ideally, buy a 150 cc as a starter, and remember that you're still having baby steps until you complete 800 miles and you are still a novice until your first 8000 miles are done. During that time, learn to countersteer, to control the bike at slow speeds, on the curves, on straights and to keep your balance when you brake (many times bikes rears can shift to the left or right depending on the make), take progressively longer distance rides.
Once you complete 8000 miles do a long, multi-day trip where you spend 8-10 hours on the journey. At the end of that, you should "feel" the bike
Only then move on to a bigger bike (300 cc or larger).
I stay away from Goldwings like the plague, they are too wimpy in my opinion, more like padded lounge-chairs and not too good on curves.
After you've completed the 8000 miles on the starter bike you'll figure out what type of a rider you are, there are basically 3 kinds: commuters, speed demons and cruisers with most folks having a healthy mix of each but tending more towards one side or the other. I'm a mix of speed-demon and cruiser (I love continuously going at 100+ and love the curlies on mountain sides) -- more a cruiser as I like to take in the countryside.
Based on that choice, you can choose the proper bike for you -- a pure cruiser, you can't beat a Harley. For a sport-tourer (speed and cruising, yet able to cut a sharp turn in traffic), the best are Triumphs or BMWs), for speed you have a huge choice -- japanese or European.
Can you talk to my wife for me? ;-)
Thanks for the recommendations but we just had our first child in November and even though I’m worth more dead than alive I doubt she’ll let me get one.
Mind your comments about Goldwings. Last time I was riding on the Dragon a rider with a yellow wing was putting many crotch rocket riders to shame. Its the rider, not the bike