Ladies - Women's first bike choice

[jacks]

My first bike and only bike is a HD 1200C. I am 5'5" and weigh 125lbs.

I love the bike[/img]

[mic_merritt]

Hi all! I loved reading over this thread and well the ladies section in general makes for some great reading. I'm barely 4'11 with about a 25 inch inseam. I never thought I could ride a motorcycle until I pulled up next to a tiny asian lady riding a harley at a stop light - she couldn't have been more than 5'2 tall and she was leaning that bike to the left with just one foot on the ground!

I decided at that very second that I should see what riding is all about. I'm still working on passing the MSF course - but I decided on a Honda Shadow Spririt 750 as my first bike - she just seemed to be the perfect size. So far I love her - if I could just get those tight right turns from a stop sign down!

Here's a pic of my bike - I gotta find someone to take one with me on it

[KarateChick]

Yay mic! Nice bike, I'm sure you'll be licensed and on it in no time. I'm on my second bike, another ninja 250 as I sold the first one. Just wanted a newer bike & still really like that one so got another

[loonymoon]

Hi everyone.

I've been riding since I was 16 (scooters and mopeds) eventually decided to go for a "proper" bike when I was 22 but I couldn't really find one in my price range that I liked. I sat on a few Honda Bros 400's and CB1's but they were all a bit ratty for the price I was going to pay so I ended up buying a 1973 Classic honda 350 Four.... not exactly a common bike but it felt so right when I sat on it the first time and was REALLY easy to ride.
I don't really have the "touching the ground" problem though as although I'm 5 ft 5 1/2 I have fairly long legs (32") and so can touch the ground with flat feet even on my dads Triumph Sprint 900!

Here's a few suggestions though as my mum also rides bikes and has been through a few. She's a little shorter than me.

Honda CB500
Kawazaki ER-5
Kawazaki EL250 (cruiser style again)
Yamaha Virago (any size)
Honda CBF250/600

[bikerbaberollin]

I purchased my '05 Honda arero 8 months ago and its now 15000 miles later. Its a great first street bike. I also am 5'2'', and I have no problems touching the ground, nor with the balance of the bike. It's a very good riding and handling bike.

[Shorts]

Hi ladies. This thread was the motivation that pushed me to join the board.

I'm currently beginning the search for a first motorcycle, cruiser style 250s. The Yamaha Virago and Honda Rebel are the top of my list. I've ridden dirtbikes in my teen years so I'm familiar with bikes, but I'll need to go through all MSF/licensing as well as some major practice with my unique challenges that donned me in '98. But enough of that.

My main response is to 250s being small and licensing requirements depending on country. DH is military and we are Americans stationed in Japan. Anyone who's spent any time in JPN knows that POV laws are pretty in depth and quite tiresome. The paperwork involved in purchasing, registering, licensing, insuring and even parking for our two vehicles was enough to say "I quit, let's go home". But alas, we survived as pressed on.

Licenses are required for ALL scooters and motorcycles operating on public roads. Depending on the size of the engine the requirements change as far as paper test only or classroom, paper and riding test. Inspection, otherwise known as SHAKEN is also required for bikes over 250cc.

JPNs dense population and cramped construction makes for pretty wild city driving conditions. Couple that with lack of parking and you've got a lot of people who use scooters and motorcycles for their daily ride. Yes, many use the subway or JR line, but many also commute in a POV or motorcycle.

Around here, motorcycles are cheap, economical, easy to park and easy to manuever, and for everything under 250cc, it requires no extra weight tax or annual inspection. And let's not make the mistake of thinking an inspection here is $15 and a 20min wait and you're set. Inspections are expensive (think hundreds) and weight tax isn't too terrible, but still more money in addition to everything you've already paid. You'll spend anywhere from $200-$700 depending on how many repairs your POV/motorcycle needs before passing inspection.

Basically, here in JPN, unders 250 is cheap and readily available. They're light and manueverable. While JPN is a widely motorcycle-toured country, it is the smaller bikes that are the best all-around choice for both the rural and urban settings. Bigger is not always better here. And bigger is EXTREMELY expensive here too. Not to mention, JPN have no regard for mileage vs cost here. A huge difference than the States.

Well, that's my novela for the day. Hope it sheds some light on something useful

Edit: Today I've added a 250cc sportbike to the list of contenders. I sat on a Honda CBR250RR and new ideas arose.

[carrieme]

Hello everyone, like the last poster, this thread is what prompted me to join this board. I'm really excited to learn more about bikes! They're so sexy and I can't wait to learn more about it.

So, the backstory is that I've always like bikes but it's only been recently that I've become super interested in them to the point where I'm curious what kind of bike would be good for myself should I purchase one in the future.

I've read through the thread but, I'm still not sure what would be a good starter bike for myself personally? First off though, I'm 5'1 and I weigh 100 lbs. I know I'm petite but I love bikes and I want to learn. I really into the Yamaha YZF (I even have a little toy model, hehe ) or the Ninja 250 but I don't know if they're good for my weight/height or not. Are either of those bikes impossible for me? I don't know how it works or if it's possible to get them lowered to fit my height. Also, is my weight a big issue? I know they're heavy but I'm sure there are other smaller ladies out there who ride.

If anything, what kind of other bikes would you girls suggest would be good for my weight/height?

I hope you can help with some of my questions! I can't wait to hear your responses!

[Z (fka Sweet Tooth)]

Im so happy to have found this post. Im joining my husband on the road (along with the rest of the family) as a driver. I take my Motorcycle classes on Feb 24th. My husband just bought a Vulcan Classic and im inheriting his Honda Sabre 1100. I can easily flat foot the Honda but im not feeling 100% with the weight, it seems a bit top heavy for me. I dont want to have to try negotiating turns and obstacles in the road with newbie skills and deal with a top heavy bike on top of that. I hate to see the bike go, for sentimental reasons, but im not going to ride on something that I dont feel 100% comfortable with. I think im going to hit some dealers this weekend and get a feel for what else is out there. The information on the previous posts have really given me a good idea of what to look for and what I'm able to handle as a newbie.

Thanks for the info.

Just ran across this thread again and figured I would update this. I didn't go for the Honda, we sold it and I got a 2001 Kawasaki Vulcan Classic 800. After I took the class I had a better sence of what I could handle. I feel in love with the Vulcan when I saw it. Perfect height, weight and balance, rides real nice too...

[Loonette]

I've read through the thread but, I'm still not sure what would be a good starter bike for myself personally?
I hope you can help with some of my questions! I can't wait to hear your responses!

Welcome aboard! Make sure to introduce yourself in the "Start Your Engines" forum. Not all members come and look around here.

I'm 5'2", and at one time was riding a Yamaha FZ6. I didn't care for how top heavy the bike felt, but you weigh a lot less than I do, so it might not be a big deal for you. Try sitting on all the bikes that interest you. See how sturdy your feet feel on the ground. It takes time to get the right feel with a bike, and the fact is, at your height most sports bikes will be a bit of a challenge. But perhaps you'll work it all out.

The "New Bikers" forum has great tips and recommendations for first bikes. You might find more complete information there on the different models. Good luck and keep us posted!

Cheers,
Loonette

[Dee600F4i]

Hello all, I just signed up and thought I would enter my $.02 I had a boyfriend teach me to ride on his Honda 929 back in 2002. I bought my 1st bike. a 600 F4i last year and I'm in love! I have even taught my husband to ride it. This bike is by far the easiest bikes to learn on. I had it lowered a little because it was a little high, but 4300 miles later and I'm still finding out new things about her! I highly recommend the 05 CBR 600F4i. Althugh I hear the 06 had a more comfey seat.