You can get a good 'bent for $2500, no doubt about it.
Weak Link: Yes, but if you can find an empty parking lot, you can experiment to your heart's content. The biggest problem when you first begin is gripping the handlebars too hard. On a DF, this doesn't make much difference. On a 'bent, it's the kiss of death.
Of course, until you have confidence in yourself, it's a natural reaction to grip the handlebars as if your life depended on it. So, for the first day, it's sort of a viscious circle until you can break out of it. But once you do, it's a blast.
My very first day I bought my bent, I rode it from the bike shop to my house - about 25 miles. That was an exciting ride!