I also have noticed that the mods seem to close a thread when they feel they are done reading it.....Not when the person that started it has gotten the info they needed. I rode back in 94-96. I had a bunch of dirt bikes when i was a kid and my whole family was bikers so i was naturally on bikes since i was a kid. Hince i started on a 600F2. I didn't give it the respect it deserved until it scared the Sh*t out of me one night when i get a little too cocky for it. I think thats the determining factor. A 250 or a 1000 can hurt you all the same. A bike will respect you as long as you respect it. Once you stop respecting it, then it will hurt you. As far as what bike to get its all up to what YOU likeand what your pocket can afford. I personally am just getting back into bikes after a long hiatous and am starting with an 04 R6. i don't suggest this unless you buy it outright. I called on insurance, for me 28 yrs old, been driving since i was 16 no tickets no accidents, and progressive wanted $7k a yr......The cheapest i found it for was 2.8k a year. This was for full coverage(because the bike was financed). I asked the insurance rep why and he said that statistics show they will pay out on this bike within 6 months(like some have said on here). So just something else to think about when looking for a bike. $7k a YEAR....For christs sake i have paid more in insurance in 2 years than i did for the bike