Bike Suggestions for my Wife

[jwilly]

After a couple of years of talking about it my wife is ready to learn to Ride!! :clapping:

Looking for suggestions of what would be a good starter bike for her. She is pretty tall so the seat height isn't as critical as for some women. I would buy something used for her to learn on and then upgrade later if she in fact rides quite a bit.

A couple of thoughts I have are either a Suzuki GZ250, Ninja 250, etc.. I think if the bike had some wind protection it would make it more enjoyable for her.

Any thoughts or suggestions? Also if anyone has a bike for sale that would be a good fit, let's talk!!

Thanks,

-jwilly

 

[trimmantom]

Willy,I've got an 04 fjr for sale she'd love.Naw just kiddin.

I think a good middle of the road bike that handles well and is a good overall bike is the honda nighthawk,it's a pretty versitale standard that's easy to maintain and fun to ride plus you can pick up a fairly newer model for under $4500?

 

[MotorSWATCop]

My wife learned on an '04 Honda Shadow Aero. Good shaft drive bike; simple to maintain and not intimidating at all. You can pick them up pretty cheap used. She really like it until she got her ST-1300.

 

[extrememarine]

jwilly,

Before you drop the $$ on a bike, spend it on sending her to a MSF Basic Ridercourse. Trainer bikes (we have 250cc Nighthawks & Kawi 125 Eliminators here) are provided. Student only needs to bring protective clothing (We even have helmets at the range I work). For about $220 (S.C. Rider Ed), she can get the basics of motorcycle control skills and see if she if riding is really something she wants to do.

If she gets hooked, then the 250 or 500 Ninja are both good starters, since she is taller, maybe even a DL650 vstrom or SV650 or KLR, but only if she's not comfortable on the smaller bike. Fit is very important.

Have had allot of wives come through our BRC here, most of them walk away hooked...

wr

 

[Rickster]

+1 on MSF course,

I'd recommend skipping the ninja 250, and go for a Suzuki SV-650, find a clean Honda Hawk Clicky , or a 400 - 600 cc standard.

 

[Bike Effects]

Another vote for the MSF course. The choices will be clearer after the training.

 

[slapnpop]

Willy,I've got an 04 fjr for sale she'd love.Naw just kiddin.I think a good middle of the road bike that handles well and is a good overall bike is the honda nighthawk,it's a pretty versitale standard that's easy to maintain and fun to ride plus you can pick up a fairly newer model for under $4500?

I was going to say nighthawk too. I had an older 450 model that was a tank, and a really enjoyable bike to ride.

 

[Bananas!]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Honda Magna 750. I got one for the wife three years ago.

Inexpensive to buy, cheap to maintain, and will go down the road with the best of them. She has no

problems keeping up with the Feej. She has racked up 40,000 miles with not one problem. The bike is bullet

proof. Just wish that Honda had kept the drive shaft.

Bananas!

 

[MsLilly]

Okay, from a woman's point of view...I started on a GPZ 550. Not that big but big enough to get out of the way if needed. I rode it for a year and then moved up to a 750 with more wind protection for long distance riding. When my daughter wanted to start riding we bought a used Ninja 500. She had to go thru the motorcycle safety course first before we would let her even think of riding. She's had it for a year now and is ready to sell it and move up. We really considered the 250 because she is short but ended up with the 500 and glad we did. Since your wife doesn't have to worry about seat height it comes down to what she feels comfortable with. The main thing is to get her a bike that she likes and wants to ride and something used so when it gets dropped a few times it won't matter! I remember throwing mine down a few times and my daughter did too! It's upsetting enough to drop it but if it's an expensive bike then it becomes even more upsetting!! I'm excited for her and glad to hear another woman is getting on board. I have a good friend (female) who rides and we have quite a few women riders in the Eugene area! It's fun to ride but even more fun for us girls when there are a bunch of us. When I started riding all the guys (except for my husband) told me I wouldn't be able to handle such a big bike!! I moved up in size as time when by and now I'm riding my FJR. What a great bike. One day maybe she will have one of her own!

