interstates traveling.

No matter what bike you get, at this stage, you're likely to start wanting to replace it fairly soon, so don't put a lot of effort into trying to find the perfect bike.

That scooter probably had a very weak front brake. A good front brake on that style of scooter means it's easy to flip the scooter over headfirst. Motorcycles have much better front brakes and you have to use that front brake much more strongly than on the old scooter.

Cruisers are less maneuverable than any other style of bike, but they do have advantages for the new rider. They put more of the weight on the rear wheel than any other style does. That, plus a fat rear tire, gives them more stopping power for people who haven't yet learned how to really use the front brake. On the other hand, if you pick a cruiser with less than 4 inches of trail, you'll be surprised to find it handles nearly as easily as a standard bike. As the amount of trail increases, the bike feels more top heavy and even a light bike can feel heavy and awkward at slow speeds when you are dealing with 6 or more inches of trail, but the increased trail makes it feel more stable for straight line riding at highway speeds.

regards,
Joe  

Live and learn.
I've never seen trail quantified before, but, it does track what I've hit by riding various bikes.