I think im gonna go with the yamaha r6, those things just look badass.. 600 seems like a good beginer bike?
Anyone actally have one?
How do they sound, performe, etc
i have 2 friends with r6's. one is an '03 injected model with a d&d pipe, the other is a 99 carbed model with a yoshimura pipe.
very comfortable bike, i personally like how 'flickable' they feel because its a lightweight bike and very easy to lean. my friends are both beginners, near 185lbs too and they've done just fine. i will say the d&d pipe is a little too obnoxiously loud for my taste, but the yoshimura sounds great.
i dont think its a bad first sport bike, being a 600 its power comes on very high in the revs and often as a beginner you're leary of pushing it into the double digits on the tach. much easier than my first bike, liter sized v-twin with power that came on just about anywhere in the revs and torque monster up the ***. just keep in mind that the power comes on late and somewhat quick so you're not in trouble over-throttling through low revs and then hit the powerband under a lot of throttle and get caught off guard.
another thing, get the most badass helmet you find, custom paint it even so it makes you even more wanting to wear it. its important it really is, i'm lucky to be alive right now, you can see my thread in the lounge called 'bike crash' to see what i'm talking about.
good luck, its a great sport and great amounts of fun in the summer, i dont regret riding one bit.