Completely new to riding

Alright guys im gonna be straight with ya. I know pretty much NOTHING about bikes, riding them, maintaining them but ever since i was little i was intrigued and fascinated by them. I have grown up around a relatively poor family so we didnt have much money for dirt bikes and other fun toys that i could have learned on and about.

However, once highschool is out I am joining the Army and i have a hefty bonus of about 35,000 waiting for me after basic. Well i would love to pick up a truck and a bike using that money.

So what will i need to get, i do like to show off so a nice bike that looks cool and can seat a lovely girl on the back would be nice. I like to have the speed but not use it...im kinda a chicken at high speeds but i love knowing i can blow past the guy next to me. I am wild...so anytype of gear that shows the wild side out there??

Also price ranges would be great to know! well thanks. Im gonna go wander around the site and see what i can learn on my own.  

Go to the magazine stand at your local Wally World or grocery store and buy everything with a motorcycle on the front. Take all of them with you to boot camp and read during your down time. Maybe by the time you have all that money in your sweaty hand you will have a clue.    

you sound like your going to be the perfect POSER!!  

I would suggest a vespa... Come on man your not going to a club. Gear that will show off your wild side? Your on a bike. Dogs will wail, old people will shake there fist at you in displeasure, and little kids playing in their front yards will stop everything to watch you cruise by.. When your at a stop light the guy in the eco car next to you will envy you in such a manner that he will reason with him self that at least he has a/c. Wild side= covered.
   Take your r&r when you get out of basic and do your self and every one else a favor and go to a riding school. They will show you a side of motorcycling that you would not other wise know was out there.  
   Good luck in Basic..  

AMEN!

haha, but on a serious note, it sounds like you really need a lot of learning to do in the world of motorcycle. it's not something that you just decide to do right away, because riding a motorcycle is one dangerous position you will have to put yourself into. You have to take it seriously- you should buy a bike because you're passionate about riding, and you're willing to learn everything there is to know about bikes, NOT because you want to SHOW OFF.  

You are going to be too busY for awhile  

buying a bike just to show it off is the wrong reason to get one, you're a classic example of a poser.  

Troll  

I dont think anyone has mentioned that having a passenger tolltally changes every apect of motorcycle riding. Thanks for your service and be careful man.  

Buy a Kawi 250 and learn how to ride or you are going to seriously hurt yourself. Take the MSC and then a track day or racing course. Then you MIGHT impress someone. Probably not the girls but maybe other riders.  

Here in the UK we have what is called 'Compulsory Basic Training' which consists of a couple of days with an Instructor riding about on a 125CC if you are old enough that is. I found it very useful and once you pass your CBT you can ride solo for two years, then it becomes void for a further year pushing you to go for your proper test. Although it is very useful it will not show you some of the things that you will encounter when riding a big bike, things such as carrying a passenger which was quite rightly mentioned earlier. It won't show you the hazards of riding a heavy machine in the dark or in the wet either. With a big bike comes big responsibilties and also big speeds and big bills if you aren't careful. I would suggest approaching the ownership of a bike with caution & respect as they can bite you as well as give you the thrill of your life. When you're out there, watch other riders and how they deal with traffic etc; you will see that there is a code of practice they employ that shows they are capable of posing at any time but the underlying thing on their minds will be theirs and other peoples safety. Enjoy a safe and responsible riding future because if you don't ride safe and responsibly, you may curtail your own future. We've all seen it and it's not at all nice.