Motorcycles

I'm looking to buy a motorcycle but i know almost nothing about them. The main reason i want one is fuel efficiency, i dont really want a crotch-rocket or some expensive flashy thing. being a complete and TOTAL amatuer who has only recently started taking classes to drive one there are a couple things i really need in a motorcycle

Easy maintenance- i want to be able to work on it without spending 12 hours in a scrapyard looking for a part that isnt produced anymore.

Safety- i don't really plan on crashing it, no one does, but reliable brakes, not a crotch-rocket, sturdy, that sort of thing.

Affordability- sorta speaks for itself, i don't want to spend tons and tons of money on a bike during and right out of college.

Lifespan- I don't want to have to buy another bike in just a couple years unless maybe i was riding what could very delicately be referred to as a 'training bike' whose purpose was to teach me maintenance and whatnot.

also anything else that anyone who rides a motorcycle can tell me about them and what to look out for

Also, around what range of CCs do i want to start out on?

My dad rode a motorcycle for a while and my uncle is still riding. I could ask them for information on it (:

I plan to get a motorcycle when I'm older. You can get your license at 15! And I'm 14!
(:

Alright first of all, crotch rockets aren't anymore dangerous than a cruiser. its the mind of the one riding it. i've been riding since i was 7, but i grew up on a dirt bike. my first street bike was an 09 ninja 250. and i was bored with the power within a few months. so a 650 was next. the one down side of a crotch rocket is the insurance. especially if you're 17, and a guy, it will be very expensive.

Keeping the ccs low is a pretty good idea, does any company in particular sell good starting bikes? i dont really know much about the market and i dont really know enough about bikes to tell if something is good to learn on, or just a bundle of overpriced crap, the terminology is completely throwing me but im getting it little by little by reading customer reviews.

i plan to get my first actual long term motorcycle a year or two out of college and using the next 5 years or so to just learn how to ride and maintain one.

A shadow would be good. Also many guys i work with have went to duel sports, or street and trails. A used one may be cheaper than a used street only bike. They ride 25 to 30 miles ,one way to work. I think they get 50 plus miles to a gallon. Down fall is they are alittle tall so if you are short it might be alittle hard to get used to.

HARLEY DAVIDSON. That's all I have to say. :)

Harley's suck, they're loud and ostentatious. I recommend a BMW if you can afford one and 250cc is a bit low to start if you're serious about street biking ;) My mom started with a 250 Honda Rebel - she's a tiny woman - and decided it was too small for her after a WEEK. KTM's are nice if you'll be riding on different terrain and I reckon 250 is more reasonable for a dual sport bike. My first bike was a Kawasaki, think 250, and I loved it.

I'm looking to get Ducati someday! Haha

Good luck and be careful!

The ducatio 1200 S is pretty much my favorite bike, with as little as i know about any of them. i have no intentions of getting a harley.

That is to say the multistrada 12000 urban