Oh, another thing... If you do take one of the courses that are endorsed by some insurances for a discount, I strongly recommend it. I'm almost 20 with only about 4 mos riding experience, and with only liability insurance on a 20 y/o 500cc sport bike, the insurance is still nearly $300/year. Oh, and if you really do get interested and go through with all of this, it may be a benefit to spend an extra $35 or so to join the AMA if your insurer provides discounts for members.
jedi: you have a PM