[cheapeto]

May I suggest you look into your states Motorcycle Safety Course. I went through it last year, thinking it was a stupid waste of time. Heck, I rode back in the 70's, so what could they teach me????
It was a fun course, the 2 nights of classes, and the 2 days of riding patterns, and set up, traffic situations and how to maneuver in emergency situations.
It was fun, I learned a ton of stuff, and I may just take again this year just to brush up.
I'm not so sure, I would have the confidence to ride down to North Carolina, and run the mountains with others that converged in Hickory, had I not had the course under my belt.
The course really boosted my confidence, and helped me enjoy the ride a lot more.