Why would I mention the UT Longhorns? Did you look at my signature? Oh, btw people, thats Barry Sanders. Pay respect
It's most likely a Suzuki GS500F he is referring to. I had a GS500e for two years, it was a terrific bike to learn on. Super durable, and inexpensive parts are available all over the place (except maybe the fairings). Very easy to maintain as well. Liability-only insurance was $75/YEAR for me. The other suggestion was a Ninja 500, which is also a good one to learn on. The Ninja 500 is a little more powerful.