Honestly, TAKE THE MSF SAFETY COURSE!!!!! The motorcycle safety foundation has courses all over the place, and if you hurry you should be able to find a spot before the end of the summer (yes, they are this popular). The bikes are small (125cc) and also vertically short. At 5'9" I felt like a giant on these things. They teach you all sorts of safety techniques like safe stopping, swerving, riding over small obsticles, and clutch/throttle control. It's a REALLY great place to get started.
And even if you don't pass the test at the end of the course to get your license, I believe you can take it again the next year.
Good luck, and trust me.... I know what the bug feels like
