[SafetyFirst]

For a larger beginner, the Ninja 500 would be fine. The Ninja 650 would probably be a better idea since it’s FI and is only about, what, 40 pounds heavier than my 03 250, which is very acceptable considering it has 2.6 times the displacement.

The Katana is air cooled, which is a bummer. I don’t know if anyone has had problems with overheating. It’s also an I-4, so it could scare a newb if the throttle hand gets greedy.