This would be a good answear to heed.

 

Hi! I am a newbie here. I took the MSF course in October!!! Worth every cent! I feel it should be mandatory for anyone new to the motorcycle riding world! As far as what bike to get? That's a hard one! I bounced back and forth from a Sportster to a Low Rider!!!!!! Finally decided to go with the 2006 Sportster 1200 Low! It just felt more comfortable to sit on and I felt the weight felt better to me. I grew up with a family that did a lot of riding but I had never actually been the "rider", so took the plunge! Of course, have to wait until Spring to ride it and it's killing me! It is actually sitting in the livingroom though and I sit on it periodically to watch TV! Crazy woman that I am! Oh well, I'm just a country girl!

 

Brady-

Welcome to the forum!! I'm also in the camp of get what you want. I'm 45 and just got my very first bike. Rode a few hours on smaller stuff when I was in college. Went to the HD Rider's Edge course in August and bought a Softail Deluxe in October. Have been cautious in where and how I ride - am starting to feel pretty comfortable and really love it.

 

Brady, I'm 64 years old, hadn't ridden in 23 years, took the MSF course, bought a Heritage Classic and rode off. I've ridden 13K miles in 7 months, been across the country by myself. My opinion is, buy the machine you want and learn to handle it. There's nothing wrong in being just a little bit intimidated by a heavy bike. You're young and will learn quickly.

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Welcome from New Zealand. Start on a smaller bike, I like the idea of renting one for a period and then you can evaluate how you are doing at your own pace.

 

welcome

 

Welcome. You will find that we are divided just about 50/50 on this issue. Do a search of "new rider" or something like that and you will find lots of interesting reading.
Personally, I am in the camp of buying something much smaller and cheaper USED, getting used to it and within a few months to a year getting the bike you really want. Buy the used one in Feb, or Mar. and you can prob re-sell it for as much or maybe even more than you paid for it in April - June.
Now do not be confused by engine cc's. Some metric at even less than 1/2 the cc's of a 1450 Harley are definitely not "beginner" bikes. I'd suggest something in the 250 - 500 cc range.
Now having said all of that, you will find most Harleys easier to ride than most metrics that are anywhere nearly compatible. That is my personal opinion only. Harleys have more low and mid-range, lots of torque and don't have to be taken up to the top of the power curve to achieve great results. While a metric may be mowt comfortable in the 6000-8000+rpm range, your Harley is ready to shift at 4000+. Also Harleys, although heavier than many metrics just seem to want to stay upright and stable. Yes, they like twisties too, but they're really great at just cruising at almost any speed from 30-100mph.
Just my $.02 Best wishes, Art