Ladies - Women's first bike choice

[Prickles]

Hi everyone, I'm a very new rider - not picking my bike up til next saturday. I'm only 5'2 so i was looking for a bike i could put my feet on the ground. I liked the Suzuki Cruiser Intruder but decided for price and size to go with the new 2008 Honda CBR 125R. Would like to know what anyone else thinks of the bike.

[Scotwench]

Hello Ladies... new poster here. What a great site!

My first bike was an '04 Honda 250 Rebel. It sat in the shop for most of a year before I began really "riding" her. It took me awhile to feel comfortable on it and just never felt like I could keep up with DH's VTX1300, (although she really did for the type of riding we do). I've been riding her fairly hard for the past six months and just upgraded. I got a great deal on a '99 Honda VT600CD and have sold the Reb.

Man, I am loving the power of this girl! She has plenty of spunk for my interstate commute when I ride to work. Plus, she was cheap enough that I can transform her into "my bike". The to-do list grows more every day!

I am only 5'2 and none of that limited height is in my legs so it's been tough for me to find much that I can flat-foot and this one works great for me!

[kawgurl]

I started with a Suzuki Boulevard C50T (=800cc). It felt like an absolute MONSTER after riding the 250's in my training course, but it didn't take me long to get used to it. I put about 1000 miles on it in the first two months and found it to be very vibratey (?) and uncomfortable and not really strong enough for passing on the highway confidently, so I sold it and moved into the (used) Meanstreak.

I had my husband and a number of my guy friends going "I told ya so.." but I have no regrets about starting on the Suzuki before moving into something bigger and stronger - I mean - it's MY RIDE! They agree it was probably the right thing to do. They are boys, you know.

[Purple Princess]

I was afraid to get something to heavy. But then I worried about growing out of a smaller bike. I am 5'7. So............I finally settled on the honda shadow 750. I love it. But mainly b/c I am a purple FREAK. AND yes its purple

[Redheadedsissy]

I don't have my bike yet, but am a rider for most of my life. I am looking into getting one for myself but having some problems with trying to find the right one for me. This will be my first bike, and i don't need anything with all the bells and whistles. At 5'6, I am not the shortest thing, but i want to be able to be flat footed on the ground. I also am looking for something that would be be able to ride on longier trips as i am in PA and i have family in WI that also ride. Any ideas on some things i can look at?

[MZ33]

Do you know what type of bike you are interested in? Cruiser, sport, standard, etc?

[Sass]

For my first bike I want the Kawa ZZR600. I am 5'8", think I can handle it??? I don't want to start out with a 250, get bored and want something stronger.

[Somerled]

I started out on a used Honda Rebel 250.........then graduated up to a Honda Shadow A.C.E. Tourer 1998 1000. PERFECT for me :>

[Lion_Lady]

For my first bike I want the Kawa ZZR600. I am 5'8", think I can handle it??? I don't want to start out with a 250, get bored and want something stronger.

Have you read the sticky threads in New Riders? Your height has little to do with whether or not you can 'handle' the bike. Its gonna weigh around 400 lbs. I couldn't find a the horsepower listed on the Kawasaki web page. Unless your sole reason for riding is to 'go fast' its hard to ride even a 250 to its limit. You'll master the skills better on something small and 'pre-dropped.'

Keep in mind, that the zzr may look sweet right now, but once you get riding it is not uncommon for folks to realize that what they thought was THE bike for them is no longer fits their riding style... its your first bike, not your last.

Take the MSF Basic Riders Course, buy used, master the basics. Then that zzr will be a much better choice.

P

[tx2wheels]

My first bike's a 2005 yamaha v-star classic 650. In response to the person that moved up to a sportster, a big consideration for me with that bike was that it was too light for the power and felt very top heavy, which was probably why she didn't like the feel. At 5'7", I'm not short, but I like to sit low "in" the bike rather than perched "on top" of the bike. That lowers the center of gravity for greater stability. I tried out a lot of bikes before I found one that had the street feel and stability I liked. Don't be afraid to do that, and to work off referrals from your riding friends to find a dealer that you can be honest with about your needs.

Also, weight and power also increase stability. If you know how to lift it properly, weight really shouldn't be your main concern. I thought it was, but was proven wrong by my instructor, who couldn't have weighed over 90 pounds and had no problem at all righting a heavy bike.

Happy roads!!!