[zx10guy]

If you want to get on two wheels, you need to view riding as a more difficult task over driving. Anyone with a pulse can drive. There's really no skill involved in sitting in a car, putting the car in gear as most people drive autotragics, pushing on the gas to accelerate or pushing on the brake to stop, and moving this round thing called a steering wheel. Even though doing the aforementioned is simple, most people still manage to screw things up royally. You have to keep this in mind. In my opinion, people need to be forced to pass how to ride a motorcycle before they get their driver's license.

The big issue you're going to run in to is there is so much involved in riding a motorcycle, the chances of something happening for a beginner is exponentially higher than even someone with years of regular caging experience. You'll be focused on just operating the bike which takes away attention you need to focus on the idiots on the road in 2 ton urban assault vehicles. You need to be pretty competent in operating a motorcycle to be able to minimize the risks of riding in heavy traffic.

I would suggest signing up for an MSF BRC class. The class is very structured and provides on range practice with very basic skills needed to operate a motorcycle. But you shouldn't just stop with the BRC. You should take the next step up with the MSF classes with the ERC which requires you to do the same skills set (with some additional ones not in the BRC) with your own motorcycle. There is also a class called Total Control Clinic developed by Lee Parks. It's more comprehensive than any of the MSF classes but not a full on track school. You do the drills in a parking lot setting. The skills you learn in these classes are visual acuity, braking, throttle control, etc.

On the type of 2 wheels to get. Since you mentioned scooters as an option, I would look at the Suzuki Burgman 400. It puts you on two wheels but lessens the number of things you have to master to get going; freeing up your attention as a new rider to focus on the idiots on the road. The Burgman are not the scooters people think of...ie Vespas. They're larger and require an M endorsement to operate as they'll get up to some decent speeds. They also don't require you to manually shift gears and operate a clutch. I myself am considering a Burgman 650 for leisurely rides that my full on sport bikes don't really support. The Burgman 650 will get up to 120 MPH and can transport two people comfortably along with decent underseat trunk space.