Another CO Newbie

Hello all. Great site!

Planning to take the MSF class in a few weeks. Never been on a bike before and plan on doing it right (right class, right gear, and right 1st bike). This sight has been VERY helpfull in narrowing down the bike choices for me. Thanks for all the opinions/reviews. I will be using my bike ~70% commuting and 30% recreation. All single riding (SWOMBO won't get on one). My commute (50 miles round trip) has a fair amount of freeway, so I'm thinking that a 250 may not meet my needs. Thanks to the folks on this (and other) sites, I have narrowed my choices down to a few. Focusing on the Kawi Vulcan 500, the Suzuki S40, Honda VLX, or an old Yamaha Virago 535 of I can find one. Any other cruiser style choices I should consider that are truly Newbie friendly? I'm 43, married, and pretty responsible, but there is no sense in tempting fate by getting a bigger bike than I can handle safely.

Also, I have read the idiots guide and Savvy guide to MC and enjoyed both. Any other recomended general background reading to help me prepare for this new adventure?

Thanks in advance for your help and advice.