I know the CBR 125s very well (as I'm one of the instructors at LC) and, as you know, there are a couple of the Ninja 250's there as well. The 250 is a great bike. It's a little bigger, a little heavier, but it feels more like a real bike then the 125. As mentioned in this post, if you want to ride the highways or any of the northern twisties like the 503 (and you WANT to ride these roads) then you really want to do what you can to get the 250.
As for cruisers, and I'm cruiser rider myself, you have to go at least 650. Engines are just tuned differently so they really want a bigger cc to move.
Depending on insurance costs, another option is nto look at some older bikes (pre '95 ish?). Check with your insurance company but it's a little cheaper if you stay behind a certain age as well. Look at some old 600's. You can get them pretty cheap and insurance might not be too bad.
Good luck and don't forget to check with the insurance company before you make you final decision.
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