I would suggest getting a V-twin as opposed to the inline fours if width is a concern. The Ducati's are nice but a tad on the expensive side, I have heard good things about the Suzuki SV650 as a starter bike, but some here seem to be anti-Suzuki. I personally like the Honda SuperHawk, but I already have too many toys. Possibly look into something that does not have a lot of plastics, these lead to higher insurance, and since you are probably going to lay it down at some point, are expensive to replace. The cafe racers, half faired bikes are the best of both the street and sport bikes. I agree that you should stay away from the Yamaha R series bikes, they are just too much bike for a beginner.
