Welcome from the Land of Lincoln!

For starters, absolutlely take the course. But don't go buy a big new bike right out of the gate. Find a cheap metric that you can get acclimated to riding on first. You know, something medium-sized and in the $500-$1000 range. Make sure it's safe/dependable and ride it as much as you can until you feel comfortable and finetune your skills.

By then, you should know your skill level and more about what kind of HD you want to buy. Trust me, it's easier to accept dropping a beater on it's side than a brand new $25,000 ride.

It's kinda like buying a new pair of shoes the first day you learned to walk, instead of waiting to find out you shouldn't play tennis in cowboy boots and you can't run a marathon in flip-flops.

Hope this helps!