picking 1st bike for the girl

[Tepi]

I did fine as a ZX6R as my first bike, why should women fare any less with one? ZX6R or 650-Ninja would be good imho. :)

[RxZ]

Originally Posted by steveyak

Hey Guys looking for some unbiased input. We are looking to get my girl her first bike she is leaning in the sport direction. She is 5'8" so not a little girl, she has very little riding experience, I've just had her on little xr100 for the last few months. She's been doing really well, looking through turn getting used to controls. So a good student you could say. Ok so the question is do you think an sv650 is to much for someone to have as a first bike and still have a good learning curve, other option we were looking at is ninja 250. Open for suggestions but keep in mind the first bike will have a budget in the $2500 range so small gs's are out of the question on price alone.
Thanks for the input:

Do you know anyone in Texas that can bring a bike to you? I have what you need.

[Benesesso]

One other factor against the 250/500 bikes. Suppose she's out riding and some squid/pirate/clown/other scuzy starts giving her a hard time. I'd want my daughter on something that can outrun some of the junk out there.

Time for a refresher!
10 SIMPLE RULES FOR DATING MY DAUGHTER

Rule One
If you pull into my driveway and honk you'd better be delivering a package, because you're sure not picking anything up.

Rule Two
You do not touch my daughter in front of me. You may glance at her, so long as you do not peer at anything below her neck. If you cannot keep your eyes or hands off of my daughter's body, I will remove them.

Rule Three
I am aware that it is considered fashionable for boys of your age to wear their trousers so loosely that they appear to be falling off their hips. Please don't take this as an insult, but you and all of your friends are complete idiots. Still, I want to be fair and open minded about this issue, so I propose this compromise: You may come to the door with your underwear showing and your pants ten sizes too big, and I will not object. However, in order to ensure that your clothes do not, in fact, come off during the course of your date with my daughter, I will take my electric nail gun and fasten your trousers securely to your waist.

Rule Four
I'm sure you've been told that in today's world, sex without utilizing a "barrier method" of some kind can kill you. Let me elaborate, when it comes to sex, I am the barrier, and I WILL kill you.

Rule Five
It is usually understood that in order for us to get to know each other, we should talk about sports, politics, and other issues of the day. Please do not do this. The only information I require from you is an indication of when you expect to have my daughter safely back at my house, and the only word I need from you on this subject is "early."

Rule Six
I have no doubt you are a popular fellow, with many opportunities to date other girls. This is fine with me as long as it is okay with my daughter. Otherwise, once you have gone out with my little girl, you will continue to date no one but her until she is finished with you. If you make her cry, I will make YOU scream.

Rule Seven
As you stand in my front hallway, waiting for my daughter to appear, and more than an hour goes by, do not sigh and fidget. If you want to be on time for the movie, you should not be dating. My daughter is putting on her makeup, a process that can take longer than painting the Golden Gate Bridge. Instead of just standing there, why don't you do something useful, like changing the oil in my car?

Rule Eight
The following places are not appropriate for a date with my daughter: Places where there are beds, sofas, or anything softer than a wooden stool. Places where there are no parents, policemen, or nuns within eyesight. Places where there is darkness. Places where there is dancing, holding hands, or happiness. Places where the ambient temperature is warm enough to induce my daughter to wear shorts, tank tops, midriff T-shirts, or anything other than overalls, a sweater, and a goose down parka-zipped up to her throat. Movies with a strong romantic or sexual theme are to be avoided; movies which features chain saws are okay. Hockey games are okay. Old folks homes are better.

Rule Nine
Do not lie to me. I may appear to be a potbellied, balding, middle-aged, dim-witted has-been. But on issues relating to my daughter, I am the all-knowing, merciless God of your universe. If I ask you where you are going and with whom, you have one chance to tell me the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I have a shotgun, a shovel, and five acres behind the house. Do not trifle with me.

Rule Ten
Be afraid. Be very afraid. It takes very little for me to mistake the sound of your car in the driveway for a chopper coming in over a rice paddy near Hanoi. When my Agent Orange starts acting up, the voices in my head frequently tell me to clean the guns as I wait for you to bring my daughter home. As soon as you pull into the driveway you should exit your car with both hands in plain sight. Speak the perimeter password, announce in a clear voice that you have brought my daughter home safely and early, then return to your car - there is no need for you to come inside. The camouflaged face at the window will be mine.

[Jnich77]

Originally Posted by Benesesso

One other factor against the 250/500 bikes. Suppose she's out riding and some squid/pirate/clown/other scuzy starts giving her a hard time. I'd want my daughter on something that can outrun some of the junk out there.

Skill will do that, not a faster bike. All a faster bike will do to an inexperienced rider is hurt/kill then at a higher velocity. The last track day I did (its been a few years) I saw a Ninja 250 consistently run faster times than some of the 600cc bikes and a 1000cc bike.

