I would say the Sportster is a good choice, and you can pick up an ´05 883 or 1200 now for a good price. I´ve had my ´05 for over a year now and love it. It´s easy to ride around town in traffic and I´ve taken extended trips on it. I think you would outgrow a smaller bike very quickly. We got my wife a Buell Blast (488 cc.) for her to learn on and it already seems too small for her. For more info on Sportys and who is riding them, check out the Sporty forum at www.xlforum.net.