My progression of bikes was retarded and I would not recommend what I did to anyone. I am lucky to be alive, some can buy a liter bike for their first bike and get away with it, and I would not have been one of those people. Luckily I am old enough that my FJ1200 wasn't quite what these modern liter bikes are. My girlfriend has a 250 ninja that I ride as much as I do the 600. It’s a great bike for anyone starting out and beyond. I’m glad we have it and if we had to get ride of one of the bikes it would be a hard choice to make between the 250 and 600. Be careful what you wish for with the VRod you might not like it as much as you are anticipating. I had a Roadking Classic for three years and only put 5,600 miles on it because it didn't fit me well. It killed my back and shoulders, a backrest helped but I still couldn't travel far with it. I had a busa that I put 16,000 miles on in 15 months; the damn thing just fit me. I suspect that any cruiser would have been a problem though so this is not a Harley thing. If you get the opportunity rent the VRod for a weekend it might save you a lot of money.