Phil wrote:I have heard of very few people that have purchased a grey import $ cylinder 250 that have not spend a farking fortune in repairs and maintenance. I'd stay away from them but hey, we can only offer advice

Well, I paid two grand for my little zxr, another two grand to get it registered and roadworthy (cleaning up the engine, fork seals, new tyres, brake pads etc), and now have a bike that's running pretty well. It's awesome and I love it. But ... really, it's still just another 250. A zzr/gpx would probably have done just as well (although I think mine'll be a bit more fun, especially at the track).
It's your first bike, so you're going to love it regardless.
PS. the fuel range on the inline fours are crap, so if that's a consideration, definitely go for a gpx (which get 4 rather than 7L per 100k ...)