Wow, I think this is the first reasonable decision made by a new rider. Im so used to..."Im thinking about a brand new Busa for my first bike, whaddaya guys think?"

I think a katana is an excellent first bike.
It was my first.
1997 Katana 600. It was only $2700, and it was a great bike to learn on.

However, I would like to throw this out there...

If you are at the least bit well coordinated and/or if your are on the larger size/weight (towards 200 lbs, taller than 6 foot)....I think you may be better off getting something alittle more aggressive or something with more power....

Like a used R6, GSXR-600, ZX-6, SV650, or CBR-F4.

But, if you think that you may feel at the slight bit squidy or awkard on a bike...the katana is an excellent first bike due to its forgiving handling characteristics.