Yep gotta agree with Sean, try them out, all of them, go surfing the dealers sitting on steeds you like. Like I said Ill let the ladies of the forums comment but you need something light, sturdy and something wont cry about if it gets scratched, trust me, your first bike will get dropped, everyone does it, getting out the garage, falling off the stand all part of the learning curve as Sean said.
In regards to gear, well as your novice I would say aim for stuff that allows movement and is cool, you aint going to be doing the speed of the light in your first year nor are you going to be tackling all weather conditions so I would say get a pair of Kevlar Jeans which protect you in a slide but allow you to move around stay cool and focused on the bike and an air jacket. These are in many forms but the basic premise is that it has armour in it, can withstand a low speed slide and is very light.
The one thing you must spend ya money on is Helmet, Boots and Gloves, no matter how fast you are going, where you are going these are the three things that take a battering in a bump. Spend 60% of your budget on a lid, as much as you can afford spend it. If you need any help drop me a PM or pop into the shop on a weekend and well help you out.
