Thank you everyone for all your nice comments..I have been asked so many times since Friday, what new bike will I be getting...to be honest I do not know where to start...I am going to start looking this week...I have Mini V up for sale....and need the money to buy another ...but I can tell you what I am looking for...

Sports tourer....comfortable....more sit up position than lying flat on tank riding position, panniers for touring....reliability, relatively cheap running costs....preferably with full fairing...

Anyone got any suggestions? THANKS!

600S or 1200S Bandit?   The world is your lobster, Rose!                                                                                                                                                                             

Like Maxnod, I may be biased and have a lot of time for Suzuki Bandits spending most of my riding on a 1200S. The new liquid cooled 650 and 1250 have a lot going for them too and they're not expensive although they've only been around for a couple of years. Also worth considering are the SV650 (a slightly bigger Vee), Honda Hornet 600 (there may be an S version) and in particular, cheap plentiful with a good rep the Yamaha Fazer 600 - get an older one with the Thundercat engine rather than the ones with the not very detuned R6 engine. All of these are good all-rounders which will tour, scratch and commute without fuss while not being too demanding on a newly qualified rider.

I can vouch for a Fazer as suggested by Cata, there aren't many bikes that have a full fairing with a 'sit up' position but Fazers are good sellers, very reliable, economical and dead forgiving if you're not very experienced. I got the thou cos i'm a bit too porky for the 600 and it's already outridden many of my mistakes!                                                                                                                                                                               

Hiya Rose.   You know my views on this hun!  VFR, VFR, VFR!!!   For a lot of newbies I wouldn't suggest something as big and heavy as a VFR, but I'm sure you'd be fine.   A VFR 800 or later 750 would serve all your requirements absolutely perfect.  Plus the uneven firing order sounds gorgeous!   They happily accept panniers if you want to stick them on, very comfortable and yet sportier than a Blackbird, which I know you love.   Ok, they ain't as quick as a Bird/Busa etc, but you don't want that and to be honest 160mph is pretty much quick enough for anyone.   Get yersen a VFR, you will not be disappointed.                                                                                                                                                                             

Anything that is fully faired costs more to maintain (got to factor in the removal of plastics to overall labour). Honda Deauville could be the way to go Rose youre used to hondas of that sort of layout big plus shaft drive (no chain to maintain = no muck and oil/grease flung all over the back half of the bike or the wheel) it's 3 quater faired to so most of you is covered and it's easier to work on!   Never owned one myself but have considered it as they have a reputation to be able to eat up miles and be ecconomical too, and legendery Honda reliabillity.                                                                                                                                                                             

Rose, you'll wish you'd never asked...by this evening you'll be swamped with well-meaning advice!
I've already bounced a few ideas off you, but I'll say it again so that other people can have their say.
They seem to have much the same ideas as me anyway: Fazer/Bandit/SV650. Deauville a bit bland, but otherwise ticks all the boxes.
Depends on your budget, too. If you had the cash I'd suggest you had a look at a BMW F800. You might find an F650 is what you want, certainly riding position is right up your street.
Anyone out there got experience of a Yam Diversion 900? There seem to be a few round at reasonable prices, half faired with luggage and low mileage. Supposed to be pretty bomb-proof and easy to work on (that's not a DIY hint, just means labour costs can be lower). Shaft drive, too.

Rose, when you come down tomorrow you can sit on Vinney (my SV650) ok he is fully faired, but you can get them without so you can see how it sits under you.   I am going to have him lowered just a touch for me as my feet are little tip toey when I am sat on him.  but then again I am almost a foot shorter than you hehheheh   PM me                                                                                                                                                                              

honda melody                                                                                                                                                                             

Rose,    you can have any bike you want with those long legs,,,,    take some bikes out for a test ride,  what  suits one person may not suit someone else.    dont rush out and buy the  first bike you see,  take ya  time and shop around   I really like my fazer,  but also like the 1100 dragstar,,,  but what ever ya do dont get a BMW.   lol                                                                                                                                                                             

 i would have to agree with geoff......vfr800vtec....would be ideal, performance, comfort and they sound nice too...perfect                                                                                                                                                                             

C90                                                                                                                                                                              

aint yu in debon or zomerzet geof?                                                                                                                                                                             

Like everyone else I carefully evaluate a choice of bikes based on practicality, insurance grouping, reliability, servicing cost, resale values etc. Then I see something shiny that shouts "me me me" and I buy whatever unreliable impractical toy has caught my eye.  Logic and sense just don't seem to go with bike buying, I find something I love makes up for the practical considerations.

i would say tho prof rosie is better off being advised of the kind of bike she should get as its her first big bike, rather than go for shiny and pretty, reliable and realistic would be better buddy                                                                                                                                                                             

Nooooo, go for pretty! You have to be able to pose on it or whats the point???? Practicality only comes with middle/old age IMO. Live dangerously and get whatever you like regardless of whether its practical or not, although i do agree with getting something reliable. You can do the boring bit later on                                                                                                                                                                              

Where dos common sence get involved in getting a bike See it Love it Buy it Then smile all the day long                                                                                                                                                                             

 No matter what anyone says, you'll go for a ST11, won't you! So get a white one with ABS, straight from police service thru dealer (no owners in between). They've been maintained to the letter of the service book, they're cheaper too, and far easier to get to work on thru the traffic, especially with the jacket that you wear!!!

I quite agree that we should all buy practical sensible bikes, one day I might even try that myself.  I believe these are known as "cars"                                                                                                                                                                             

Get your leg across a few and try them out. I would go with most others sv, bandit s, deuville etc but until you get a few miles on them it's hard to tell. My sis-in-law had sv650 and wanted my bandit s until she rode it, it was to smooth compared to her twin then she nicked her hubbies zzr600!?! she also wanted upright.