Originally Posted by franque
I'd just get a used Versys/650R and call it a day. I would also take the MSF course before buying/riding anything.
To expound a bit more though:
While any bike *could* be a beginner bike, or even something that you could transfer into, from my experience, the 600 sportbikes are what killed the largest number of squids, because there is no respect for the power that they have. Additionally, since the 600 market is basically dead (and considering the people who usually buy them), you're not likely to find a bike that's in good shape.
For a "beginner" bike, I would get something that is powerful enough that you aren't tempted to immediately sell it after two months because you're "experienced". If you get something like the Ninja 400/650, you would have enough power to go on the highway, and theoretically enough power to lose your license in a flash.
A 600rr is likely far more power to weight than you've ever experienced, and is quite dangerous in inexperienced hands.
Personally, I wouldn't even own one, not because I couldn't handle the power, but because I wouldn't handle it responsibly. For me, I have the tendency to use all of the power available, and the speed doesn't scare me, so I know I'm either likely to end up losing my license, or a smear on the side of the road.
Trust me when I say that riding a small bike as fast as possible is 10,000 x more fun than riding some sort of sport bike and either losing your license, getting killed, or being uncomfortable because you can really only use 30% of the total power before one of the first two happen.
I've chosen to limit myself to around 50hp for those reasons, which for where I live/will live, that's more than I will ever need, even two-up
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