Simon, monster and street triple are not in the same category.
IIRC the mosnter is in the 60bhp range, whereas the street is about 106. Angles are qute different too. Plus the monster is labelled as 'young' motorcycle buy the 'mutelle des motards' the first insurers for motorcyclist in France. Shall the OP had said "Should I buy a 695 as first bike?" my answer would have been very different;

Torque is much more significant than bhp for road riding. I went from a firstorm to a 900 ducati back to a firestorm and there's very little difference for normal road riding between the two.

That in itself is a good argument for low power bikes, but equally a higher power, higer revving bike isn't any harder to ride or any more dangerous.

Again I agree with Juan.

Get a speed triple if you must – its not the worst choice out there by a long way. I am convinced tho that there are much better bikes for a inexperienced rider – it it does not have to be a "ratty old 500"
Plenty of nice middleweights out there that will be as much fun to ride – if not to look at and brag about.

Half the fun comes in thrashing a bike – it will take you less time to learn to do this on a lower powered bike and when you do the skills you have learnt will make it easier to ride a bigger bike in the future.

Old ones were. 695 is 73bhp, 696 a few more.

I was reading an old issue of Bike the other day which had the ST vs 696 vs Shiver vs Hornet test. Power curves on all were much the same up to 7000rpm – the Hornet and ST just kept going further. All were within a second over 1/4 mile.

I know a couple of people who bought STs as first bikes (in one case, his first motorised vehicle – he doesn't have a car licence), all are getting on fine with them.

FYI, for all those who said "speed triple" in their replies, that is a 1050 (?), whereas the street triple is "only" a 695.

So, that's decided then, I'll buy a street triple, post a lovely shiny picture of it to you all, then a couple of months later post a very sorry looking picture of a dropped, dented street triple and you can all say "I told you so".

Fair enough. You'll love it. 😀

The Monster is actually lower, lighter and a hell of a lot easier to ride than the GS500 I learned on mainly thanks to a gearbox that works properly and a lovely light clutch which has helped slow-speed stuff no end.

The crucial point for me is that I absolutely love the thing – the way it looks, it goes, the sound it makes – and as it's not my primary transport, that means I'm far more likely to use it. Whether it's an early Sunday blast or the odd 60 mile trip through London out to the office, I enjoy doing it and will try to keep on doing that even as it gets colder – I'm determined to not just have it sat there till Spring.

I flogged my 110bhp Speed Triple and bought a Monster 696. Yes, it wasn't as fast. But by heck it was brilliant. A tiny weeny little thing, silly light and agile with a simply glorious engine that begged to be caned silly. It made me laugh, simple as that.
I've had to sell it now and I miss it like hell. I bought it because I WANTED one. And when I had it I could sit and look at it all day, and when I rode it it made me feel great. THAT'S what biking is about really. What you WANT not what you NEED.

So I take it all back. Sod cheap bikes, get the Street Triple if that's what you really WANT.
You won't regret it, not ever. 😀

whereas the street triple is "only" a 695.

675cc actually. A 695 is a Monster. 🙂