well they're usually pretty solid in the engine department. That said you may find problems with the ignition or other electronics but it's usually not much of an issue. My friend had constant problems with such but his was an older 88' import with a lot of k's

I've always thought they make a decent learner bike providing the rider has more restraint on the throttle.

If it were me it'd be a tossup between one of those, a Spada or VTR250 or a GPZ250