The thing about bikes, there are so many different types. Across the years, different bikes: Hogs, sportbikes, commuters, dual-sport, now adventure bikes, pure off-roaders, motocross, choppers, and all the types of competition, from life at the drag strip, to motocross, hare scramblers, flat track, and all the different displacements for roadracing, trials, sidecars, sidecar motocross(!), choose something you like, and try it out.
My first 'high-performance' road bike was an H1 two-stroke triple Kawasaki. I bought it from the original owner, and had it for a few years, and then moved to a DOHC Honda CB750F, beautiful lines, good performance, no trouble mechanically, but when a 911 beat me down the interstate, I had to get something 'better.' That was the first of several KZ1000's, which I think has one of the best 'voices' in all of motorcycling, when it's got a 4/1, and whatever you decide to do to it to make it faster, speed costs money... . I've had my first VMX12 for 30 years, and more since then. It's a great activity, but you have to be prepared for what could happen. After a career on fire-rescue, and seeing what can happen, I know I've been lucky. Pray for the best, prepare for the worst.