I'm sure most will say start small and work your way up and I will have to agree. I face this same exact question 12 yrs ago except there wasn't an r3. I ended up going with an r6 as my 1st but had there been an r3 I would have hands down went with an r3. At that time everything under a six was so ugly. After starting on a six I will have to say I love my r3. So fun and so easy to maneuver. Looks bad azz and cheaper on insurance. Good luck with your choice and be safe. Hope to see you as a regular here.