The province of Alberta just put in a system of graduated licencing about 3 years ago. If you're starting off on a bike, you're limited to ~250cc, can't be out on the bike after sunset, can't carry a passenger, can't have ANY moving violation tickets OR any alcohol related convictions. After, I believe, 2 years, you can then take the full test and if you pass you can then drive any size bike you want. If you have ANY convictions during the 2 year probation period, the 2 year clock starts all over again.
For my '06 B12S, third party and comprehensive (fire & theft) but NO collision coverage (if it's my fault, I fix my bike) the cost is C$700 per year (~US$600). I'm over 25 (way over, actually) with a clean record over the last 2 years or more and no accident claims in that same period.
Cowtown is considered a "high accident risk" zone by all the insurance companies so we city dwellers pay proportionally more than a guy the same age with the same record and the same bike who lives in a small town out in the boonies.
I certainly agree with the graduated licencing thing. There's NO way some 16 year old should be able to walk into a dealer and drive out on a new Gixxer 1000 or a 'Busa just because his parents said he could have whatever bike he wanted for a grad present. That's just dumb.....and it hurts ALL motorcyclists when the dumbass stuffs himself into the side of a city bus while attempting some stunt he saw on TV. The upside to such an ocurrence is that he's removed himself from the gene pool, albeit in a messy and public fashion.....