I agree with everything Volkl said. Before you do anything else, take an MSF course. A 600 isn't a great bike for a beginner, way too much power. Teens and 20-ish riders killing themselves on 600cc 4-cylinders (usually Japanese) are almost a cliche. You might want to consider a smaller twin - a Ducati 600 Monster if you're looking for style, or a Suzuki SV650. Better yet, go used, and preferably buy a naked bike - the first time you have to pay for fiberglass repairs after dropping a new sports bike you'll see why. The motorcycle market had several years of strong sales, and is starting to weaken, meaning lots of 2-3 year old bikes are out there for not too much $$.

Personally, I love Beemers. It's what I own now (K1100RS), and I've owned several over the years, but I can understand why not everyone likes them - they're an acquired taste. The Speed 4 is a derivative of the full-bodywork TT600, which was introduced by Triumph 3-4 years ago to compete with the Japanese 600's. Unfortunately, they screwed up the fuel injection mapping badly (the competition was carbureted at the time) and they never made a real impact in the market. Make sure they've fixed the FI (and ask riders you meet, the dealer will say "sure, that's much better now"). Also, look for bargains. In the LA market, one Triumph dealer has a standing ad in Cycle Trader advertising $1-2k off MSRP on every Triumph, listed by model - and these are sub $10k bikes to start: it's a buyer's market. If you reall want to go Triumph and you want the power despite what everyone says, consider a 2-5 year old used Speed Triple - same styling as the Speed 4, but on the 900cc or 955cc three cylinder, a very nice engine.