Well, if you're British dont you guys have graduated C.C type of thing, as in a new rider can only rider upto a specific C.C bike ? Plus as a rider I'm just so envious of what western europeans have in terms of bikes and C.C options.
Canada and from what I've read the laws are even more lax in the U.S. In Canada you can be a new rider and get yourself a Honda CBR1000RR cause of the stupid North American mentality that bigger is better, so you have a Rossi wanna be 19 year old who goes "man 600 is so small and uncool got to have a litre bike" rides for a few months and thinks he can ride because he can ride straight and fast and utters the famous last words "Hey ! Check this out!" SPLAT. Only in the past year have we started to get the Kawi and Honda 125c.c sport look like bikes (even then thats upto the rider to choose) so our options (I learned on the Suzuki GS500F, not a sport bike by any stretch) our 125cc, 500cc, 600cc, 750cc(GSXR750),1000cc and 1300cc. I can only speak for sports or sports touring since those are the ones that grab me.