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Hi, I'm 18 (19 in June) and looking to get my first motorcycle. I did ride dirtbikes as a kid, but I don't have any experience on any road bikes. I'm VERY small for my age. I'm only 5'4" and weigh approx. 110lbs, I am fairly fit though. I do lift more than my own body weight even though that might not be saying much given it's only 110lbs, so naturally a lighter weighted bike is something I would like to learn on.

Anyway, the one thing keeping my back is I'm young and I want that sporty look...I don't care nearly as much about the speed as I do the looks of the bike. I simply love the look of sport bikes. Now I did notice this thread:

viewtopic.php?t=10328

It shows the Aprilia 125R, which of course...with my luck isn't legal here in the U.S. being a 2-stroke. So, what are my options (if there even are any) for getting a bike 500cc or lower that has the looks like a Superbike? I'd grab up a 250cc 4-stroke that looks like the Aprilia in a heartbeat.

Beasty Kato wrote:Hi, I'm 18 (19 in June) and looking to get my first motorcycle. I did ride dirtbikes as a kid, but I don't have any experience on any road bikes. I'm VERY small for my age. I'm only 5'4" and weigh approx. 110lbs, I am fairly fit though. I do lift more than my own body weight even though that might not be saying much given it's only 110lbs, so naturally a lighter weighted bike is something I would like to learn on.

If you are young and just learning to ride, please check out my page here:
www.CaliforniaBikeNights.com/learn.php

It will give you a lot of good tips.

Ouch. 5'4" and 110lbs? Well, I'm 5'7" and there are a lot of bikes that I have a hard time fitting on (for example, I LOVE dual-sports but I am too short for ALL of them).

Sadly, at your size, if you want a sportbike, the only option you might have is a Ninja 250. The Ninja 250 is a very cool looking bike (especailly the all-black 2006 version) but there isn't much more to pick from.

The Suzuki GS500F might work for you too.

If you go look at the link I provided, there are a few links to photos of beginner bikes on the page and that might help you a little. But in the realm of pure sportbikes, there sadly are not many that are suitable for beginners or people of shorter stature.

Yeah, family history of late bloomers. Hopefully I'll pick up 2-3inches in the next few years like my uncle did. =P ...actually he picked up like 6 inches in college, he's 6ft now.

That does suck though I figured I'd be limited to that Kawi, but I'd be happier with a bike than without no matter what.

EDIT: also I'm not too worried about seat height I'll learn to one foot the bike no problem, I had to all the time when I was younger riding 125cc dirtbikes.

I do like the look of the Honda 599, if you guys don't think that would be too much bike for me and the weight isn't too bad on it.

Well I'm 5'11" so this probably won't do you much good.

But try sitting on a Ninja 500 or a GS500. I can flatfoot both of them easily with both feet and still have my knees bent a lot so you might be able to get the tips of your toes or maybe flatfoot one foot or something.


Just go to a dealership, fend off the salesman with "I just want to sit on the bikes", deal with their irritated glare, and go sit on the bikes you wanna try out. Maybe try on a helmet or two while you're there.

I'm 5'4" and 130lbs.

I took my bike test on a Suzuki GS500E. I found it an OK ride (hey, I passed). One problem I did have was that, having short arms, I was putting a lot of weight through my palms and I found my fingers would go numb after about an hour of city riding. Both feet could reach the floor however, so I say give it a go.

I believe the GS500 would be an excelent bike for you. I've had three. My most recent got totalled about a week ago and i plan to get another.

Beasty Kato wrote:I do like the look of the Honda 599, if you guys don't think that would be too much bike for me and the weight isn't too bad on it.

As a beginner, yes. Way too much. It's 97HP. Something like that should be your second or third bike, not your first. Again, that's just my opinion. Some people will tell you it's fine. I just happen to be a strong believer in low-horsepower for beginners.

A possible GREAT choice for you might be a Buell Blast. It is low-cost and has a low seat-height and is low-power enough for a beginner. I think they look REALLY cool but a lot of folks think they are lame. Check them out and see what you think.

Well, I'll just get a Ninja 500, or GS500. GS being my first choice because of looks on the newer models. I would go with a Ninja 250, but I know since I'll be keeping the bike at least 2-3 years I'll end up growing out of it.

Are there any good places for used bikes online besides eBay? Something like autotrader.com for cars? I tried cycletrader but can't seem to find too much in my area. I would like to purchase 2004 or newer model.

try craigslist and select your city.

dealers sell used bikes more expensive than private owners but they have a used bike guarantee(usually) so it's a little more safer if you don't know what to look for in used bikes.

Haggle the price of the bike down, whether or not it's a dealer. You'd be surprised at the type of deals you can get if you're willing to ask and to be patient and move on if you're rejected.