Hey there, I am also a new rider and passed my test about 2 months ago....I am a 28 year old female and when I was looking for a first bike last year I scoured the country high and low looking for the "perfect" bike
As I am a woman, a very fussy one at that, I found the only bike that took my fancy was a 2002 Yamaha R6, I was in love!!
Yes us women are cosmetic and that was the main reason I chose the R6
I wanted something that looked sexy and made me look good too, I'm not about speed
A bike will go as fast as you make it and I love it, I don't do daft speeds or tricks, but I enjoy the power that it has.
Hope this helps