tim wrote:gs500
Not as inanely stupidly idiotic as it may seem young Tim
Seriously though, having watched and participated in Tim's learning process on his GS500 I think that particular category of bike (including the ER5) is excellent for a learner. They have nice, usable power, they aren't the latest sexiest looking thing so you won't feel compelled to waste money modifying it, they are probably cheaper to insure than a zxrcbrgsx250rrrrrrrrninja, you can throw them down the road, pick them up and ride them away in most circumstances with a minimum of damage (ref Tim), they're really easy to throw up on the back of a trailer and tie down when you do crash them and can't ride away (ref Tim) and when you're ready for something different you'll probably get your money back (ref Tim). they are very maneouverable and easy to steer and on top of all that as your skills improve they'll keep up with most things on the road if you can ride it half well.
You can probably pick them up reasonably cheap which will leave you with more dough to spend on training or quality riding gear which you'll then probably own for 10+ years.
Good luck with it, it's an exciting process for a youngster.
It's really all about standing around drinking Dave's beer.
2008 ZRX1200 Greeeeen Roadie
2016 KTM Superduke 1290 Oraaaaange
2016 Seadoo RXTX300
Too many toys.......work is getting in the way!!!!