my ยด95 535 Virago gets between 50-60 mpg on a regular basis. It is a great starter bike. Anything 700 or smaller is a great bike to start with. A 250 would be good, but you will outgrow it really fast and want somethign a little faster. The 535 is something that you will outgrow if you want to go on road trips or spend a lot of time on the highway, but for commuting it is a great bike. In order to spend much time cruising you need a heavier bike and should probably look for a 700 or 900.