This was a question that paid off when I first got into riding so I'll ask it again:

What would you suggest is a good bike for a newbie?

I currently ride a 04 Ducati 749s on the street and love everything about it. Unfortunately Ducati parts (and virtually everything else involving these bikes) seem to be twice as much if not more than for the Jap bikes. I've been looking at mostly 00-04 GSXR600s and ZX6RRs in the $3-4k range.

Any input is much accepted.