Thank you all for your responses...you all have been very helpful.
MotoF150...BUSTED
...I think the only time you can call a bike a "girls bike" is if you see one with Hello Kittys painted all over it, or if it's pink. I actually had the Suzuki V Strom 650, SV650s and the Honda 599 and CBR600F4I on my list...but after reading TechBMW's detailed post for beginners, I quickly knocked those bikes off my long list. And yes, I always try to get OEM parts for my car...it wouldn't be any different for my bike...I would defiantly purchase the Yamaha windshield if the V-Star didn't come with one. Spare no expense on parts for a bike, the last thing you want is for something to go wrong when you're going 70+ on the freeway.
Lion_Lady...I agree with you 100%...if any salesman does try to push off something too big for me...then that's not the salesman for me. Obviously he doesn't have my safety in his best interest. I plan to keep my first bike for a year or so, depending on if I REALLY NEED a 2nd bike right away. Worst case is, I purchase a sporty bike like the Ninja 250, then find later that I'd rather have a cruiser...that's when I know it'll be time to purchase my 2nd bike...maybe keep both (if I have space for it)...who knows. People always say, "you will always remember your first". As for purchasing used...that's good advise...and I've checked CycleTrader.com...but you know what...it really depends on the model of what I end of getting...because for some odd reason, some people think the sporty entry-level bikes some how appreciate in value like baseball cards or something...I'm seeing 2004 or 2005 Ninja 250 that's either the same price if not more expensive than a brand new Ninja 250. I'm looking though...mostly at dealers...I'm currently apprehensive about purchasing a used bike from a private party since I don't know much about them yet.
DivideOverflow...yes...I just found out that you can put saddlebags and/or tank bags on a sport bike...I've never seen that on other sport bikes before...just some riders who carry backpacks. I definitely want saddlebags...but would much prefer the hard bags verses the nylon/soft bags. Do people actually use tank bags? I saw some pictures...and some of them look like they would obstruct your view or the gages. One of the reasons I like the sport-tourers, is not only do they have the hard bags, and have a sporty feel, but they also seem to ride quieter and smoother than other bikes that I've seen. They also have stereo, and other gadgets.
HandsomeRyan...Wow...thanks for the info on the Ninja 250R...sounds great...70+ MPG with a 4.8 gallon tank That's awesome...not only do you only have to fill it up when you reach around 300 miles...but it only costs about $16 to fill up gas (with the current gas prices)...where for the same mileage, it costs me $50 for my car. Does the 250R start to shake at all when you're going 75MPH? I heard that some bikes start to shake at a certain point. And thank you so much for that link to californiabikenights.com...that site was very informative...DragonHawk put a lot of time and effort in it, and it was very helpful. I especially liked the last page where the bikes are listed by degree of rider. I'm glad to see that all the bikes that I'm contemplating about are on his beginner list. And those websites listed...very cool.
cbm...thanks...this forum has been very helpful...and at times, amusing. I will sit on some bikes to narrow down my list. I still need to do more research and get more feedback on each bike. So far, the Ninja 250R has been the more popular and more raved. I haven't heard too much about the cruiser type/style bikes (except for the "girl bike" comment regarding the Classic).
ragin cajun...the flared fender look on the Classic does look nice...especially if you get it in black.
Vicki
I actually like the flair on the fenders of the Classic that the Custom does not have. In fact, the three bikes on my short list all have the flaired fender look.