2012 Honda Silver Wing Entry LEvel?

I was 227 lbs when I got my Swing but I 14 lbs to 213 to improve performance on my Swing... ok, just kidding.

I think the Swing would be a great choice for you. Go to a dealer and sit on one for 30 minutes, move your feet into the front position vs. the tucked under you position, etc. I think you will find the body fit for your height is just right. Oh, wear your riding boots... at my height I find that the fit is fine barefoot, but when I put on my steel toed Engineer style Red Wings I really miss the 2 inches the boot soles take up. At 5'8 it should feel really good to you.

The bike accelerates nicely even with my bulk. 5'9.5 and now 213 lbs.... Someplace I read the specs said 0-60 in 11.x seconds...

I would not go with a less powerful engine / bike for highway riding. A guy I met got a 250cc motorcycle and traded to a HD Sportster because while he could get to highway speed he got blown around. It also takes longer to reach top speed and you are pushing the engine to it's limit. You want some reserve. If you want to ride highways I would not go with anything lighter or smaller - unless it is a 500cc crotch rocket... but you don't want that as a beginner.

I've had my Swing at 85+ mph indicated and the RPM was around 6000-6500 - red line is around 8000 but you don't want to get to it. At that speed the bike is OK but I also don't feel super stable. Part of it is I have a tall Givi windshield and I think a Givi AirFlow would be much better. The big windshield creates air resistance and the air actually buffets me from behind. A couple vetter vents increase the envelope a little but I still need to lean forward to be in dead air. I will be trying the stock windshield (Just found it!!!!) and maybe even a Givi AirFlow later this summer. Anyway, the bike as is with the tall Givi is great until about 60 - 65 mph after which I have to crouch forward, which is not fun after a few minutes - I want to be upright.

The bike is 500 lbs but that is slung low. Still, it can catch you by surprise and tip at a stop if you are leaning when you come to a halt. In motion it feels much lighter and I caught myself leaning way over when turning in a parking lot - just fun to toss it around. Just do it with respect.

BTW, the Speedo lies by about 5 mph on most bikes.

I bought my Swing ('06 with ABS) to learn to ride. I figured not having to shift would take away a big distraction and I could focus on speed and lean and balance. I'm glad I made that choice.

If you are looking at no-shift bikes that can go on the highway your main choices are the Burgman, Silverwing, Piaggio and T-Max. Honda will have a NC700x adventure bike out this summer and I plan to look at that carefully. I think the Burgman is the most touring oriented but a bit heavier than the Silverwing. I like it a lot, particularly for my body size, but also think it is much less nimble than the Silverwing and they are pricier, especially with ABS. The others don't fit my body.

My Swing was a good compromise: price for a good used one was right, it had ABS, it worked on the highway, it worked on local roads, it thoroughly confirmed my expectation that I will like riding and has me hooked on riding 2 wheels and becoming a "biker".