Lion_Lady wrote:
Check out Olympia Gear. They have real live "woman" sizes. Newenough.com is a reputable source for gear online.
You don't have to have gear for your class, do you? (In most states, all you need is long sleeves, pants and over the ankle boots, plus gloves, eyewear... many sites have helmets to lend for the class.)
Especially since you're losing weight, don't spend too much $$. You can get good protection for less than $200 - Less than $100 if you catch a clearance sale.
I'd say, don't buy a brand new bike YET!! Shop for something USED. The Vstar 650 is sweet and comparable to the Boulevard. Can be found used if you are patient watch craigslist and ebay and your local paper... put out among friends that you're looking for a bike. Many great bikes never get listed anywhere, but are instead parked on front lawns with a "for sale" sign hanging on them.
P
Not a jacket-just long sleeves-but even long sleeve tees are kinda icky at 99 degrees with 80% humidity. I have a white long sleeve tee that will probably get me through the class-but I'm thinking beyond the class. I will still have to practice in a parking lot afterwards.
And had I been able to find a used bike, I would have gone that route for sure. I've been scouring Cycle Trader, the papers, Craiglist, driving through the popular "for sale" spots, and driving through neighborhoods. I've even gone to all the local repair shops. I have a bunch of friends who ride, and they couldn't find anything either.
I've been looking since December. I've seen one Vstar and one Rebel. Both sold very shortly after being posted. I even thought about a Sportster, and then thought the better of it (I was intimidated by the bike just sitting on it-no good). No S40's anywhere used. The combination of gas prices, the climate, and the publicity of the MSF courses has actually driven used small bike prices higher than new bike prices locally in some cases
I have friends who own dealerships in the area-they can't keep the smaller bikes in stock.
I chose the S40 after sitting on a rather large assortment of bikes-the 250's were way too small and the VStar was too top heavy, in a nutshell. The S40 just fit great and I didn't have to search for the foot pegs like I did on the 250s-they're just in a good position for me. I also could fully balance the S40 while sitting still-I couldn't do that on the VStar. And I am getting a serious price break on it. For the price I'm paying, the used Virago 250s are actually going for more locally than what I'm paying for a new 650.
You are absolutely right-used was the first option. It just didn't happen that way. I absolutely accept that the likelihood of me dropping the bike is high. The VStar was definitely a close 2nd, and had I found one used, I probably would have gone that way. I'm returning to riding after a 20-year hiatus, so I may as well be learning all over again.
BTW, thanks for all the great responses on the jackets! That helps tremendously!
Due to the climate, I really am trying to find a mesh jacket so I don't get heat stroke during the MSF course (leather would actually be a danger in itself). I don't own a jacket that's really suitable (one dress lambskin blazer and a couple of cotton office-type blazers). Heck, I don't even have a "winter" jacket. But here's the catch-when I measure my chest, it's 57" in one bra and 55" in a different bra, which is slightly over the size charts for HD jackets. Forget about Joe Rocket and Icon and Alpinestars. I can get away with jeans for a bit, and I've already lost 25 pounds, but I feel I would be less than responsible if I didn't wear a protective jacket. 
