I'd bet the 1300 you're looking at has very close, if not the very same dimensions as the 1100 you were riding. If you'll go to Yamaha's website, or any other manufacturer, you can look at the length/height/seat height if you click on the specs of each machine. Do your homework. But for someone your size, and I can't believe I'm about to type this, I'd recommend one of HD's bigger machines. Street Glide, Road King, Ultra Classic... You'll always look big on a Jap bike, unless you go for the Goldwing or something similar. And I'm not recommending HD because I think they build a better bike, or because I even like them. But they do build a bigger bike. Personally, I'd never own one. Whatever you buy, you'll have to move the controls forward. They don't build bikes for extremely tall people. They build them for the rest of us.
If you don't mind riding a long bike the chopper market is in the toilet. You can pick up an Ironhorse or Big Bear Chopper(just to name a couple of the bigger manufacturers) for a fraction of what they were new. I realize they aren't as reliable as their Japanese counterparts, but they're cheap as hell.
This might might be a simple question and I may be putting too much thought into it, but how did you go about riding a bike? I took my course and I have a regular driver's license, so that means I have a learner's license regarding riding bikes. However, although the course was fantastic, I feel that I need more practice before I take my road test exam for the actual bike license. I don't feel comfortable riding a friend's bike so I prefer to get my own bike. But, I can't test drive a bike because I don't have a license! The way I see it, it looks like I'll have to get a bike without the testdrive (I'll get a mechanic to look over it prior to purchase), then practice on my own till I do the test. Is that how everyone else first gets into it?
In my state, your learner's permit allows you to ride only in certain conditions, hence the term learner's license. Test ride some bikes and get something easy, like a Ninja 250 or a Honda Rebel. If you're worried about starting on the street, I'd suggest starting with dirt bikes if you've never ridden before. It might cost more and take more time, but the experience is worth it.
In addition to what Uzi said, yes, pretty much everyone just buys a bike and learns on it, unless you have a friend or relative with a good starter bike to borrow. With no experience test rides won't tell you much more than you'll learn by just sitting on it stationary. Sit on a lot of bikes to get an idea on what feels comfortable for you. For a first bike smaller and lighter is better.
I took the Canadian equivalent of the MSF course and they loaned one of their shitty dual-sports to anyone who passed their course and took the road exam within a couple weeks. I wouldn't stress about not being able to test-drive a bike. If you've hardly ridden, you probably won't know enough for a test-drive to be really beneficial anyway. You're having a mechanic check it out, so just make sure it's comfortable.
I'm looking for a 600cc sport bike next spring, in the 01-05 range probably. My budget will be around $5K. I'd love to hear some experiences.
If anyone is looking for a new liter bike and doesn't mind a left over 2008 model, it's going to be hard to beat a CBR1000RR for $6983. http://www.southernhonda.com/pages/newvehicles/viewmodel/25/37/423/2008/honda-cbr1000rr.aspx They have deals on other models too, just none quite that good.
In my experience, you can't go wrong with any of the big 4 (Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki). I have heard that Yamaha's R series is a little more aggressive than the rest, but I've never ridden one, so I don't know. Besides that, it boils down to your preference on the looks and what kind of deals you find. I like the GSXRs and R6s the best, but that's the squid in me. For 5k, you might even end up finding one a little newer.
Go to a few dealerships and sit on some different bikes. Find one that fits your size and feels comfortable, and go from there. If you're not going to be racing it, the differences in performance from one 600 to another will be too small to matter on the street. All of the big four brands make bulletproof sportbikes, so just find one you like. You should be able to get a really nice used 600 for $5k. And buy yourself some good gear before you buy the bike. The fucking things are powerful and you will wipe out at some point. At a minimum you need a helmet, jacket, gloves and some decent boots. Good luck.
Find a Motorcycle Safety Foundation course and take it. You spend almost a full weekend on two wheels, you get instruction and feedback from someone who knows what they are talking about, and in most states you'll walk away with a full motorcycle license. You should even get lowered insurance premiums for your trouble. Worth every penny and second.
To answer the question posed above, I started on a moped I got when I was 12. From that, I graduated to a DT125 (Yamaha Enduro) when I turned 14 (street legal in Oklahoma) till I hit a car at 15 & my mom forbid me to ride a bike while I lived at home. Having a Motorcycle license when you're 14 automatically adds the MC designation to your real license when you turn 16. Fast forward 10 yrs to my dad's midlife crisis. He bought a HD Fat Boy, & after riding around to his friends houses to show off his new toy, he ran out of things to do on it. He told me if I wanted to ride it, I would have to take the Motorcycle Safety course. I did, and would HIGHLY recommend it to anyone that wants to ride a bike. Dad wanted someone to ride with, and talked me into getting back into riding. I ended up buying a mid 80's Kawasaki KZ550 LTD, cheap. Nice bike, but I quickly hit the limitations (75 ish is all it will do on the highway) In 1996, I bought a Sportster, 1994 model with 4,000 miles for $5,500.00, only problem, it's an 883. It's only around $600 to have it punched out to a 1200. That brings me to my current bike 1992 Heritage Softail. I bought it in 1999. I completely rebuilt it in 2005, new motor, new tins/paint.
The South Park episode could have easily been about the Crotch Rocket riders also riding around with pipes that are too loud, wheeling in traffic and generally riding too fast for conditions. I did find the episode very funny. I am writing this during a break from my online traffic school to try and get rid of my latest speeding ticket. Damn crotch rockets.
They're called sportbikes. People who use the term crotch rocket also tend to use terms like chillaxin and woot woot!, and do most of their breathing through their mouths. You don't want to be one of those people. I do agree with your point though. The general term among motorcyclists is squid, referring to any idiot on any kind of bike, usually wearing little or no gear, and riding like a dipshit to gain the attention of others. But fag works just as well.
Let's not get into a sport vs. touring vs. Harley vs. whatever pissing match here... everyone has their own reasons for riding. There are pros and cons for each style and type of bike, and everyone is entitled to enjoy whatever the fuck they want. Enough with the e-posturing. Keep the comments civil, informative, or constructively critical. But, if, say, Slappy's bike was done up in a pink Hello Kitty tribute, then go nuts. Just sayin.
That's part of the reason I don't ride sport bikes anymore. I had a Hurricane 1000 and a Ninja ZX-6r and damn near killed myself on both. The roads down here in the lovely state of Florida are flat and straight. I rarely get above 60-65 anymore and that's fine by me, but to each his own. For the record, I don't dislike sport bikes, they're just not for me. Like I said, to each his own. Ride safe and try to keep the rubber side down. Peace.