Ladies - Women's first bike choice

[Gina]

I loved reading everyone's posts even though most of them were about motorcycles and not scooters. However, I do want to say that I read some earlier posts that I had to disagree with. Someone talked about the Yamaha 400 Majesty and said that at 5' 6" they were not able to completely reach the ground. I used to have a Yamaha Majesty and I flat footed it very easily even with my legs a little bent and I'm 5' 6". (Of course people are built differently.) Also, as far as the stability of the scooters at highway speeds (the person posting said that because of the way they were made there was a lift at highway speeds)---I'm amazed that more people haven't written to correct that notion.
I have a friend who is on the highway all the time with his Suzuki Bergman 400 and he says it rides very smooth.
My Grand Vista 250 goes 65 easily and is very stable at speeds even higher. I've had her out many times on the highway now and she rides just as smooth at 70 as she does at 45. She's almost as big as my husband's Honda 450 and only weighs about 30 lbs lighter. I can go anywhere he goes.
I will say that I wish my front tire was larger but as far as being an incredible ride for a 250---I have no problem on the highway with it at all.

[wonderjana]

I took my MSF last spring and passed, got my license. We rode Buell blasts and I got to swich the seat out to a lower one. I was 40 year old, brand new rider and was on a tight budget to buy a bike after getting my license. Oh yeah, and a single mother who wanted my 8 year old to ride with me eventually.
I found that the differences in prices for smaller bikes weren't that great between new and used. I am 5'3" and wanted something that was comfortable , light, yet cool looking and had some kick...plus a sisssy bar for kid! LOL
Well....I did end up buying a new hyosung 250 which is a street bike made by a company in Korea who was just making mopeds/scooters. I actually joined this forum all that long time ago to see if anyone knew these bikes but they were too new a product.
I will say that it is great! I haven't had any problems with it, and the few drops don't show up too much . For the price range I was shopping in this bike had way more for the buck as well and is a v-twin which gives a little more kick and looks good!

wonderjana

[LadyGiggles]

I got my license last spring. I started out on an '83 Honda Shadow. Was a good bike for me to start off with. Just recently got an '02 sportster. OMG I love my bike. Which I named "Lucky" cause im very lucky to have it and my buddy made me a points cover with a symbol for luck on it. I'm 5'5 in boots. So I had to put smaller shocks and lower the forks. Now I can ride comfortably.

[Triumphgirl]

I got my license last spring. I started out on an '83 Honda Shadow. Was a good bike for me to start off with. Just recently got an '02 sportster. OMG I love my bike. Which I named "Lucky" cause im very lucky to have it and my buddy made me a points cover with a symbol for luck on it. I'm 5'5 in boots. So I had to put smaller shocks and lower the forks. Now I can ride comfortably.

Nice to see more ladies out there, enjoying the road. Enjoy your new ride!

[wonderjana]

Thanks Kitty!

[laurimurdock]

I've been riding for only 4 months & have 4,300 miles on my brand-new Harley Fat Boy Lo. I'm 5'11" & neither fat nor "skinny" and am REALLY glad I started with such a fine machine! So lucky. It's 732 lbs, 1600 cc, lots of weight & power, but everything else I tried out just seemed WAY too small & light for me. I'd be happy with a regular Fat Boy, too, but my bf & I loved the flat black paint job on this, the sporty handlebars, etc. It's just an incredible bike, feels soooo good to ride, and so beautiful, too.

[Tonya7]

My first bike was a 2006 Yamaha FZ6, which was a great bike but just proved to be too much. A bit too high, too heavy, and too powerful. So I sold it and just today I bought a 1994 Yamaha Serow XT225. I feel comfortable on this bike; I think the comfort level comes from the weigh being much less and while the seat height is actually higher than the FZ6 my footing is better. The seat on the XT225 is not as wide and the bike is lighter so it dampens more under my weight. Does anyone have an XT225? What problems have you come across? Where is a good place to buy aftermarket parts? I also welcome any comments and input/advice! Thanks!

[wonderjana]

I agree with tonya, I have a smaller weighing bike and while I'm riding and becoming better and better , I don't need the added worry of lifting it after I drop it. My bike is a Hyosung Aquila 250 and weighs a little over 300 lbs. I can stop on a dime at fast speeds but at first I would come up to a stop on a 25 mile per hour road, stop and drop the bike. lol
Now I put my feet down a little quicker, but it's nice to know I can pick the thing up without any problems.

[OrangeBeast]

I think the best approach is to take the course and THEN figure out what you think you'd be comfortable on. I started on a Kawasaki Vulcan 500, which was a good starter for me, and after two month of riding and getting the basics down (lots of practice and "Ride Like a Pro" DVD) I moved up to my Honda Shadow ACE 750, which I absolutely love.

A girlfriend of mine bought a Vulcan 800 prior to taking the course and is terrified of it! She's actually considering buying something smaller to learn on. (And I never said "I told you so" although I wanted to.) My point being it's very individual and you don't really know where you're at until you've gone through the course. My personal opinion is that it is easier to learn on something smaller, with less power...it's much more forgiving!

