roland, nobody is trying to scare anybody, we all have stories of bad things that happen on bikes, I am named after my Dad's best friend who was killed on his bike, and my brother's best friend was run over by a semi on his Katana.
Point is, he asked for recomendations on a good first bike, and people were offering their opinions on a good first bike.
Personally, I would recommend a bike that is somewhat comfortable and doesn't have a really peaky motor, or one that has a lot more power than a novice can safely use. I suggest these things because that way he can get used to riding without having to really worry that much about the bike (geez, My first bike was a Yamaha YSR50, fits all of the above except the peaky part, but c'mon it was only a 50cc 2-stroke) and when he is comfortable with riding, then step up to a "bigger" bike.
