I've been riding for more than 40 years.

Short version (because I am at work at my groovy new job and need to get some stuff done):

1. If $585 is a lot of money to you, maybe a motorcycle is not the right thing for you right now. You are going to spend more than that on a new pair of tires, or having someone fix the repair/replace the brakes. Or you are going to spend that much when you fall over the first time, and have to replace turn signals, shifter lever, and a rear view mirror (not to mention plastic).

2. Your first bike should be cheap. Because you are going to break it. Probably a bunch. But if not, you still are going to learn on it, and then your mate is going to want one, so you can sell it to him cheap, and buy yourself a "real" bike. The Honda Nighthawk, any old Kawasaki KZ from the 1980's, any Honda CB that's less than 750cc and more than 25 years old, etc, etc, etc. Ask around. Tell your friends you are looking for your first bike. Someone knows someone with an old KZ500 in the back of the garage that they'll let you have for $500.

3. It really doesn't matter what you get, as long as it isn't a big 1000cc sportbike. Just get on a bike. Do your feet sit flat on the ground comfortably? Rock it back and forth between your thighs and feel the weight. Grab onto the handlebars and feel how your shoulders and back feel. Comfortable enough? Don't buy from someone you have zero connection to, like, off Craigslist, or whatever. Buy from someone you know, or from someone your friend knows. They'll be honest with you about the condition and problems with the bike. Then buy it.

4. Always ride with the proper riding gear. Always. Period. It's just that easy.

5. Ride as much as you can, away from the rest of the world. Residential streets. The warehouse part of town. Brake hard when you don't have to, so you can get the feeling for how the bike reacts when you need to do it for real in a panic situation. Use only the rear brake. Use only the front brake. Figure out how to stop before you start. It's easy to get bikes moving. It is hard to stop them. Work on the stopping part first.

6. Fix the shit that breaks. That's what YouTube is for. Take the seat off... just for the hell of it, and look what is underneath. Adjust the handlebars. Change the angle of the brake lever and the clutch lever. These all require you to loosen and tighten TWO bolts. Anybody can do that, but when you do, you suddenly will be way more in love with your ratty old bucket of bolts. Put a sticker or two on it. Make it YOURS. So when you sell it to someone else in 5-18 months, they can do the same thing and make it THEIRS with their own stickers and clutch adjustment, etc.

7. After you are comfortable with this bike, you will know what kind of bike you want to get for your "Real" bike. You will know if you want a cruiser or a sportbike, or a Thruxton, or a Honda, or a BMW, or a Ural with a sidecar. Right now you have NO IDEA what you want to ride. Yeah, you may think you do, but you don't. Ride for a while on whatever you can get your hands on. You'll figure it out. Then you can go buy the RIGHT bike for YOU.

8. Talk to every other biker you see. They will see your rat-ass piece of shit bike and love it. "Oh my god! I used to have a KZ440!! Damn... I loved that bike. But hey, watch this connection right here, because see how your foot has been rubbing on it? Yeah, keep an eye on it, or it'll leave you stranded in Tuscaloosa late one rainy night like mine did." REAL motorcyclists love motorcycles. All of them. You want these people as friends. They will have tools, knowledge, passion, and maybe even a lift, so when you want to do that chain replacement, you can call them up, go over to their house with a case of beer, and hang out and put the bike up on the lift and do it together.

Welcome to the club. Remember to wave to every other biker you see.