 

[FJRay]

My wife started on a GL500 Honda and now she is on her second ZR7 Kawasaki. My daughter started on a EX500 Kawasaki and rode it until she left for school and now school is almost done she is bugging me for another bike.

 

[MsLilly]

I almost feel that a 250 is just too small and you outgrow it too fast. A 500 is a bit big at the beginning but will last someone alot longer. I was living in So. Calif at the time I was riding and the 550 gave me just enough to move thru traffic and get out of the way of cars when I needed. When my daughter decided to ride we really debated on which one to get. The 250 fit her a little better (short legs!) but we just felt that once she figured out what she was doing the 500 would be great. And it was a good choice. I wondered for a few months if she was ever going to get it!! But when she figured out what she was doing she rode the hell out of that bike! I would think your wife needs to find the bike that she loves to look at and would WANT to be on! My daughter sat on everything and she decided the Ninja was where she wanted to start. She is looking at a Ducati now!

 

[markjenn]

As other's have said - have her do the course, then revisit this. It would be ridiculous to buy a bike before she's taken the course. She may not like to ride, she may want a sportbike, she may want to wait a bit. Let' her drive this, not you.

- Mark

 

[dhalen32]

My wife started riding in 2002. She started by taking an MSF BRC course. She then purchased a 250 Rebel and rode it 2 years, putting 2000 miles on it. The bike would (barely) keep up with traffic up to about 75 mph. It's acceleration was "adequate". After 2 years, she sold the Rebel and bought an 883 Sportster. Now, when riding my Harley, I can barely keep up with her. She is now looking at a V-Rod for even better performance and a low seat height. I think the advice you have received from the others is excellent: 1. Get her enrolled in a GA state BRC or Rider's Edge NRC class. 2. Let her drive this process and choose her own bike.

My wife would have started and stayed riding sooner If I hadn't pushed her to ride a bike which was too tall and too powerful for her after passing her first MSF course in 1993.

Dave

P.S. I recommend the Rider's Edge version of the class and I believe Stone Mountain H-D/Buell is somewhere near your location. Karen Burns is their Program Manager and she runs a great experience for new riders. I believe she offers weekday as well as women-only classes in addition to the standard weekend schedule. Tell her Dave from Dillon Brothers recommended her class.

 

[cougar8000]

AS others reply and as MSF instructor I would advise her to take the class first before looking for the bike. You can get a list of MSF location locally by you by clicking on this linky MSF-USA.ORG

I would also advise you not trying to teach her anything. Nothing against your abilities, it is just every time we get someone in the class that was taught by someone close to them we have plenty opportunity.

What she can do mean while is by going to the link that I have provided earlier and in the Library section there is a manual that she can study before the class. It is not a substitution for the class, but simply a homework

Good luck.

 

[luvtoride]

Another woman's point of view... Kawasaki's EX500 was a great learner's bike. That's what I used as my break in bike. I rode it for over 3 years b4 moving to the FJR. It had plenty of power to keep me amused. Once I felt comfortable with it I used to ride 2 up with it all of the time, too. What a cool little bike... very maneuverable, enough power & fun.

Please get her signed up for MSF, though.

Heidi

 

[SAFJ-rider]

bump - MSF course and then get a SV650S/with a bigger windshield. Great bike light and lean and adequate power for most......250 will just piss her off. :angry2:

 

[jwilly]

Thanks for all of the replies, I really appreciate everyones input! One of the reasons I posted this topic was because I knew that I would screw this up for my wife and didn't want that to happen. I think the riders course is an excellent idea, sounds like a great Christmas present.

Thanks again everyone!! Especially nice to hear from the ladies in the audience.

-jwilly

 

[Ric in Sac]

Triumph Bonneville. Light, low CG, lots of low end torque for ease of handling combined with a good comfortable riding position for ladies who seem to favor riding with proper back posture.

 

[rogdeb]

Hey Rick,

Is that Scruffy in your avatar ?