A lot of larger displacement bikes are fine for beginners, and manufacturers DO make (and design!) larger displacement bikes for the beginner market. You’ve done the research and you came up with a list of three bikes that are considered good beginner bikes. I know I did the same research and found the same bikes. It seems that you like the sport bike styling. I prefer a naked standard, so the bike I got didn’t make your list. I really wanted an SV 650, which from all my research and interviews with owners, is probably one of the best beginner bikes ever made (discontinued now, but see the Gladius). I ended up on a 865 cc, 450 lb Bonneville, and I couldn’t be happier.
I think it’s really important to get a bike that fits you both physically (ergonomically) and psychologically. Do not wedge yourself onto a 250cc bike if it doesn’t fit you—no matter what anyone says. By the same token, if you’re a beginner, don’t strap yourself onto a 130hp 350lb rocket either.
Get the bike that fits both you and the purpose. You don’t want power to get out of trouble, you want power to keep you out of trouble. For example, If you’re planning on commuting on freeways, you need the power. You need the power to merge, you need the power to pass, you need the power to keep up in traffic, and you need power in reserve. If you’re commuting for distance, you need all of the above + comfort and protection. The _very_first_time I decided to take my bike on the freeway in morning commute traffic. I ended up on the on ramp behind a big rig and in the slow lane of the freeway coming right up beside me was another big rig going about 50 MPH. I was boxed in before I could even get on the freeway. I had to slow down, get in behind the big-rig in the slow lane and wait for an opening in the 65 MPH flow to pop into traffic and blast past both trucks. Make no mistake about it, I needed to get out of both those trucks blind spots and wind turbulence asap, and I needed power and speed to do that.
I’m 6′ 200 lbs. Maybe the Ninja 250 (that didn’t fit me) could have handled that situation. I’ll never know, because I’m not going to ride a bike that doesn’t fit me on a California freeway. However, I know the 250 I rode in the MSF couldn’t have gotten out of that.
Also, It seems bad advice to say that because you are going to have lots of bikes in your lifetime, get a 250 now and ride it for the next two years even though you might be commuting on a California freeway for a 60 mile round trip at a constant maxed-out 75 – 80 mph. There’s good advice here, but it’s not blanket advice. I started my bike search here and took the advice to heart, trying to abide by it, but I assessed pretty quickly that a 250 wasn’t going to meet my needs. Evaluate all your needs and yourself, take your time, be smart, and you’ll end up on the right bike.