What, me? No, never ridden before in my life.......
I'll tell you the same thing I tell pretty much any new rider: swallow your pride and buy a used ninja 250. First and foremost you need to develop skills, and it's tough to do that with 140hp barking at you. I know some people who could utterly emberass 99% of the locals on one of those, and he's actually passed me on the street on a wr400 with full dirt tires! Ofcourse, he also hold the 600cc lap record at thunderhill, so I don't feel bad about it. Part of developing skills includes having respect for the bike, because the second you sideline the repsect for the bike it will sideline you. A 600 isn't and shouldn't be a beginner bike, even if you've ridden dirt before, and the same goes double for a 1000! I had no idea how many people crashed bikes around here till I got one, and in the summer they drop like flies. Once you've put in your time on the ninja 250, I'd suggest moving up to a honda f2 or f3, especially for a guy your size. They fit smaller riders really well, are very forgiving and confidence inspiring and are dependable. That will help you hone your skills even more, and will be a great gateway into a newer 600, and the new ones coming out are frickin incredible. Another good bike to consider would be a suzuki sv650. Again, not too much power but still a competent bike.
As for schools, call the dmv and see what's available in your area. We have a really good one available through chp here, so I'd be willing to bet you either have one or they could atleast point you in the right direction. You could also go to one of the local shops and ask them about it, but don't ask the kids behind the parts counter, ask the managers. Once you've had some seat time I'd seriously look into a track school. Track schools aren't just for guys who are going to race, but are actually great for new riders, because they will go over the fundamentals with you and help you to know what to do in different situations, just kind of continue on from where the basic rider school left off. I believe full well that the faster you are comfortable and competent going, the safer you will be at a reasonably high speed, because you will have a buffer zone. That's to say if something is in the middle of the road as you're rounding a corner, and you're not pushing the edge of your limits, but the newb behind you is at the edge of his, chances are you'll be able to react much better than him and avoid it, whereas he's going to finding out just how well his protective gear works. Which is another point, get the best helmet you can ( I can tell you first hand just how good arais are), good gloves, a jacket and boots at the least. I've gone down in full race gear, and can tell you I wouldn't be here right now if not for my helmet, and would have more than a pen tip size scar on my thumb had I not had leathers, good gloves and race boots on. I even broke my leg through nearly a half inch of plastic boot, so imagine what would have happened if I were in my street shoes!
And whiteman, I'm guessing when you're talking about your cbr1000, you're referring to an early 90s or even late 80s model? I like liter bikes, but I much prefer the comfort of not having to worry about all that power biting me in the ass when I least expect it.
