Looking into buying a sport bike.

That's likely a good starter bike if it fits you ergonomically, I like the fact that it comes with ABS. Bigger bikes are OK if they don't have too much power. An older twin like a EX500 S would be a good choice.

http://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/Gallery/Kawasaki GPZ500S 96 3.jpg

I should really add - get something old and scratched for your first bike, then it won't hurt so much the first time you go down.

 

I like the ninja 300 but yeah, might be a bit too small for your height.
but defiantly go check it out.

 

If you have a good amount of experience in the dirt then you may want to start around a 600cc bike, if you're totally new and have little to no experience on a bike, look into the 250-500cc bikes. As mentioned, the 'sport' and adventure bikes will be cheaper to insure than a supersport like an R6, CBR600rr, etc. so take that into consideration.

I'd say a good starter may be a new CBR500, FZ6R(de-tuned R6 with different chassis geometry), or a Ninja 650 based on your size, but a 300 ninja could get the job done if you're mainly looking to get in the wind and reap the mileage benefits.
A 250-300cc bike will net you 60-75mpg most likely, now a CBR600RR- I get about 42-45 from my cbr600rr (riding sanely). Keep that in mind if mileage is a buying point for you.
The HP ratings as I researched when looking to buy a bike(and my GF bought one) is as follows:

CBR250: ~30hp
Ninja 300: ~37hp
CBR500: ~51hp
FZ6R: ~76hp
Ninja 650: ~71hp
..........
CBR600RR ~110hp
R6 ~115hp

Clearly you can see the difference there between the true entry level bikes, the middle class 'sport' bikes, and then the middle class 'super sport' bikes sheerly based on HP. The numbers tell the tale and the attitude of each bike.
I would recommend looking into the FZ6R, and Ninja 650 personally. Insurance is a bit more than a 250/300, but still costs about 1/2 as much annually as a 600 super sport bike. Riding position is comfortable with a little more seat padding than a supersport too for commuting and those longer weekend rides.

A little back history- I picked a used CBR600RR this spring. My first street bike. I've ridden in the dirt on motorcycles and ATVs since I was 12, so clearly I have some experience under my belt and that was a consideration when looking at bikes. I almost bought an FZ6R, but ultimately found a good deal on my CBR and picked it up. I'm more a fan of Honda. My GF chose the FZ6R for her bike. She nearly bought a CBR500, but found a good deal on the 600 and decided she wanted a bike she would hold on to for years and be able to grow into(she has never ridden bikes). I had to adjust the bike to her size as she's only 5' 3"- lowered the fork and installed a lowering link in the rear to bring it down to her height, but now she has gotten pretty comfortable with the 600 and she's glad she chose it.

 

I had a 500 ninja for my first bike and it was great to start on. Im fairly tall and I felt very comfortable on it. It had decent power and was pretty forgiving too. Decent on gas as well. They made them up to 09 and they are fairly cheap. When I sat on the 250 I felt like donkey kong on it lol. way to small for me. Im not sure what the 300 is like though.

 

KTM will soon be bringing out their 390 Duke and RC390. ~50hp single. Just another new option to think about.

 

This guy makes some good points for the smaller (non supersport) bikes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-GitGwXwhU

 

Get a supermoto, may not be as fast as a sport bike but just as fun. Great starter bike and also something that never gets old. Watch this guys videos, http://www.youtube.com/user/TheGardenSnake , he has a blast on his. Oh and this http://youtu.be/eMfSyj5HjNQ

 

I'd say get a used 250-300 and just learn to ride if you're new but if you feel like you want to buy a bike that you can grow with and won't have to sell right away Honda just released a series of 500 parallel twins, the CBR500R being the sport bike version that I don't think you could go wrong with. It could last you a lifetime unless you get hooked on the bigger/faster thing.

2013 Honda CBR500R. They're about 6,500 brand new.



Only perks to buying a used 250 or something is being able to drop it or whatever and learn without worrying so much.

 

Start out with a 600 like a Yamaha R6. Its fast enough to smoke any non sportbikes and slow enough to let you learn the power sitting between your legs.

I personally like the R6 because of the above power limits and gains.

 

The always highly debated topic. I say to get whatever you like and can afford. The bikes don't make the errors, the riders do. If you're getting a sport bike for the image, or to make videos while riding around, or to save gas, maybe you should rethink about purchasing one. Get a scooter or a cruiser. Still very fun to ride. You can kill yourself on all of the above though, so its up to you. What I'm trying to say is that you can't justify needing a sportsbike unless you're doing track days. So don't let others opinions influence you. Get whatever you want because you just plain want it.

There's no track where I live. The only reason I got a liter bike is because I can. Will I ever need it? No. But how often can you afford the best of something? Not very often. No one buys a Ferrari because they need it. Its just something fun to run around on. There is no justification, really.
My first time on a bike was an '05 636. First bike I owned was an '01 R1 then I stepped up to an '05 ZX10r. So my first bike was a liter bike and I'm still here. Never rode a dirt bike before or anything like that. I was just very cautious, and rode and learned at my own pace.

Here's what I think is more important to tell you than what bike to choose. Attitude, it what gets most people hurt. Gear, because it doesn't have to be your mistake that puts you on the pavement. Tires, because when you only have two, you really have to trust them to hold up.

Good luck, ride safe, but have fun!

 

Also OP,

Get a decent helmet. The $100-$175 range will give you a great helmet.
Get a quality jacket with CE Approved padding. Make sure you have gloves
with knuckle protectors and then get heavy guage jeans(16 oz or better) or the kevlar lined pants or riding leathers.

People will not look for you, will not pay attention to you and will not see you at all.
Treat every vehicle as if they are trying to kill you and you should be alert enough to ride safely.

I ride in rush hour traffic and average around 30k-40k miles a year on my bike.
Make sure you wear your gear even if its to the convenience store 3 blocks away from your house.

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com has awesome deals and shipping is quick. Go to your local bike shop and try stuff on before you order online and I doubt the local store will be able to beat the Motorcycle Superstore prices.