Wow, this thread has entertained my morning.
Everybody is different in what they want to get out of riding. Some people want practical economic transportation (don't buy hypersport tires, hehehe). Some people want a thrill (don't get carried away).
1. Take an MSF BRC before buying a bike
2. Buy Helmet, Jacket (with armor), Gloves (with armor) prior to riding. Always wear jeans and a solid leather shoe, better boots
3. Buy a bike and buy what you want. Take others opinions into consideration but get what will keep you coming back for more and not scare the hell out of you that you quit.
I say this because I started on an Fz6 crasehd that, total loss, got an Fz1, crashed that, fixed it up myself, took an ARC and then have loved it ever since.
If I had started on a 250 like many people have suggested I would have been bored, financially tied to something that would lose my interest. So, instead of my car only getting 150 miles on it during the first 5 months I had a bike before I sold my car, the 150 miles would have been on the 250 and I would have sold that.
As for learning to ride, you have the go side and the slow side. The go side is your clutch and shifter, the slow side is front and rear brake (and throttle for those smart enough to use it to control slowing as well). Learning how to engage the clutch and get the bike moving once grasped is an awesome feeling. I even practice the friction zone while sitting at stop lights while I rock the bike back and forth. I started it out of boredom and have noticed that I have better take offs now.