Bike Suggestions

Bike Suggestions

by Kathleen

Hello, I am fairly young and have been interested in motorcycles for almost as long as I could drive. Pretty much as soon as I learned how to drive I got bored with cars. I have several male friends with motorcycles, have ridden passenger, and have been shopping around for awhile. I am finally in a position of being able to buy a motorcycle myself, and I know I need to start with a used bike and get training. My problem is that I cannot seem to figure out what I need. I have read a few of your articles and some websites say get a 250cc for a beginner, others say go larger, and I am fairly sure that yours is the only site I have found that is dedicated to female riders. Power is important, but I also want to know that I can handle the bike by myself without needing someone to help me pick it up if I drop it, as I have male friends who need help lifting their powerful bikes. I very much like the Honda Rebels but I cannot find any weight information on that bike or any others. Can you tell me what bikes are generally liftable?

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Bike Suggestions

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Feb 17, 2010

New Rider
by: MsSmith

I agree with all the comments of the previous ladies! This website helped me to chose my first bike which was a Suzuki Marauder 800. Like you, I was stuck on getting a smaller bike because I wanted to feel in "control." If power is important to you...like everyone said...you WILL out grow it and will be back in the market in search of one with that power. You do have to sit on the bike, make sure your feet are flat on the ground, and the test that helped me to find out if it was a good fit (this was shown to us in the course)is to get on the bike, have someone spot you from behind--stand up, straddling and using your thighs rock the bike back and forth with your hands lightly on the grips. If you can do this without the bike taking you off balance, it will give you a pretty good idea on how you will be to control the bike. I have a friend and we are about the same build and she did this and could not do this easily, so she's looking for a 650. Take your time you'll find one that calls your name! :)

Feb 17, 2010

New Rider
by: Anonymous

Kathleen...you have to sit on the bikes and get the feel of them to know which bike is right for you, nobody else can tell you which bike is right for you. Go to some showrooms and sit on them, lift them, turn the handlebars and get a good feel of the bike. I personally like the Honda Shadow for a beginner bike. I have the 600 VLX Deluxe but I'm looking for a bigger bike. I'm 5'4 and an old lady and I can lift it IF it were to fall. Engine guards are by far a great idea at least you won't be pinned under it IF you ever drop it. It's not a matter of IF you'll drop it as is it to WHEN you'll drop it, we all do it at some point in our riding life (at least most do). Good Luck!

Feb 17, 2010

Go for the Gusto
by: Anonymous

I'm a fourth yr rider and already on my third bike because I went with the 250 first. Got bored very quickly with it and went to a Yamaha Vstar 650. Great bike and I loved it but still wanted more power so again traded up to a new 2008 Yamaha VStar 1300. I am so happy with the Vstar family and many women choose these bikes because of the great center of gravity for them. Don't assume your going to drop it. I haven't yet. Happy shopping!

Feb 17, 2010

Take a Class First
by: Anonymous

I agree, take the class first. Rebels are really small and you will outgrow it within a month, guaranteed. I took the class through the Motorcycle Safety Foundation and started off riding my husbands 550. He bought a new bike and I've already traded the 550 for a newer 650, and in a couple of years will probably be riding my husbands 900 when he gets another bike. I dropped the 550 in a parking lot once when my foot slipped on the gravel getting off of it, and strangers literally ran to help pick it up - don't let that stop you from buying a bike with enough power to keep you happy for a couple of years!! Also, saw an article on here about how to pick up a bike by yourself, search for it, it was very helpful.

Feb 17, 2010

Bigger the Better!
by: Anonymous

Hey Kathleen, I ride a Harley Road Glide which is one of the largest bikes Harley makes, and is approx. 823 pounds wet! I didn't think I could ever ride a bike that large, but soon found out that the weight actually works for you instead of against you. I got my bike fitted to me right away. We lowered it, and put new bars on it. Also because I was worried about dropping my bike, I had highway bars added the the front and back of my bike. It helps protect me in case I do drop it, and it protects the bike. Oh, I am only 5'4 and weigh about 145. I started out with a sporty, and rode this for almost 11 years. My new bike is way easier to ride than my sportster ever was. It did take a major adjustment to get used to the weight of the road glide, but I did, and now I am on the most comfortable, stable bikes I've ever ridden! You can always start small and build your way up like I did. Good luck on finding the right bike. Just remember you can have any bike fitted to match you as a rider.

Feb 17, 2010

Shop, shop, shop!
by: Mrsfore3IO

Definitely take some sort of rider safety course. My husband and I took ours at our local community college. Don't worry about dropping your bike!!!!! And don't worry about picking it back up. I ride a 1200C Sportster, which is just over 600lbs and I can lift it without a problem. My husband has a Road King, and I can lift that too (almost 800lbs!). If you know the proper technique, you can lift just about any bike. Go to YouTube and search Proper Way to Pick up a Motorcycle, or something similar. You will get tons of videos that will show you how to properly lift it. It's all in the legs.

I think that they size of your bike is definitely a person thing. I love my Sportster. I actually owned the Road King that my husband now rides, but after one season I realized that it was just too much bike for me. Try them out -- it's fun visiting the dealers. :)

Feb 17, 2010

But Why?
by: SLY

Why are you assuming you are going to drop your bike right off the bat? I took the class, then went directly to the Harley dealer and bought a Nightster, which is a 1200cc bike. Weighs about 550 pounds. I'm only 5'4", and armed with the riding knowledge from the class, I am not in the least bit worried about dropping my bike. I had one close call when I first started riding, but with every ride you learn a lot, so now I have no fear and there will almost always be people around to help you when and if that happens to you! The biggest question for you is: Do you want to buy a small bike to practice on, and have to sell it later for a bigger one, or just start big? My advice is to first take the class, then make the decision.

Feb 17, 2010

New Rider
by: Lynn

Most rider training classes use Rebels or similar sized bikes. First take the training class and depending on how you do, then start sitting on different bikes. There is a specific technique to lifting a motorcycle. If you know someone who has "Ride Like a Pro" DVD, borrow it. He has his 100 lb. wife lifting a police bike with the proper technique. You might find the demonstration if you Google search for it. They didn't teach us about lifting bikes at my training class because if you dropped the bike during the test you failed. First have fun with the class and don't worry about the details!

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