I am old & grey and have survived riding motorcycles for 50 years, here is my advice.
Do not start with a sports 600.
Do not start with a 20 year old 'bike unless you have mechanic experience and a good set of tools.
Do not start with an Italian or British bike, unless etc.
In your budget have you allowed for a good quality leather suit, boots and gloves?
Here are three 'bikes, one Italian (20yo), one British (20yo) and one Japanese (2yo). Look carefully, which two are incomplete for maintenance and which is all in one piece and used for daily transport? Go on, take a wild guess!
After not riding regularly for about 10 years I wanted a new 'bike and a friend let me try his Yamaha sports 600. I had no idea 'bikes had become so fast since my 400/4 and knew I'd kill myself. So I bought a softie Yamaha 600 Diversion and had a couple of years on that until the fuel consumption was terrible and the tyre life was terrible -- because I was riding it nearly flat-out everywhere. Jumped to a VFR750 and found better fuel consumption as well as better tyre life. I was riding it a lot faster too, but not flat-out. Flat-out on a 750 requires racing rider skills, and jail-breaker skills because you'll be locked away, quite rightly too.
In the British motorcycle discussion groups there is an admonition
DFC! The first word is
Don't and the last
Crash. You may fill in the middle word as you wish.
Best of luck with finding the right 'bike for you.
