The new (Hinkley) Triumph Bonneville (post Y2K) is an excellent motorcycle and is just about perfect in terms of versatility in a street bike. It’s narrow and maneuverable enough for lane-splitting and in-town riding, and, although I’m not suggesting that you do it, it can cruise on the freeway at 80 or 90 no problem at all (~110 mph top speed). I’ve owned one for the past 18 months and ride it 5 or 6 days a week, so I admit to being more than a little biased 
You have the option of sitting bolt upright for comfort and visibility, or you can go into a sports crouch to minimize wind resistance and look like a cool cafe racer if you want The bike’s not super fast (0-60 in 5 seconds), and that’s a good thing. Power delivery is smooth and even (no unexpected power surges) and it’s very stable, predictable and easy to ride. The engine has counterbalancers so on the highway, it’s almost as smooth as a four cylinder.
I wouldn’t recommend it (or any 800+ c.c. bike) as a first bike though. It’s quite heavy (500+ lbs?) , but once you have some experience, that can actually be a plus when riding on the freeway in strong winds (my commute is 35 miles freeway each way); the weight helps to keep it planted.
You have nothing to fear on the reliability front; these thoroughly modern (but retro looking) bikes are *very* reliable. They come with a 2 year warranty and get admired everywhere they go…
