As for the comfort I’m all for that. I’m not concerned with strength as I am in shape.
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Like I said, you won’t be particularly comfortable on a street bike like the SV … and you can see that for yourself if you just go to Fun Bike Center, sit on the bike, and try to push it around.
One of the scarier experiences of my life was riding my SV from the dealership in Kearny Mesa to UTC. And I had 5000 miles of experience on a smaller bike. I’m 5’6″ too. Made it without crashing, fortunately. I can’t imagine doing that without any experience at all. Later I had to find a motorcycle parts place and learn to replace the brake lever. Turns out that it’s real easy to drop a 450 lb bike if you can’t flat-foot it. And when you drop it, it often falls on the right side, hits the pavement with the brake lever, and breaks off a little ball on its tip. Fortunately, the lever was easy to replace and cost something like $15. I ended up replacing it at least three times in two years I had the bike.
You could get a light cruiser while you’re learning, something like Honda Shadow. It will be more comfortable and you won’t have to worry about dropping it, or getting thrown off the bike by an accidental jerk of your palm.
