Great input so far thanks! I am anxious to get into the MSF class so I can actually be on a bike that is moving instead of just sitting on them. I am budgeting about $2000 (could go a bit higher). I am open to pretty much brand, Honda (I guess I picked Honda first because I have owned a little Honda bike, and a few ATVs and they have been 100% on reliability), Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki we have dealers in the area for the major brands in case I ever did need one to be worked on. I definitely would rather get a smaller bike and learn well, AND hopefully keep it in good shape. I really don’t want to drop a bike, or have a heavier bike on top of me due to lack of experience.
One thing I have noticed about price… not too much difference going on here, I called about a Rebel locally (turns out it was already sold), they wanted $1500 for it, it was a 1985 w/an undisclosed amount of miles. Is that a REALLY high price, or do these things hold their value that well, considering I have seen several 2007-08 models in the $2000 range? Will the price bottom out on bikes once it starts getting cold, or will the market for the 250cc class bikes remain pretty constant due to the already low-end pricing?