If you looking at Sports Tourers and have the money then look at the F800ST. Very nice comfy bike, and very frugal when it comes to fuel.
I have a back collection of Ride and Bike going back a couple years if your interested in any partuicular bike, I can plough through and look for reviews.
I was reading about the storm in Bike. It gets a good write up actually. They seem to like it a bit more than the Varadero.
i really like the v-strom’s riding position
would be great as a second bike for winter riding, just got to sell the other kidney and its a goer
It’s a nice bike.
As I said at BMM fairing helps, but you can still do loads of miles on a naked bike. I haven’t actually been to Scotland on it, but I bought it down from the Lakes to London and even doing a tonne plus on the motorway, its not that bad. You might have to make a couple of extra stops on the motorway to stop from getting achey when lent over the tank, but on normal roads I never have any problems, and when touring you’re going to want to be riding decent roads rather than motorways.
i am biased but you can’t go wrong with the Yamaha FJR1300
Big bike but completely effortless to ride and would suit pretty much anyone
Tank is huge and if driven sensibly you will get 250 miles between fills
Loads of storage and the electric visor is great when it gets a little wet
Brakes are assisted and can stop on a penny
Also for a tourer it is incredibly fast if you wish to open it up a little
if you want more details mail me
BBO
On the 1300 ticket I have a soft spot for this bad boy
But that might be a bit of a reach for a first big bike 
Doc…
Re: the nakeds - I’ve had mine now (street triple) since Feb, done about 1800 miles on it and i guess it depends what you are going to do on the bike… I love the street triple, the triple is a lovely engine, and does everything i want it to do…
I dont like riding on motorways at all, it bores me senseless - but at 80+ on the motorway it can get uncomfortable just because of the blast, but I’m a fat bastard so might not be as bad with you! 
The new 600 hornet is a nice looking bike - and I think the 1000cc version is out now too… it was nice and easy to ride too…
The fazers (600 or 1000) are also nice bikes and better suited to the motorways me thinks with the semi faring! + if you shop around towards the end of the month you can get some monster deals! I got offered a brand new FZ6 (unfaired) for 4k which i thought was a decent deal.
I didnt ride the ER6 when i was looking, but its a good lookin bike - surely someone on here must be able to give the low down on it!
Get test riding! best way to find out what you like and what feels good!
ER-6 gets great reviews and makes a lot of sense as the next bike. Also felt really good to sit on although I’ve never ridden one so I don’t know.
if you want to tour, any bike that you can sit on for 2 hours at a time for 4-5 hours a day will do, if you want to tour fast for 8+ hours a day in any weather then you can do it on any bike, but I would go with a fully faired bike, preferably with fixed luggage, the last of the bandits came with this option, the diversions were allways a good bet. the kwaka concours (GTR1000) are also worth a look.My own preference should be obvious it all depends on what your needs and budget run to, personally I would veer away from a highly specialised sport bike if touring is your interest, especially if you lack experience, as the power delivery can be a bit sudden 
a good touring bike should be relaxed in power delivery to reduce rider fatigue, the handling should also be more relaxed otherwise you will wear yourself out trying to keep it out of the kerb/middle of the road Nick Sanders can go around the world on an R1 but he is 5ft and change tall and built to suit! most people who try it chose something else:D the main thing is what are you going to use the bike for the rest of the time? all life is compromise and bikes are no exception 
ps the ER6 would probably be an ideal first bike for touring if they still do the fully faired version, and you can get decent luggage for not too much.
slightly older but try a zzr600
SV’s
i have done 347 miles in one day on mine! with a pillion, the LB france trip…
twas fine, a little cramped, but i did have a pillion so i couldnt exactly stretch out a bit!
it felt fine really, little bit of a numb bum, but i think that distance, most bikes would hurt your ass! my wrists werent too achy. neck was fine on teh day but…
teh next day hurt a bit, but mainly my neck!
had no probelms what so ever from the SV…
Here here!! I rode from London to Livorno Italy, did 1300km in 2 days round sardegna and regulalrly do long weekends away averageing around 1000km a weekend minimum, all on my trusty CBR 600F. Does around 200km to a tank more or less, comfy as hell and also good fun on the twisties… 
Did you really just type all that without realising caps lock was on ? :PAnyway, a bike for decent mileage. A 'busa of course. :DWith hard-wearing tyres of course…
As I said at BM had one as a courtesy bike, quite funky, reasonably swift and torquey and great around the narrow lanes, good fun in fact, but not sure about long distance, might be a bit vibey. You’d need to try it.
The Triumph Sprint was the VFR’s crown stealer. I got 172 miles on 14.23 litres on Saturday, with a 21 litre tank, so I had 6.8 litres spare… Well over 200mile tank range. Seriously, just because it is nearly a litre should not put you off test riding it. Very competent and not likely to bite your hand off…!
Having just made a similar decision, this was my experience. I hope it is of some help…
I wanted a machine that would comfortably take me up and down to Scotland - I do the trip once a fortnight.
I settled on a Kawasaki ZZR1100 and I adore it - very effective fairing, amazing engine and good economy and a comfortable riding position especially when fitted with bar risers. With panniers and a top box it’s not short on space.
It took me a few weeks to really adapt to the bike - wrists and hips especially - but I now find I can do a tank-full (200 miles) before I need to stretch.
However, I’d also very seriously considered a Pan European 1100, Yamaha FJR1300 (a gorgeous bike but still expensive), the old Kawasaki GT, Yamaha GTS1000 (if you can find one), Triumph Sprint ST, Honda Blackbird and the BMW 1150RT. Tried most and I think I could have lived happily with any one of these. If, like me, you’re tall then don’t even think about anything smaller unless you enjoy pain.
And as a woman who spent a grubby hour on saturday cleaning the chain, I’d suggest that shaft drive has a lot be said for it, too!
Kathy
A Blackbird.
gotta agree with hawnet get a blackbird
Love the CB1300s, would definitely have one as a second bike for the summer. Far to nice to ride through the salt during winter.
Have you seen this years model with frame painted red
