The options I am using are the same for all products:
Color: White, Grey, Black
Size: l, ll, lll
On the Manage Inventory (options_Edit.php) page if you make the default product not available online a pop up box reads: "You have chosen to make the default value for this product unavailable. If it is unavailable this product and all associated options will no longer display in your product catalog. Are you sure you want to continue?"
While this is not ideal I accept it has been programmed this way.
My main issue is that when I try to select new default option values for a product I get the pop up box reading "your default product has been changed" but these changes do not save they simple revert back to there initial state.