For a first bike I would an older 600 becasue they have less HP and are not as dangerous to learn on. My first bike was a Yamaha FZR 400 and though It was a little hard to keep up with the bigger bikes on the straight stretches I could catch up on the corners cuz the FZR handles like a dream.
I don't think there's one rider here who wouldn't recommend the BRC. It really is the way to go and there's absolutely no possible way you could regret it. As far as what bike to get as your first, there are many opinions, some much more sound than others. You'll find a wealth of information on this forum and would do well to engage yourself in a bit of research.