To go fast on a bike the equation is:

90% Rider
5% Bike
5% Luck

[dwoodward]

My vote: EX500, GS500, Seca II, Bandit 600, SV650 (either version). Decent torque (doesn't have to be flogged) not too much power. Buy it cheap now, and if you take decent care of it and add a few farkles (I always do heated grips and a plug for battery charger / heated gear) you can sell for what you paid for it (or more) in 6-12 months... If she wants to. The Spouse Unit still misses her Seca II.

[BlueLghtning]

Originally Posted by steveyak

what I dont like about the 250 is the light weight and under power. She took all of about 30 seconds to pick up the xr 100. and was pushing after an hour. she is not a weak girl so she would be able to handle a slightly bigger bike physically, and seat height is not an issue her legs are longer than mine, I'm 5'11".

Serious question, but have you ever been close to someone before learning to ride, especially a female? Yeah, we all hope our ladies become the next amazing rider and some really do, but they have to all start somewhere. Its great she picked up the XR100 so quickly, but its also a tiny bike that is very non-intimidating, and probably one of the reasons she picked it up so quickly and that's the type of enthusiasm you want to keep going as she is learning to ride. It does sound like she's above avg physically and height when you compare to most 5'2"-5'4" ladies that can't even touch on some of the bikes out there, but I just caution you about getting her over her head and worst case you end up with someone totally discouraged about ever riding again.

Some of you are saying the 250 actually has some power. this kind of discredited your view for me.....I have spent a small amount of time on ninja 250 it is painfully slow. and im a little worried she will develop bad habbits with it. Seeing as you can rev the bike to 10,000rpm and drop the clutch and its fine. So while I dont want her to end up on her back with the bike gone if she drops the clutch I also dont want to get used to thinking its ok.
So to have the opinion that the 250 is the right bike is great, but to say it has any power is just plain ridiculous.
to everyone else I really appreciate the advice and I'm leaning way toward the ex500 or gs500 good smooth power enough to need to respect it but not enough to scare her.

You've admitted you have spent all about 25miles on a 250 and you are used to a bike that makes 125hp and are a track rider. Yeah, I'm sure it feels painfully under powered to you in those scenarios, but for its size and weight, it really isn't that slow of a bike. If you really want to discredit us just for that point of view, that's your choice, but we are really trying to help you see all possibilities here. In her case, I'm not going to say the 500's are bad choices either and if that makes you feel better about them being a bit faster, than that's great.

I also really wouldn't worry about bad habits forming on any learning bike. That's the purpose of a beginner bike is to learn the proper techniques and develop the right muscle memory and not kill yourself in the process. Being able to hamfist a Ninja 250 or 500 and not get yourself in trouble should be seen as a positive thing when learning because its going to happen. I would actually disagree and say that if you drop the clutch at 10k, even on the 250, you'll be on your butt, however I get where you are coming from. It actually takes a second to get a Ninja 250 to rev to 10K in N, so that actually works in the riders favor if they accidentally screw it up a time or two. If someone keeps doing that thinking its okay, they probably shouldn't be riding, but I don't think that's the point.

I hope what ever bike she chooses it works out for her and you guys enjoy many happy years of riding.

[BlueLghtning]

To the OP, I hope you don't mind a bit of a side tangent, but I wanted to share a little short story with you.

One of the reasons I enjoy Ninja 250's so much was this ride I did with 3 other buddies. One summer we all decided to p/u Ninja 250's to go terrorize larger sportbikes in the mountains that and let me tell you we sure did that summer and loved every minute of it. We made lots of guys that thought they were fast on there 600 or 1000's feel a bit smaller when guys on 250's came flying past them.

Anyway, one of our buddies moved away to Arkansas near the Ozarks, so we decided to ride the 2500 mile round trip on our 250's and it was a blast. All 4 of us are over 6' tall with me being the tallest but the 3rd lightest at 230lbs. The biggest guy tipped the scales at over 300lbs and the other two were around 260 & 200 respectively.

I'm standing next to the Red Ninja. Bigguest guy next to the blue one and smallest guy next to the green one.


Leaving our buddies house to head back home


Let me tell you, we made these things look small


Holding 80mph is no problem on the interstate


Just a few vids

This is me cruising at 70-80mph in front of the other guys


Sorry about these crappy quality vids, but it was just a Point & Shoot camera mounted on a Ram Mount on the handle bar of a screaming Ninja 250.

So these next couple vids is me chasing the big guy who was the only one faster than me (ex-racer from Britain). We had the little 250's screaming, but we were having such a blast. If we would have been caught at these speeds, it wouldn't have been pretty. LOL

So we pass a truck at the 0:50 mark in this one


Excuse the hooligan riding, we were having a blast though.


