Be happy that you're in the US and not in europe, Australia, or even Canada. They pay a LOT more to get licensed and registered and then have to start on smaller bikes. It would take you a year or more before you could buy a 600. I'm not in Ohio, but I think you have an alternate option for #5/6. After you have the permit, bike, insurance, etc, you should be able to attend a Motorcycle Safety Foundation workshop and then you can skip the skills test. You take the certificate from the workshop to the BMV (or whatever you call it in OH) and they update your license. You might not mind taking the skills test, and I see you have ridden on a license in TX, but you can learn a lot from the MSF course. You might qualify for a "returning rider" session which is one full Saturday day rather than all weekend that they require for the beginners. Suggestion: Columbus is FLAT. Move to Marietta. Chris