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I will be taking my class next week so I will know the answer to my question a little better, but would a 600cc Honda Shadow be okay for a first bike? I was thinking of a 250 Rebel or the like, but seeing as how a used Shadow goes for the same price as a used 250, why not? Plus, I would like something that is pretty highway friendly. I don't want to get run over or blown off the road. I am not a big guy (5' 7", 125 lbs) so that severly limits my selections.

If you can, find one and sit on it. If you can reach all the controls comfortably, and feel you can securely balance the bike when stopped, then it should be OK for you. Many people have successfully started on this bike.

I'll echo...sit on one first just to make sure you think it's comfortable. It's a good choice for a first bike if it fits you.

Its my first bike! I am only 5'3" 100 pds. It a pretty good fit. I love it.

gearhead65 wrote:I will be taking my class next week so I will know the answer to my question a little better, but would a 600cc Honda Shadow be okay for a first bike? I was thinking of a 250 Rebel or the like, but seeing as how a used Shadow goes for the same price as a used 250, why not? Plus, I would like something that is pretty highway friendly. I don't want to get run over or blown off the road. I am not a big guy (5' 7", 125 lbs) so that severly limits my selections.

I think you should have no problem handling the VLX 600. Whether it's highway friendly is a matter of opinion. Many think the limits imposed by the 4 speed tranny make highway riding a chore.

Here is a review of the VLX 600 from 1999, but the bike is essentially the same as it was then: http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/roadte ... index.html

" . . . this is one of the few bikes still driving through four speeds, and that makes for some pretty wide ratio jumps when you are talking about a 583cc engine . . .

. . . but the gaps between gears still loom large, despite slightly broader power. Riders also found themselves looking for fifth gear on the highway."

You may also want to check out this comparison where the VLX is discussed:
http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/roadte ... index.html

Well, what about a 750? I sat on one and it felt great, but how much different is it than a 600? I know it's a little heavier. I haven't riden either one and have only sat on a 750 and my father-in-law's 1100 so I have nothing to really compare it to. When I am ready to buy (in a couple weeks) I am thinking of getting either a 600 or 750, whichever I get the better deal on.

If you're comparing the VLX 600 and, say, the Spirit 750, the extra weight of the 750 is going to chew up the nominal HP increase over the 600. I think between those two, it's a matter of which one fits you the best and floats your boat the highest (I don't have any comparisons with other 750s...and what I know between the VLX and Spirit is 2ndhand, but comes from a very reliable source who hangs on Beginner and Beyond, the Rebel 250 forum, and a few other places...)

I know several people (online) who started on the Spirit and did very well and loved it. Only one that didn't care for the ride, but the size wasn't an issue.

If I could get my hands on an '03 in the purple-blue, I'd be all over it... (really, only for the paint scheme...it speaks to me )

Are you determined that your bike be a Honda?

Not at all, I was looking at the Vulcan 500 and Virago 750 also. It's just that I have only sat on Hondas so far.

You could also go check out the Yamaha V-Star 650.