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I used to ride a few years ago. Now that my wife and I are somewhat comfortable finacially we are going to start riding. Me again, her for the first time.

Here is my question: I am looking for a bike that I can ride for the first 3-4 months of the season that is big enough for me to fit on ( I am 6'1" 215 with a 32 inseam) and then turn over to her after she takes the safety course and gets her license. She is 5' 7" 130.

I am leaning towards a Honda VLX 600 or the Vulcan 500LTD. The 500 seems a bit cramped.

I will be riding this to work 2 days a week for a while. It is 33 miles each way.

Any help is appreciated.

Great site by the way

A bit more info, please: both bikes you mentioned are cruisers. Are you limiting this to cruiser bikes, or would you consider other styles? If just cruisers, I'd recommend a V-Star 650 over either of the bikes you mentioned. It's going to feel bigger than a Vulcan 500 (which is otherwise a great bike) and is just all-around superior to a VLX.

If you're not limited to cruisers, then there's more choices - let us know.

Not interested in the crotch rocket style

Will the V star be too big for her first bike?

Depends on her. A 650 cruiser shouldn't be anything a new rider can't handle. She's not a tiny girl, so I wouldn't foresee any real issues.

If it is ultimately going to become her bike I'd suggest getting whatever she is most comfortable on, then just dealing with it for those few months before you turn over the keys.

Also, now that I think about it more, there are more styles than just cruiser and crotch rocket. JStark and I each have Adventure Tourers, which are very different from sport bikes. Just because it's wrapped in some plastic doesn't mean it's a crotch rocket.

Cruisers are great for showing off how well you can polish chrome, but you might be doing yourself (and your wife) a disservice by not shopping around more.

Ninja 500, Ninja 650r, Versys, and DL650 are all pretty much "standards" under the plastic, similar to the old Honda CBs. The last two might be tall for a new rider, but just throwing them out there as examples. Look around more, you might find something else you like.

NewButOld wrote:
Will the V star be too big for her first bike?

Not at all. It has a low seat height so she could flat foot it easily, but the controls are forward enough so you would probably feel ok on it.

It is only a 40 HP...so it is easy to control.

I now have 40,000km on mine.

I looked at the Ninja 500 but SHE didnt like it LOL

The sport bikes just dont do it for her.

I have my eye on a 2006 Vulcan 500 for $3099 at a dealer. it has 4800 miles.

Seems like a good price and is in excellent condition. I seem to fit on it decently (it doesnt look like a unicycle under me !!LOL)

I thik it will serve me for 4 months til she can start riding. I have every intention of getting the Vstar 650 or C50 for my bike once she is up and running.

Does 3100 sound right for a 2006 Vulcan 500?

I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but you mentioned that your wife will be taking the safety course (and that's great). You also mentioned it's been a few years since you've been riding. Even though you'd have started again for a few months beforehand, have you considered taking the course with her?

I have just started re-riding, and I got the 86 Honda nighthawk 700. I am a bit on the short side, but I like the feel of the bike. And I can flat foot.
If your wife is starting out, I would suggest the Rebel or an older Ascot (why they named a bike an Ascot I will never know). The older bikes from the 80s are reliable, take a beating, and require little maintainence. Especially the 700 which is shaft driven.
I suggest you contact the safety course and ask if they have the refresher course, it is cheaper to take than a beginers course and you wont have to go over things like, this is where the clutch is....Good luck with whatever you get.
PS - you might send your wife over to Two Wheel Females, it is a great forum for women riders and they might help shed some light on what might be a better fit for her. Hope you post what you purchased and how she does on the course.

NewButOld wrote:I looked at the Ninja 500 but SHE didnt like it LOL

The sport bikes just dont do it for her.

I have my eye on a 2006 Vulcan 500 for $3099 at a dealer. it has 4800 miles.

Seems like a good price and is in excellent condition. I seem to fit on it decently (it doesnt look like a unicycle under me !!LOL)

I thik it will serve me for 4 months til she can start riding. I have every intention of getting the Vstar 650 or C50 for my bike once she is up and running.

Does 3100 sound right for a 2006 Vulcan 500?

In that case, the 500 should work very well. That price doesn't sound horribly out of line, but I've never really priced them out before.
Ride safe.