I had a 96 Suzuki Katana 600 for a few years. Sweet bike, bought it for the same reason you said -- its a beginners bike, etc. Wished I would have bought an 1100 shortly after because as soon as you learn to ride, you'll wish you had more power. It's not about top speed, because all of them will do 100mph+ and really you can't do more then 120 on any real roads anyway. What you start to wish you had is more "umpfh". Anyway, I drove it for a about three years. In that time, I got rear ended once by a guy who said he totally didin't even know I was there (slow speed, he knocked my bike over and I kind of just fell off and rolled). Another time was worse, I was riding on a freeway around rush hour.. Semi truck put his left turn signal on and just moved over.. only problem, I was half way done passing him on the left. He pushed me into the ditch, I dumped the bike doing about 50mph. I was very lucky and just kind of slid it to a stop. I walked away, but shaved about a .5" off my helmet, gave my whole one side of my body some pretty bad road rash, knocked the mirror and turn signals off the bike, and gave it some pretty good gashes. I still have the scars on the my shoulder and forearm to show for it, but the bike became an engagement ring for my now wife.

Would I ride again? Definitely! Would my wife allow it? No. Would I probably hurt myself again? Likely.