I'll Make a long story short.

6'6 and 360 pounds
Own exotic cars and I am no a stranger to speed.
Don't want to have to upgrade shortly after.
I understand it takes years to build your skills before you "just floor a Ferrari" and fully minimize risk.
Have purchased the best gear already. alpinestars, shoei helmet, etc and signed up for MSF class.
Never have driven a bike.
I can ride a bicycle and drive a manual car.
Cost is irrelevant.
Both bikes are comfortable to me and I love the way they look. If I want to go "speed crazy" I will stick to the cars in which I have some protection from oil on the road, objects being dropped off a truck, etc.
Don't want a superbike as I have a lot of weight and it hurts going into the handles. Upright is much better!

I don't know given my weight if the 650 will be "ok". Also If I could really trust someone not to floor something with 700HP+ and RWD It would be no more dangerous then a civic. If its about self control, I have it, but maybe I am missing something.

Which bike for me? Thanks so much for any input!

 

One theme stands out for me: It's much funner riding a slow bike fast than riding a fast bike slow.

Also, MANY of us upgrade after a year or three or five. It's part of the fun.

 

That is a good point. If you are learning its better to be in a 350Z or something then a Ferrari.You can learn what its like to "floor it" (in time) without risking life and jail time. I know understand the building skills argument. Is the 650 ABS to much or should I be fine? Can always do a 400 ABS but worry about the weight/performance.

 

I haven't on either bike you're looking at so have a difficult time suggesting one over the other. Here's my history....
Started street riding as a teenager in 1982 on an early 1970's Suzuki GT380. It was fun but certainly not too powerful. It was enough to get me in trouble, but not WAY too much trouble. Rode that for a few years and graduated to an early 80's Kawasaki KZ750LTD. I was glad I put time in on the smaller bike first. Then I got married, had kids, and took a hiatus. Then started riding again (dual sporting) in 2010 on a Kawasaki KLX250s with an underpowered 18 hp motor. It was fun to wring that bike out full throttle. Took some motorcycle safety courses, modified the heck out of the 250 including a 351 big bore kit, and have since added several bikes to the stable with the most recent a 2014 Suzuki 1000 cc VStrom with nearly 100 hp. The VStrom is certainly no Ninja, but I'm very happy I got back into the sport with smaller bikes, relearning and tuning skills on less powerful, lighter rides.

The VStrom has ABS, which I love. Get ABS. Since money is a concern for me, I personally would look for a used 400 and go up from there after a season or two, but I'm about 210 lbs and 6'1". You have some mass on me so a 400 may feel like a dog after some time on it. I really can't feel good telling you to go 650 or 1000, but certainly if whatever you choose feels to be too much for you, consider backing off to something smaller. Underpowered bikes can still be a lot of fun!

 

When you say "upright is better" I think of my Kawasaki Versys 650 ABS -- basically the same 649cc parallel twin engine as the Ninja 650, but more upright and geared as a bit more of a sport-tourer. It's a great engine, and when my son and I were riding 2-up (almost 400 lbs.) it had plenty of power to cruise over 80 mph, but not so much power that it would be too much for a beginner. The Versys is very similar to the V-Strom 650, and has many fans and a great forum of its own: https://www.kawasakiversys.com/forums/ The Versys 650 is also available in a LT trim that comes with 2 side cases and ABS. I do agree that ABS is great for new riders (and experienced riders too).

I would not jump to a Ninja 1000 as your first bike, IMHO. Really, as stated above, the Ninja 400 would probably be plenty of power to start with, so I'd chose between that and the 650. Have fun!