I've been reading all of these horror stories about kids on bikes... it really hasn't disuaded me from wanting a bike, I'm just being more cautious about them now. I've decided on a lower powered bike and to really LEARN how to ride on before I go out and buy.
NYIll, the riding classes only take 2 days to complete and then you get a waver for your license. And, at least in Florida, you only need and endorsement on your license to ride motorcycles, and you can obtain this endorsement through a simple written test, much like the written driver's test. They don't even test you on a bike before they give you your license. So getting your actual license is simple. If you really want to learn how to ride properly, though, that will take months of practice.
Insurance will be an extra $2,000 or more a year for a bike. I'm not sure that I'm ready to lay down this kind of money yet. Maybe next summer... not sure.