Sean,
If you get the BCR you may want to follow some of the advice here an pull the fancy valve cover covers and put some engine guards on it. I have engine guards on my R12S so
WHEN I drop it it won't damage the engine. I know two of the more experienced board members have dropped their bikes in the garage within the last 6 months. It usually happens in parking lots, stop lights, places like that.
Here is a good beginner that you can drop all you want, and it won't depreciate a bit in a year.
http://kansascity.craigslist.org/mcy/685937683.html
Don't take anyone's advice personally, it is all based off personal experience and probability. You may never have an incident, but we were all beginners once, and it really hurts picking your cherry baby up off the ground, compared to some 3K POS you don't care about as much.
I personally would never recommend any bike with plastic on it for a beginner, odds are that it will get dropped, and motorcycle plastic is expensive. I recommend dual sports with no plastic to beginners, and it seems these days with gas what it is there are lots of beginners.
Good luck and let us know what you decide.
EDIT-
another
http://kansascity.craigslist.org/mcy/667165986.html