[Noah930]

I don't know if an older bike is necessarily a good way to be introduced to the sport. My first bike was 17 years old, by the time I got it. Reliability was an issue. It's a bit discouraging for a newbie to spend as much or more time wrenching than riding. On average, newer bikes will be more reliable.

Having both feet flat on the ground is tremendous.

I like the SV650 for a first bike. 500 Ninja (or EX500, as they used to call it). GS500E from Suzuki was also a popular entry level model. Baby Ninja from Kawi may be just a two-fiddy, but it revs to 14K, too. I'm not keen on recommending Ducatis for new riders for cost/reliability/maintenance reasons, but a 600 or 750 Monster is a reasonable place to start. There must be good entry-level cruisers, but I have no idea what they are. Whatever you buy, get used. It will be less painful if you accidentally drop it in your driveway or at a stop sign. And when you upgrade in a year or so, the bikes listed above can usually be resold for about what you purchased them for.