My questions would be where you plan to ride and what you need the bike to be capable of. I would not be too much concerned with the Torque on a 250 in a cruiser type, its there without a doubt but unless you just completely lose all of your learning skillz its gonna be a non issue.
After all I have read and even taking the MSF course on a Buell Blast… I wouldn’t recommend it. For me 5’10” 165 lbs it was cramped. I felt like a little kid with his arms tucked in trying to avoid touching something gross. Not to mention that the Blast is plagued with recall after recall.
If you run sports bikes I definitely recommend under 600 cc’s. Most sport bike types that I have seen and read about are built more for quickness and nimbleness. Cruiser types…250’s are great starters but will leave you wanting more in a short manner of time. 500’s are a good compromise for starting and having enough to progress with for a while. If you are absolute beginner…..sit on everything you can, then leave the showroom before making a decision and be honest about your skill,s expectations, and needs. Staring at the shiny thing in front of you is not good for helping that process :^) .
I started on the Kawi Vulcan 500. Its short in length, low center of gravity, and relatively light. If I didn’t have significant others wanting to ride with me so much I would have kept her. She is very forgiving but has enough umph to keep the risks real. Very stable and capable at highway speeds and you have minimum worries with getting pushed by the wind. Parking lots and slow travel….she can weave and bob with the best of em. Think of it as a 250 X2 lol.
Really though you need to assess what you need and what you HONESTLY know. Then sit on the contenders and try and get the FEEL of whats comfortable to you.