Take the Motorcycle Safety Foundation course, there is no reason not to and passing means you just go to the DMV and get your motorcycle endorsement instead of having the DMV themselves test you which they're far more likely to fail you on
I wouldn't suggest ever cheaping out on gear but the worst is a cheap helmet, buying a $50 helmet from a place like CycleGear gets you something that's obnoxiously heavy with poor wind noise reduction and you want something that comfortably fits your head shape
wear earplugs for highway riding because there's no getting rid of tinnitus
subjective but I would get something on the cheaper end without fairings as your first bike because dropping it because you're still working on foot placement will absolutely suck
wet leaves, grass and roadside gravel are the most terrifying things in the universe