Newbie anxiety

This is my first forum post ever so ya'll be patient . . I spent most of the evening here at home tonight reading through the latest issue of SR and decided to go online and check out the site awhile . . I was taken back when I saw the headline about Trevitt and want to offer my prayers and well wishes to him and his family and the SR staff as well, this brings to the forefront a resounding issue among my friends about me wanting to get a Bike, you've all heard it before from your friends, "man you're gonna kill yourself" and other similar comments, aside from the delimma of which bike to get, I've gone from the Gixxer 750 to the Ninja 650R and reluctantly have started seriously considering the Ninja 250, I'm 50 yrs old and in good health, although not a big guy kinda skinny ya know and I'm struggling on what bike to get, the news about Andy's spill really kinda freaks me out, I have'nt ridden in twenty some odd years but c'mon ma don't make me get a little wheezer I want a real bike, I can walk into the showroom and just get a rush lookin' at all the RiceRockets lined up and baby they look coool and I'll be cool too when I get one ( I'm gonna catch so much flak from this I can see it comin') but honestly some of 'em just plain look fast, the VMax (no I'm not that stupid) just looks like a badass bike and I'm afraid to go within 10 feet of it, the 'Busa is ugly and beautiful at the same time but I've seen the after effects from a previous owners experince with hyper speed introduced to asphalt, it ain't the speed that scares me (necessarily) it's the sudden stop. I realize all this sounds kinda wimpy but every new or potential rider is thinkin the same things or they're lying, the thing is can a guy get a sport bike and after taking the recommended Riders courses, get on a bike and ride with confidence without having to get an ultra low cc powered engine, I was really set on the Kawa 650 beleiving it would be good for a keeper rather than upscaling every two years to grow with the level of riding experience?  

You should be fine with the Ninja 650R. Only your ego will need something more after two years. You won't.

Please read the newbie stickies at the top of this forum.

Life itself is a risk.  

Look hard at the KAW Ninja 650R, because of the riding position (more upright).  The wrist, back and shoulder get really sore in a hurry on a pure sportbike.  The 650R allows you the best of both worlds, as you can adjust your bars for a sporty riding position or more upright for touring.  Clip on bars at best can be raise an inch or so with risers, but still very low.  

Historian:
Look hard at the KAW Ninja 650R, because of the riding position (more upright).  The wrist, back and shoulder get really sore in a hurry on a pure sportbike.  The 650R allows you the best of both worlds, as you can adjust your bars for a sporty riding position or more upright for touring.  Clip on bars at best can be raise an inch or so with risers, but still very low.

. . . yeah this is one of the features that initially had me looking at the Suzi650 but the Kaw weighs less (almost a 100lbs.!) which was another consideration since I don't want to wrestle the bike to manuever it when backing or parking, that brings up another question though, what is the emphasis about a center stand, is it primarily for easier maintenance or some other reason?
Thanks for your input ..  

A centerstand is primarily meant to allow you to park the bike on a more stable platform than a sidestand. It does allow easier maintenance as a side benefit, however.  

Well my friend, I am 50 also and I hadn't rode a bike in years, I started off the beginning of this year with a Kawasaki Z1000 as to get the feel again. Last week I went out and got a brand new ZX10r and I like it a lot. I think it really comes down to what you feel like you can handle.  

I think it really comes down to what you feel like you can handle.  

The problem there is that too many novice riders let their ego do the decision-making for them, and all that does is put them on a bike that they truly cannot "handle."

Case in point, from the OP's first post in this thread: "I haven't ridden in twenty some odd years but c'mon ma don't make me get a little wheezer I want a real bike, I can walk into the showroom and just get a rush lookin' at all the RiceRockets lined up and baby they look coool and I'll be cool too when I get one..."  

Now we're getting down to the meat of the matter, I knew I was exposing myself to some degree of disdain by my comment "... and I'll be cool too.." but the reality is anybody, when choosing a bike or car or anything, is drawn to that one that further defines them. Ego and selfimage do influence our selections and I'm awed by anyone with the nuggets to sadle up a mega cc bike to "learn how to ride". A liter bike?, no I'm not ready for that but I also recognize within myself a hesitation to try something I'm not familiar or practiced with, "Even life has risks." was what I needed to encourage me to continue getting involved in this sport, and let me clarify here that I'm not even a newbie at this point I'm still just a 'wannabe' but I've got the fever and I'm trying to approach it with the deserved respect of the risks inherent to two wheelers.  Ultimately I support the theory of building up to your level of experience but I also have to consider the financial investments involved with buy/sell buy/sell, I don't presume to be an instant success on a bike but I'm banking on my maturity and good judgment to keep it off the pavement, I accept I'm gonna lay it down eventually but I can avoid it longer if I just keep my wits about me. Research has been the foundation of whatever endeavor I pursue and this forum and the Bike rags have given me a lot of insight to the sport and the machines, as I've been able to discern from these sources, 80mph is 80mph, it's how quickly you get there, how well you can control it and how fast you can slow it down that distinguishes one class from another. I'm not suggesting either that I've convinced myself I can 'read' my way to a skill level that will be beyond my practical experience, however it gives me something to build from. And then there's what appeals to the shopper, I just don't see myself on a naked or dual sport, dirt bikes are most enjoyed on open fields and mountain trails (neither are that accesible to the average Joe), cruisers don't really do it for me which leaves me with Sportbikes. I'm not a poser, I don't have a need to be seen, I'm not trying to pick up babes but I'm old enough (and perhaps vain enough) that I would rather start out on a bike that is larger than a 250, the industry provides entry level bikes and I trust the designed intentions of these bikes, it is a matter of what you beleive you can handle if you have the level headednes to handle what you have. I feel like I have the intellect and the agility to coerce the Ninja 650 enough to survive my abilities but there is always the unknown. I rely on ya'll to offer your advice and opinions and beleive me I genuinely appreciate your comments and objective responses so keep it flyin' and happy trails guys!  

"...but the reality is anybody, when choosing a bike or car or anything, is drawn to that one that further defines them. Ego and selfimage do influence our selections..."

"I'm not a poser, I don't have a need to be seen..."

"...and baby they look coool and I'll be cool too when I get one..."

Thank you for reinforcing my point.

"...it is a matter of what you beleive you can handle if you have the level headednes to handle what you have."

There's a big difference between what novice riders "believe" they can handle and what they actually CAN handle. They cannot possibly know about the capabilities of themselves or the bike until they have the bike, because they have no experience to draw on to make that assessment. Being able to "handle" a motorcycle-- especially a high-performance sportbike-- is a lot more than knowing how to brake, turn, and accelerate.

Sorry for singling you out on your statements, but I'm only using them to illustrate a point. Congratulations on understanding that attempting to learn the basics of bike control (and I'm not talking about stopping and turning in a parking lot) on a 160-hp literbike isn't the smartest judgment in what could be a critical decision for the future. No need for long-winded defensiveness.  

No harm no foul brother, it's part of the process for me to put things in perspective... I've put myself in the crosshairs for a reason.  

No worries. If more novice riders thought reasonably like you, we'd have a lot fewer crashes and lower insurance rates.