"schwim" wrote
Welcome to the forum and the sport!
I think that’s a solid bike for the price. This Airborne also fits your pricepoint and is something to think about.
As for not being able to afford the more popular brands, almost all of them offer models in different component sets and you can get the same model from your pricepoint to Donald Trump’s. Not to talk you out of the Motobecane, but your options aren’t as limited as you may think.
I haven’t been able to find, for example, a Trek full suspension even in a base components model for less than $2000. Maybe it’s just my area.