New Biker- 6' tall female- what bike to get?

[hally]

I'm a 6' tall female, I'm not muscular and I'm very new to biking. I would greatly appreciate any recommendations on a traditional bike to purchase- especially a used one as money is an object! Thanks in advance!

[Batan]

If you want a sport/standard bike, I highly recommend a Suzuki GS500E. Very nice ergonomics, I'm 6' and my wife is just under 6' and it's a very comfortable bike for both of us. Plus, it is one of the best beginner bikes as well. It is a light bike at about 370+ lbs.


But go ahead and sit on few bikes at the dealer and see what's comfortable for you.

[motomac]

I'm a 6' tall female, I'm not muscular and I'm very new to biking. I would greatly appreciate any recommendations on a traditional bike to purchase- especially a used one as money is an object! Thanks in advance!

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If you're tall, you don't need to be that strong on a bike....you have leverage.

As for specific models, just try some before you buy. You don't want your legs folded up tight because the seat/footpeg distance is too small. Also, when you're sitting upright on a standard bike, there's a lot of you sticking up to catch the wind, so you'll be pulling yourself forward all the time at highway speeds. A lot of people find the laid back seating position of the cruisers to be comfortable (I don't....that just kills my back within a few minutes), so give them a try also.

Have you taken the MSF course...or any other motorcycle safety course? Often they will have bikes of different styles there for students to use, so riding one during the course will also help you decide.

Welcome to the wonder world of 2 wheels.....enjoy!!

Cheers,

Mac

[Thumper]

Your height is only part of it..your inseam matters more when it comes to how you'll fit on a bike. My 6'2" son has a 34" inseam and fit (barely, he could ride the heck out of it, though) on a little Rebel. He fits better on his Dad's VLX. Best thing you can do it go from dealership to dealership and sit on bikes that interest you and see how they feel.

Unless you have a whole lot of your height in your legs, most of the beginner friendly bikes should fit reasonably. Try the Honda Rebel, the Yamaha Virago 250, Suzuki GZ250, if you like sportier bikes look at the Ninja 250. If those feel too small, try the Honda VLX, Kawasaki Vulcan 500, Ninja 500. None of those are especially heavy, and are fun to learn on, fairly forgiving of newby mistakes.

And of course, the caveat: if you haven't taken the MSF basic rider's class, do it before you buy anything. You'll get to ride small bikes there, and get a feel for whether or not you even really want to ride...

[radak5osu]

I think 6 foot is about the perfect height to ride just about anything. I'm 6', maybe 6' 1'' and I fit just fine on the crappy little Nighthawk 250 in my MSF course, but I'm also tall enough to flat foot my brother's CBR 600. I would go the standard (or sport/standard) route. I have a 94 Yamaha Seca II and it has a perfectly natural riding position and is always very comfy. Also consider a Kawi Ninja 500, Suzuki GS500. Both are solid, popular and have been made since the late 80's so there are lots of used choices.

Btw, you don't by chance happen to be single and live anywhere near Ohio, do you? Six foot tall female interested in motorcycles sounds like a winner to me, hahaha .

[Lisa]

at 6' i find my xj 750 maxim cramped... could be i don't fold up well, but bikes with forward controls like the virago are more comfortable to me.

[kawgurl]

Hally - I'm 6' and not small (shall we say) - and I don't like being cramped up - my Meanstreak allows me to stretch out, even only with a 27" seat height. Being this tall enables us to really ride whatever we want - which is nice. Don't worry about not being muscular - having height alone gives you an advantage right out the chute.

Good luck!

[AlphaZed]

I'm a 6' tall female, I'm not muscular and I'm very new to biking. I would greatly appreciate any recommendations on a traditional bike to purchase- especially a used one as money is an object! Thanks in advance!

A Kawasaki 650R is a very comfy bike. They've also just released the "EN" model. It's a naked 650R...

[Batan]

I'm a 6' tall female, I'm not muscular and I'm very new to biking. I would greatly appreciate any recommendations on a traditional bike to purchase- especially a used one as money is an object! Thanks in advance!

A Kawasaki 650R is a very comfy bike. They've also just released the "EN" model. It's a naked 650R...

Oooh... I just checked that out, hotness!!

[AlphaZed]

I'm a 6' tall female, I'm not muscular and I'm very new to biking. I would greatly appreciate any recommendations on a traditional bike to purchase- especially a used one as money is an object! Thanks in advance!

A Kawasaki 650R is a very comfy bike. They've also just released the "EN" model. It's a naked 650R...

Oooh... I just checked that out, hotness!!

When I first saw the EN I thought it was the replacement for the now discontinued Z1000. It's not, but I do see some similaries. This is the Z1000 I recently sold: (And yeah, I know the black one is cooler than my blue one!)