Need a little help

[pavehawk00]

My wife and I are thinking about getting a bike for her. I support her in this choice. I do have a couple of questions thow. Do you ladies get a lot of grief about ridding? Like from cops other bikers and all around people. I don't want her to give up if she drops it or if she gets allot of shit. Second what kind of bike is a good one to learn on for 110 lb women. Me I weigh in at 200 so there’s not allot of bike that I can’t ride. I just would like some feedback so I can make her experience has Enjoyable has mine has been. Thanks ladies [2]

[r1kitty]

i think the ladies that ride here get alot of repect because they have some pretty kick butt bikes [9] and most of them have taken the MSF course, so they know how to handle themselves.

[diamond]

Most people are not going to give us a hard time. There are a few that will tell you how dangerous it is. But I think they tell the guys that too.

Dropping the bike? Yeah, it happens. Is your wife the type to let that dissuade her? I never let a challenge beat me. If I want to do something, I just do it. It is embarassing, but you just get back on.

Beginner bikes? Kawasaki EX250 and EX500 are both good beginner bikes (I started on a 500). They are also readily available (and inexpensive) used bikes. Suzuki SV650 and SV650S are good, too, but they feel a little heavy to me. (I'm only 100 lbs, though) Have her sit on the bikes I mentioned, and see what feels comfortable to her. If she has short legs, the EX250 is the best way to go for a beginner bike.
There are also standards, like the Buell Blast, if she's not looking for a sportbike.

Good luck!

[gixerbabe]

The potential for any new rider (male or female) to drop a bike is very real. The Suzuki SV line is considered a starter bike from Suzuki, the good thing about it is that you don't have to worry about those expensive plastics, if she does drop it. If she is aggressive by nature, determined to ride, takes the safety course and learns at her own pace and not at the pace of someone else she could very easily learn how to ride a 500cc or even and SV650 fairly quickly.

As far as respect, I have a 750 and I have had the pleasure of learning from several racers (including my fiancee) and getting some track time to improve my own riding skills. So when I pull into a parking lot and the men see I'm a female I get the usual "wow" looks and they come over and check out my bike and sometimes they will even watch me leave (all the Pepsi logo stuff doesn't help either). There are many women in my area that are riding more then Bandits and low cc hp cruisers so the sightenings of females on a 750cc + motorcycle isn't that strange or few and far between.

As long as she knows you support her I'm sure her learning curve will be enjoyable..

[pavehawk00]

Thanks for the advice. I thought about the sv650 just worried about weight. She is enrolled in the MSF class so hopefully she likes what she sees. She is a stubborn woman so I know she won’t give up on it. I wreck my bike about two months ago and that Kind of scared her because she saw the wreck and she saw the realness in it. Thanks for the advice ladies.

[wild-hare]

Start her on something no bigger than a 600. I started too on a Kawasaki EX 500. She definitely doesn't need anything too heavy for a beginner bike, plus if she's not tall, you have to make sure she's not tippy toeing to reach the ground. Good luck

[Sheflys]

hey pave,

well I'm 115lbs and I ride a Honda 600. I tend to like hondas because they are lighter and easier to guide than some of the other types...I came from a Ninja 500 and my honda is much lighter and easier to ride...good luck in your quest

[Miss Red Rider]

I tend to agree with Sheflys...I just bought a 00' F4 last weekend after months of "sampling" and the Honda had the best reach for my short arms and was lowered easily enough for my short legs (5'3"). The bike isn't too heavy and has greatly handling capabilities.

[shannan]

Hey there! I am about 5' and 100lbs. My husband bought me an SV650. It's nekkid, and weighs a lot less than other bikes. He wanted me to start on something small, but fast enough to keep up.

So far, I've done pretty good. I started riding about 1 year ago. I have never ridden before, so I did drop it on the first tries. My husband tried to teach me, but that didn't go so well. I didn't understand the balance thing, and he forgot to tell me to pull the clutch in whenever I brake..... Anyway, I went to an MSF course and learned the basic ropes. I didn't pass the class due to my clutch arm being worn out. They put me on the worst bike.... The clutch was super sticky and it wouldn't go into neutral. So I didn't pass, but afterwards I was able to go out and practice walking my bike and using the clutch to move a little at a time.

My husband lowered my SV with dogbones and he put on clip-ons, which helped me greatly. Since its nekkid, I have less bodywork to damage. And he put on huge frame sliders. He also removed the huge round mirrors and put some smaller ones that attach to the handle bars.

I have dropped it twice after I had been riding for a while. No one has given me a hard time about it, and I really don't care what other people think. Just be supportive and don't make her feel bad about dropping it, if she does. When we were @ Leguna Seca, I dropped it while trying to pull over, because we were lost. I knew I had to stop because I was getting frustrated due to the fact my husband was going the wrong way. I broke the clutch lever off, and had to ride back without it. But I did it!!!! My husband was so proud of me.

Sorry for getting long-winded, just some insight from the inside.

[Lili]

Well even though my first bike was a Honda Magna 750 (heavy compared to what I have now) because I liked the feeling of having both feet firmly planted on the ground, when I made the transition to a sportbike, I went with a '98 Honda CBR600F3. Someone told me it would take a while to adjust but it only took me from the time I picked it up to when I pulled into my garage! I'm still very tip toe on the bike (I'm only 5'2"), but I've learned to one-foot it. I feel very stable.

It does depend on the woman though. I know women who are quite happy starting on a smaller bike, and I know women who would have outgrown a small bike very quickly. I personally am the latter. I haven't even tapped the potential of my 600, but I'm already being tempted by that sexy litre class! LOL

Sit on lots of bikes to find the most comfortable, take an MSF course, and really determine what your general riding comfort level is.

Good luck and congrats on your decision to get into this super fun sport!

Lili

[ZAngel]

SVs are awesome -- my first bike was a Yamaha Seca II. It was definitely a good starter bike, had it in the family, was nice because it was beat up, so it didn't matter if I dropped it. Sometimes it's good to start with a used bike and then upgrade.

[Mary#17]

The only problem I see with the SV's is that they are kind of tall. Especially the newer ones. I've never been able to understand why the manufacturers would do something like that on a bike that is being marketed as a beginner bike. And, it is a good beginner bike. I would stay away from any of the newer 600s. I just don't think they are good bikes to start on. I know a lot of people disagree. You could look into an older Hurricane 600. My first sportbike was a 1987 Hurricane 600. There are still some out there that aren't completely beat up.

Most people are friendly. They are sometimes suprised but it's becoming more and more common to see women riding, so it's not that big of a deal. Good luck.

Mary

[Trina]

I started out on a Katana 600... I'm 5'5 and 110 and it worked perfectly for me... the bike kept me happy and was an awesome bike to learn on (wasn't too powerful but was powerful enough). She should buy something cheap at first becuase she will most likely drop it once. One girlfriend of mine road a yamaha 250 and another the 500. Those are both decent bikes to learn on as well and are pretty light.