ahh the age old question. I wont tell you which bike to get but ill tell you this. Do yourself a favor and take the MSF course first, learn the basics. Also think about where you see yourself after a while. If you get a smaller cruiser/sport bike then you might find yourself wanting something bigger soon. Dont let the sport bike image and the performance of the bikes scare you away, you can kill yourself on a scooter if you dont ride smart. Go look at bikes everywhere, find prices, sit on them see how they feel and then make your decision.