Welcome aboard Kevin. You will not believe how helpful the folks in this site are. I went from knowing absolutely nothing about motorcycles to avoiding the dealership entirely by doing all of my own work. Great, great bunch of people.
As far as BA vs. SM... can't go wrong with either. Try 'em on for size. I found both to be the most comfortable fit of all bikes I considered (HD's, mainly) for me at 6'2". In the end it was the chrome and spokes that sold me on the BA.
