I don't think this has been posted yet.

http://sportrider.automotive.com/59595/146-0412-budget-beginner-sport-bikes/index.html

The link isn't working for me right now, but I got to it from Google so it's still out there somewhere! Here's the conclusion:

The bottom line

Factor in your budget (and we'll point out here that the 599 is the priciest bike by a fair margin) along with your experience and where you ride, and any of these three (four if you include the naked SV650) can make sense. It's a stretch to say one bike is most suitable for all experience levels, but Honda's 599 comes closest to doing just that, and it is undoubtedly the funnest bike no matter how many years under its rider's belt. And that, after all, is what getting into sportbikes is all about.-SR