Dave,
Either of the bikes you mentioned would work fine and are good starter bikes. I would shy away from the HD Sportster though. It's a good bike, but vibrates A LOT. I know, I rode one and couldn't wait to switch back and get back on my C50T.
The thing for you to look at is seat height. Of the bikes you consider, the websites have "specifications" that almost always include the seat height. Most in the class of bikes that you're considering will fall within an inch or two of eachother.
Not being biased, but I did my research: the Suzuki C50 is an excellent value, as is the Kawasaki 900. the Kawi has a little bit better brakes (it came out after I bought my C50T, so that's why I didn't buy that one). Pretty tough to go wrong with the Honda, too. Newbie riders, including women of your height/weight, bought the Honda 1300 as their first bike. They were scared it'd be too much for them, but it turned out perfectly: good size, GOOD brakes, dependable (like all Japanese bikes), and plenty of power that you don't grow out of it anytime soon.
I would shy away from the Honda 1800 as a first bike. VERY powerful and a lot of bike to handle. Stay with a mid-size cruiser for handling, etc until you get better at riding, THEN move up if you feel the need to.
My $.02..... hope it helps if even just a little!
Daryl
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