New Rider Advice

As something of an addendum to Matt's post, I wanted to point out that the Ninja 250 Riders Club has a great page designed for answering questions posed by new riders and people who think they might just want to try this two-wheeled thing. The page has articles ranging from what to look for in gear to what to look for in a bike to why you don't want a super sport for your first bike. It has more info than I would want to put into a post and a lot of the articles are better written than I could do, not to mention written by guys doing this a lot longer than I have. Keep in mind it's from those of us who ride the little Ninja, so it may be a little biased towards the Kawasaki.
In my humble opinion, knowing what to look for in gear is more important (or as important) than knowing what to look for in a bike. While you want a bike that's comfortable, is not too much for you to handle, looks like what you think a bike should, you can talk yourself into compromises on your first bike. After all, that's why it's called a first bike, you will have others. Gear you should never compromise on. There is a term you will see if you hang out on a lot of the forums and at some events: ATGATT- all the gear, all the time. It's a good motto to live by because it will keep you alive.
Look through the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's library for their take on gear and then I'll throw in my two cents.
1. Full-face helmet- I can't stress that enough. Yes, an open face will give you some impact protection, but it won't save your face from road rash and, think about it, if you come off a bike moving forward, what is most likely to hit the ground first? Your chin. Do you want a face shield or goggles there, or would you prefer to have a chin bar in the way of the concrete? Also, one of my Basic Rider Course instructors had a bird dive bomb him on his way to teach us, proving yet again that full-face helmets are good at deflecting flying debris, literally.
2. Jacket- Motorcycle Consumer News did a comparison of the various materials used in motorcycle gear and how long you can slide before the pavement grinds through them, but I can't find it. To sum up, leather takes the longest, followed by Kevlar weave and Cordura, followed by denim. In addition to the material, look for one with armor or padding to cushion impacts. Mine is a textile jacket with dual-density armor pads in the shoulders, elbows, and back. If it fits right, you won't even notice the pads.
3. Pants- See #2, with the pads in mine being in the knee and hips, with a pad extending up behind my kidneys.
4. Gloves- Like a helmet, your hands hit first. I have two pairs of gloves, one that only goes to my wrist with padding on the palms and one pair of gauntlets with the padding over the knuckles and a carbon fiber patch over my wrist, both pairs are full leather.
5. Boots- Don't overlook this item. They need to at least cover your ankles. You want something there for when the road pulls your pant-leg up and tries to bite you. There are boots with ABS plastic pieces to protect your ankle, heal, toes, etc. and there are plain leather boots. With this item, you can always find something with the looks and comfort you want with the protection you need.

Sure you might look a little funny when you where all your gear, but wouldn't you look funnier without your skin?