the ninja is a sport bike.  It doesn't sound like you want to speed around.  Plus those things are kinda heavy for a sport bike(if i remember correctly), and not as easy to learn on.   I would suggest getting a more cruiser style bike, or maybe something sort of in between(street sport).  I can't think of anything off the top of my head.  Suzuki and Honda have made some decent 750 or 800 street sports, I know that.
First thing you want to decide is the style of bike you want.  Then you can look into more specific models in your price range.