my first bike was a gixxer 750 (it was yellow so it was extra fast h: ) ,..then i sold that and got a hayabusa,..both these bikes are WAYYYYY to much for a beginner (even though the 750 was my first,..i never dropped it or got really crazy on it till i got experienced with riding),..now im bikeless ,..was thinking about buying the busa back because i sold it to a friend of mine and he told me i could buy it back if i want to,..problem is my girl wants to ride and she cant hold the busa up :happysad: (yes she knows how to ride,..i taught her ) ,..all the things people are saying in this thread is good stuff,..take the course,..get the gear,..buy a bike that isnt over a 600cc,..get use to riding and if you feel comfortable then sell the 600 and upgrade,..but if you just want a bike to ride around on , on a nice day,..stick with the 600 or lower because insurance will be cheaper and they are fast enough to just go crusing around on,...oh and the way i learned how to ride was on a dirtbike,..you can drop those with pretty no damage,...once i learned on the dirtbike,..thats when i bought the gixxer