I was in your same exact situation last December my friend. I just saw a Ninja in the paper for sale, in the dead of winter (I live in Nebraska) and thought, hmmmm......I'll buy it now, and if I don't like it I can always sell it when summer hits. I had not even came within 10 feet of a street bike before. At first it was kind of intimidating, as there were alot of things to pay attention to. I think the thing that helped me the most was that the car that I own is a 5 speed, so I was used to operating a clutch. The rest is just basics of how to shift and where the brake levers and such are at. All I had to do was get on and give it a shot. Granted, at first I went VERY slow to get used to it. I must have looked like a panzy to all my friends, but to me it felt like I was flying. Then I got a bit more used to it and that was all it took. I love the bike now, and there is NO way I'll be getting rid of it as I had thoughts of in winter. Have you ever driven a vehicle that was a stick? If so, I'm sure you'll catch on quickly. Best of luck!
