Yea if its hitting your knees, its probably not a good bike for you unfortunately. I went against buying a Rebel for that exact reason when i started out. It hit my knees and i said no way. I did not need that happening while riding and making turns. Jonathan is right, for your weight and size the gz would just be too small and you would out grow it very quickly.
Id say, for both of you being 6' that you are better off shopping around for a bigger bike. You really do not want to be cramped on a bike. Maybe a 500 or 600 cc would be the way to go to start out on. And hey, maybe after your MSF course you'll feel confident enough to start on a 750. You both are bigger guys and i am sure you would have no problems handling anything 500-750cc. Dont let the intimidation of a larger bike scare you. That feeling is only temporary! You out grow that very very quickly (TRUST ME). Especially since you are taking the MSF course, you would have no problem adapting what you learn to a bigger bike. I think you'll find taking the MSF course on the gz250/rebel/ninjas they provide that they will infact be too small for you two.
May i make a suggestion though? You might want to look at some older Kawasaki Vulcans 500-600cc (you can get them at good prices and they run very well). Theres also the 450cc limited OR if you want to get newer take a look at the honda VLX 600cc. All these bikes are mid weight cruisers and would better fit you both in size and power. Weight of the bikes should average around 400-500 lbs ... not all that heavy. My spirit is 525lb and i barely notice it.
Good luck on what ever you decide!
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