[EMichelleKing]

Hi everybody, I just decided after being down at Bike Week in Daytona Beach this year that I wanted to learn how to ride a motorcycle. I am taking the Basic Rider class in August, that was the earliest that I could take it. My boyfriend just bought me a 06 Honda Rebel 250cc, he said that was the best bike for me to start out on ride it about a year then get me something bigger. He rides a 74 Harley Sportster 1000 and I love that bike, rode it a few times with him. I want to eventually get a Harley sportster 883, I like the way the sportsters look and think 883 will be plenty of bike for me. It will have enough power and still be easy for me to handle and control.

Michelle

[iwannarideabike]

Hello,

I've always been interested in riding a motorcycle, and after having my first ride on one, which was a trip from Long Beach to San Diego, I've decided to commit to buying one for myself.

The bike was a Kawasaki KLR 650 (I think) and I liked the style of it. I like the idea of having a bike that is compatible for both the street and off-roading. I want a bike that is good for beginners but will still be enjoyable to keep after those first beginning stages of riding. Something that is good for traveling long distances. I've done some research and hear that the Yamaha XT600E is a great beginner's bike for dual purposes, so that is what I'm leaning towards. I'm also interested in the Yamaha Tricker, but am not sure if it's reliable enough for traveling long distances comfortably.

What are your opinions? My first bike, suitable for the streets and off-roading, but not too big that it's hard to control. I'm about 5'6" and not afraid for a challenge

[sapaul]

The new KLR is a big step up from the old one, so the new one I would recommend. The older carb jobs are not so reliable if you do not have any mechanical knowledge.
First impressions from your post. I would recommend the Yamaha 650 Tenere

[hera]

My bike is a Suzuki Raider 110cc. I stand 5"3' only so it suits me.

[totalmotorcycle]

My bike is a Suzuki Raider 110cc. I stand 5"3' only so it suits me.

to the community Hera! Great to see another lady rider joining the community! (don't forget to post a "hi" in the start your engines forum to get more "welcomes")

Mike

[mogster]

Hi Hera nice to meet you from over the water

[Iron Lung]

I am 5'2 and was very concerned when I went to make my first purchase. I had taken the safety course on a Honda Rebel but my first purchase was the Ridley Auto-Glide Classic since I was not real crazy about the shifting portion of riding. I absolutely love my Ridley. It has a nice low seat height and a very low center of gravity. I highly recommend checking them out, if you can find them. I have mine for sale due to a non-reversable health condition. Good luck!

[sunshine229]

Iron Lung!

[in_between_rides]

I'm pretty new to riding, at least from the driving prospective. I learned on a 125 Suzuki gosh, I don't even remember what it was. But anyway, I almost bought a Honda Shadow vt700c. Thank god I didn't because it was WAAAAY to heavy for me. Seat height wise, it was great, but it was much to heavy. I got a Honda Rebel 450cc and I LOOOOOVE it. It's not too big, and it's not too small. It's juuuuuust right!

[Big Red Rider]

My first bike was a 2007 Honda Rebel 250. I looked around and sat on several bikes before deciding on the Rebel. I liked the Rebel better than the V-Star 250 - but I think that is a personal preference. I am 5'3". When I sat on anything bigger than the 250, it scared me. When I sat on the 250, I felt I could handle that bike. I bought my bike right before Christmas 2011 and took the MSF course in January.
I think I was riding around 2 months when I started thinking about getting a bigger bike. I learned a lot in the MSF class, but I feel like the 'Ride Like A Pro' dvd made me a much better and more confident rider. I bought a Suzuki Boulevard M50 (considered a muscle cruiser) in the middle of April - 4 months after getting the Rebel. I have kept my Rebel and taught a couple of other women to ride on it - including my 17 year old niece.
If I could do it again, I may buy the Suzuki Savage 650 (now called the S40). The S40 is only around 30 pounds heavier than the Rebel and has almost double the horse power. My biggest problem with the Rebel is I felt I needed more power on the interstate. It makes a great local commuter.
I recently bought a Suzuki Boulevard S50 as an upgrade for my niece from the Rebel. When we went on longer out of town trips, she could not accelerate as fast as the bigger bikes and it was a little light. The S50 is an 800cc bike and weighs almost 100 pounds more than the Rebel, and 100 pounds less than my M50. The S50 is heavy enough to hold the road nicely and fast enough to get out of the way. So now I have 3 bikes in my garage

[alimartin]

I'm a new (well, licensed 10 years ago when I took the course, haven't ridden since but will take refresher lessons!) rider and debating what type of bike I should be looking at.

I read over and over that the Honda Rebel is a fabulous first timers bike. I'm only 5'1, so definitely want something with a low seat height. I like the lighter cruisers, but am really drawn to the style of the Ducati Scrambler (but not the price or power!). Given that I'm quite rural and all my riding is highways and/or mountains around here, I worry that 250 won't quite cut it or that I'll want to upgrade quite quickly. I don't want to be perched and leaned over like on a sport bike, but prefer something a smidge sportier than the big cruisers or touring bikes.

Any suggestions on what I should be looking at? I'd love to find something in the 400-600cc range, not wildly expensive, with a low seat height and a smidge of sport while still being comfortable.