I recommend the MSF course... ya know, the motorcycle safety course, where they give you the bike to use and stuff. It helps on insurance, and gives you your license if you don't have it already. And you get some really good pointers. I jumped from that course to my R6 and was fine. Scared the first time (on the R6), but I was still fine. I only laid mine down, b/c I was dicking around and showing off, thankfully, it was in the grass and didn't hurt anything.
-Solace
-Solace