+1 Even if you were considering a little Yamaha V-Star 650 or something I'd recommend taking the MSF course first even if you've had dirt bike experience. I'd probably recommend some cheaper used bike to learn on first as well before I'd suggest learning on a new BD because if you're like most people you'll have a "learning experience" of some kind or another. It would be a shame to dump a nice dog.
And as I was told when I was new to the chop... slow means do the yellow speed sign suggestion for the corner.
and to add what was said above always turn your head look where you want the bike to go. The figure 8 wasnt near as bad I thought it would be. After a few tries I had it down perfect. I went from crotch rockets to a chopper so there was definately a learning curve. The best thing I found that worked for me was to get on roads that were not usually busy and also practiced my turns in an empty parking lot. Good luck in whatever you decide.
