Motorcycle Safety & Driveability: Old Retread, bmw r 50, honda crv

Question
Hey, Pat!  I am 66 years old, rode a Triumph Thunderbird thru
my highschool years (walked through college!) and rode a BMW
R/50/5 for almost 20 years before I retired from work.  I am 5'7"
tall and the BMW was a long reach for short legs.  Due to the gas
prices (surprise!) and a bit of an attempt to recover some youth,
I have been looking at late model bikes.  Honda, Suzuki,
Yamaha, and Kawasaki all have V-twin cycles with low seats for
short guys!  How do I go about finding a "Retread" Safety course?  
What bike would you get if you were I?  I teach Judo and have to
ride about 50 miles on country roads twice a week to classes.  
Would it pay me to buy a bike?  My Honda CRV only gets 22
mpg.

Answer
Ed,

Good idea. The more the merrier, and when "seasoned" individuals such as yourself take up motorcycling again, it gives us all just a little more credibility!

I would take a hard look at Suzuki's SV650. Great all around bike, and they can be adapted (lowered, raised, handlebars, footrests, controls, seat, etc.) to suit your size ergonomically. The are great fun to ride, enough power to keep you entertained, lithe, very, very nimble, infinitely upgradeable, and get great mileage (40-50). Insurance is cheap and used versions are available for $2500-$3500.

Depending on how long it's been since you were a regular rider, either take the MSF basic course or their ERC Skills Plus (advanced) course. The basic course is about 15 hours with both classroom and riding instruction, the advanced course is about five hours, riding only.

Best of luck to you!

Pat