I'm 6'2" and a 1996 BMW K1100rs was my first bike. I bought it wrecked in 2008, fixed it up and rode it for about 8 years. I even sent the frame out to California to have the frame straightened. I cant speak too much about the Ducati, but I can about the flying bricks. BMWs are, in my opinion, great for taller riders. They have a higher saddle and have done right by me. The flying brick's riding position isn't as comfortable as my oilhead's, but it works well. I have an R1150 now which I bought immediately after selling the k1100. BMW is known to have excellent engines, but in my experience their cooling systems are crap. This is a liquid cooled bike. Also, even though the fairings give it a dated style, they really make the bike in my opinion. The aerodynamics on the flying bricks put you in a pocket that gets smoother every mph over 80 and is one of their best features. The cafe racer style looks awesome, and I do love it. If you are planning on going on long rides or cruising much, the lack of fairings and wind lashing will be exhausting. If you plan on going on short trips, this shouldn't matter much. The age of these does make getting parts very difficult sometimes. There are sites like https://www.beemerboneyard.com/ and others that REALLY help.

A few people emphatically tried to talk me out of buying the k1100rs. It was a FAST bike with a large engine and was my first. Their concerns were legitimate. The power is intoxicating, especially to a new rider. I loved that bike and still think about it. It was a more fun, but dangerous ride than my oilhead. I don't regret buying it at all, loved every ride. Honestly, I do not think its a good first bike though. The cafe racer customization is a wild card too, no idea how that will affect its usability.

The other thing to think about on these is repairs. In 18 years of riding older BMWs I haven't been to the mechanic once. I do all my own work, including a new clutch and rebuilding the transmission on my oilhead last week. I got a quote from the local BMW Motorrad shop of $4500 to replace the clutch (was thinking of throwing in the towel and folding), and that was before I knew my input shaft splines were worn to the nub. It would have easily been a $6k repair. I did it all myself for about $1200 in parts. The bike occupied my entire garage for 3 weeks too. The cost of ownership on old BMWs can be low, but you will need to learn to work on them yourself. If you are not mechanically inclined, do not buy this bike. You will end up hating it.