Welcome from Spartan Country Michigan!!
You got some good advice. I would recommend that you start on a small inexpensive bike and get a few months of riding under your belt. You will drop this bike! Get something you won't feel too bad for injuring! Once you get some experience, then you can get what you want. A lot of people start out on a Harley or a big bike. It can be done, but just remember these things weigh 600+ pounds, are heavy, and if you drop and scrape something, you have an expensive repair.
Once you get the bike of your choosing, get the factory service manual and the parts manual. Even if you don't do your own work, these are good tools to have. I also recommend a three ring binder to record all your repairs, maintenance, service, accessories. It will show you what you've done, when, and keep track of things. I also recommend getting a fuel mileage tracking app.... I have one called Fuel Buddy ( or maybe now it's Simply Auto) and record every fill up. I don't trust bike fuel gages. Know how big your tank is. Reset odometer to zero each fill up. Know how far you go on a tank of gas.
Yeah, lots of stuff, but you will need a bunch of knowledge, experience, and some basics to survive!!

 

Go for it 85 is no much. Just don't over do it at first, pay attention and don't let others dictate how up ride. On another that 600cc bike is almost just as fast as your 85 Hp. I see your from the Chicago area you will need that HP to out run the gun shots. By the way Welcome ride safe.

 

Man your full of it Jay I road with you at 85 miles in Florida. How are you doing old man? I think I will be riding down in April lost your number PM me

 

Will Do ...

 

The throttle works both ways.

 

If you can pick the bike up while it is lying on its side, you should be able to learn to ride it without any problem. There is a certain amount of physicallity (sports broadcasters' made-up word) involved in riding a two-wheeler. Stay out of serious traffic until you get your skill and confidence levels up. 85 horsepower in a Harley is no hill for a stepper. It is the weight to be concerned about. Good luck and let us know how you're coming along.

 

Read this. New rider and a big Harley. Lots of good advice and tips in the link.

https://www.hdforums.com/forum/the-g...f-ridiing.html

 

Welcome to the forums. My wife's first motorcycle was a brand new 1982 Super Glide 80 cu inch engine. I don't know what the horsepower of that bike was but she was 5'5" tall and weighed about 100 pounds wet. I taught her to ride it and she has been riding big twins ever since. Her last bike was a 2011 Fat Boy Lo and in 37 years she has never said her bikes had too much power. You use the same skills riding a 250cc bike as you do any bike.

 

If I read that right you already have the bike and want to be sure it's going to be ok. You've taken the training course which is highly recommended, so that's good.

Horsepower is what gets you in trouble with the cops, torque is what gets you in trouble with the fence across the parking lot. Harleys have a lot of torque right from idle speeds. Practice the friction zone with it, get it to move around your neighborhood or especially and empty parking lot, without the use of any gas. Then once you're comfortable, add a little gas. My first bike wasn't a Harley but had a V-twin and made 72 horsepower. The horsepower never got me in trouble, the torque almost did though (bike was cold and stuttered when I pulled out into traffic, my inexperience tried to fix that with giving it more gas, which launched me once the stuttering ended a second later)


The other issue you'll have is controlling the weight of it. Takes a little getting used to it at slow speeds. Once you're riding it's not an issue, it's when you're moving around a gas station or something.


Have fun, don't over think it. A lot of these concerns go away the first time you ride it. Be safe, get some good gear. Welcome to the forums

 

Keep your hand off the front brake lever when turning while parking. You're welcome.