Possible future noob with some questions

Hey all,

Been debating getting into learning about motorcycles, as well as getting one for years, but never really got around to it until recently. Before I start, I do not have a motorcycle license yet, and have not taken any classes yet. Mainly just doing my best to do some research and gain as much knowledge as possible before getting started. I'd rather go into everything with as much insight as possible. I'm hoping I could get some info from the more experienced people out there.

While I'm not completely oblivious to how to ride (I have ridden smaller dirt bikes fairly infrequently in the past), I have zero experience riding a full size motorcycle, so it seems like a bit of a daunting task to me, and I have a few questions.

• I've read a lot of information in regards to how to steer/turn a bike, and I'm just a bit lost here. I understand that it involves a combination of countersteering/leaning, but I don't quite get it.

• How can pushing the handlebars to the left make you turn right, or vice versa?

• If you were to turn the handlebars to the left rather than push them to the right when going into a left turn, what are the consequences of this, if any?

• How does leaning come into play, and not cause you to fall over?

• I've also heard steering dampers mentioned around here, is that something worth considering as a beginner?

I have read a bit into the automatic vs manual debate, and obviously I would want go the manual route, considering it is a more common transmission type in motorcycles, and in case I ever wanted to upgrade in the future.

• My current DD is a manual transmission car, and I have also had a few years of experience in driving four wheelers which had automatic (Still had a shifter, no clutch required though) and manual transmissions. Would this be of any help to me?

• From what I can tell, the manual shifting process on a bike is pretty similar to the four wheelers I have driven in the past. Hold the clutch in on the handlebar, lift up with left foot to shift up, press down to shift down. Is that the gist of it?

• I have heard that downshifting is a bit more tricky on a bike than in a car, and can cause the rear wheel to lock up if not done properly in terms of matching the downshift to the speed. Can anybody elaborate on this? I have no issue downshifting in my car, but then again, my wheels don't lock up if I do it incorrectly.

Lastly, can anybody provide a bit of insight into a good, smaller size bike for a beginner? I understand I would need to go out and check out a few in person, sit on them, etc. Just not sure what to look at more specifically. I would most likely be more interested in something sporty, but not necessarily against anything else.

I'm 6'2, around 200lbs, and while I'm not exactly the strongest guy out there, I'd like to think I'm not a weakling either, so I would prefer something that isn't a huge, heavy thing that would be too difficult to maintain control over. Not looking at something that would be too intimidating. I would like something that isn't going to be too fast to get me killed trying to learn on it, but as others have suggested, quick enough to get me out of trouble once I get the hang of it.

Just from browsing around, I've come across the following motorcycles that I would consider (Two of which I found in the FAQ, very helpful), please feel free to provide any comments on them, or any personal recommendations:

• Yamaha YZF-R3
• Kawasaki Ninja 300
• Kawasaki ER-6N
• Honda CBR250R
• Honda CBR300F
• Honda CBR300R
• Ducati Urban Enduro
• Ducati Monster 659/696
• Suzuki VanVan 200

Of course, I also have taken into heavy consideration the advice some redditors have mentioned in other threads about not purchasing an expensive or brand new bike as your first, as it's bound to take a few falls, so that would be factored into my first purchase as well.

Any and all help is greatly appreciated!

EDIT: Formatting