As an owner of an Aprilia RS250 track bike I am going to say NO, it is not a good beginner bike for a few reasons. Maintenance on them is high, they are VERY unforgiving if you make a mistake on them. The RS250 is a GREAT bike to learn how to race on, because it teaches you about how important corner speed is and how to hold corner speed. Also, you are going to have a hard time finding a street legal version in the US, there are some out there that were imported or converted from race bikes and legally registered in the US, but they are expensive to get. I see a few for sale here and there in the $8000 range. You are going to have a hard time getting parts in the US too. As much as I love the bike, I STRONGLY reccomend you get a more common bike. As cool as it is to see a street legal RS250 in the US, it's not a good idea unless you know how to work on 2-strokes and have a hookup on parts.