It amazing how often this question comes up. I ridden many bikes of all kinds. It all comes down to the styling you like and how comfortable you feel when yousit on it. Don't get all caught up in the which is faster bs. A fact that many easily forget is that the difference between a lap time of a 600cc and a 1000cc bike at any major road track in america will be less than a couple seconds of each other. Now if you look at the 600cc or the 1000cc tims between their respective competiors the lap times are within tenths of a second. I don't know how many times these bike mags have covered this, but its enough to make a dead horse raise up and say that's enough.
For the street its especially a moot point becasue for one you will never ride a bike to its fullest potential. Two, very few people will be a good enough rider to get all the performance that's in a bike. And thirdly it will end up coming down to the rider in a stock for stock situation.
If 600cc bikes and 1000cc bikes all can track a time that is relatively close to each other then there isn't much debate over which one is fastest or better. Its all in the looks man. Whatever get you heart pumping is the bike you should buy. They are all reliable bikes that shouldn't let you down. They all have their own little personalities. Some people bitch about how they don't like a bike, but usually that comes from learning on a different manufacturer. If you are starting out any bike you choose should fit you well.