i’m right up the road in statesboro and i ride to savannah a couple times a month.
anyway, i’d highly suggest a ninja 500 instead of a new 250. they’ve been around forever, they’re nearly bulletproof, just as easy to ride as the 250 but has enough high rpm power (around 55 hp if i recall correctly) that you could enjoy the bike for years to come. parts for them are dirt cheap.
the kawasaki dealer in claxton has 5 or more brand new 500’s that they just can’t seem to get rid of, so i’m sure you could snag one up for cheap.
anyway, if you live nearby enough, i could help sway your vote with your old man that sport bikes can be proper for the street and for riding with cruisers. my mom’s boyfriend has a VTX 1300 and we get along just fine 