Here's a good example of a Ninja 250 being docile in the very beginning just cruising, then I drop a couple gears and give chase.


Anyway, still want of the most stupid fun trips we've had and we all agreed it was a blast because of the little Ninja's and how hard we were riding them. I don't think they are as bad as you are making them out to be, but either way, have fun riding with your wife.

[D R]

The fact that YOU are here posting the question on what to get HER brings one concern to mind.

Are you looking because YOU want her to do it or because SHE feels she is ready and is looking for something bigger?

If it's because of the latter, then there has been plenty of good advise offered.

Originally Posted by TNRat

1. Decide on what type of riding you want to do. This dramatically narrows options from everything to a segment
2. Decide on budget. Cuts down on options even further
3. Sit on or even ride if possible everything out there that can be safely ridden. While you may not have many opportunities to ride I encountered not a single dealer that was against my sitting on everything in their shop when I asked permission
4. Invest in a moto school like the ones Motorcycle Safety Foundation puts on. For beginner classes they furnish bikes up to 250 cc and you could theoretically ride several different bikes in a weekend on a course.

If it's because you want her to, the I recommend you don't do it. Too many times novice riders have been hurt by pushing them too far too fast.

If SHE is ready, then go for it.

[DavidBanner]

Originally Posted by Jnich77

I don't understand the question... why would you ask about a motorcycle for a woman... why would a lady need such a thing? Exactly how far apart is your kitchen and dining room?

that was funny.

[DavidBanner]

if you're on here asking this kind of question, sounds like BOTH of you have a lot to learn about riding/motorcycles. the whole "guy-getting-chick-to-ride-her-own-bike" is one of the more tired motorcycle stories.

if you don't know the difference between a 100cc bike and a 250, 500 or 650twin...it might be time to take a break from playing teacher to a novice and learn a few things yourself.

don't mean to come off harsh, but just callin it like i see it.

a lot of guys on this site have been on every displacement bike and find themselves coming back to a fun little bike. every bike is perfect for its own niche.

[yzfcathy]

Being a woman, being 5-8 and being a past SV 650 and KLR owner......I would lean towards an SV. I would also lean towards a 2003 or newer just so you get the FI. If you're riding in flat terrain (relatively) the older carbureted SV's are great and actually the engines of the carbureted ones are a bit more hearty than the '03 and later FI ones.

The SV's are a torquey 70+hp with nice power delivery, they also have tons of suspension upgrades since they have been very popular on the racing circuits.

I rented a Buell Blast once, thinking a 500 would be ok for a little freeway riding. What a mistake that was. I would not recommend the Blast. It is under powered and not very stable at freeway speeds.

The EX250 and 500's are a good stepping stone too and easy to sell in the used market.

I would throw in all the dirt riding she can stand too as a great way to become proficient on the street. American Supercamp uses the XR100's.

[LuluOfDenver]

Definitely listen to yzfcathy. On this forum, looking for a bike for a girl, there are plenty of US to get opinions rather than the guys. I am only 5'3", so my opinion will be a little different. BUT, I went from a 1980 Honda 200 standard type bike to a F650GS. It made me nervous, but I took it slow and figured it out. Less than a year later, I rode her to Alaska with my husband, and then went by myself to an off road riding rally type thing. I'm totally hooked, and lets be honest--I ride like a fucking champ.

I think there is nothing wrong with you asking for opinions about what kind of bike to find for your girl. Truly, though, have her sit on a couple different bigger bikes and see what is comfortable, ergonomically speaking. She'll figure out the larger engine.

Btw--Jnich77--Dude, really?. I want to give him the benefit of the doubt, think he is just trying to be funny (and failing miserably), but not sure on that one...

[Fajita Dave]

Originally Posted by steveyak

what I dont like about the 250 is the light weight and under power. She took all of about 30 seconds to pick up the xr 100. and was pushing after an hour. she is not a weak girl so she would be able to handle a slightly bigger bike physically, and seat height is not an issue her legs are longer than mine, I'm 5'11". Some of you are saying the 250 actually has some power. this kind of discredited your view for me. the bike makes 22hp the xr 100 make 9hp. my 1990 kx125 makes 39hp I have spent a small amount of time on ninja 250 it is painfully slow. and im a little worried she will develop bad habbits with it. Seeing as you can rev the bike to 10,000rpm and drop the clutch and its fine. So while I dont want her to end up on her back with the bike gone if she drops the clutch I also dont want to get used to thinking its ok.
So to have the opinion that the 250 is the right bike is great, but to say it has any power is just plain ridiculous.
to everyone else I really appreciate the advice and I'm leaning way toward the ex500 or gs500 good smooth power enough to need to respect it but not enough to scare her.

With your girlfriend's experience in other things I don't think she would have much of an issue on a 650cc bike. I taught my wife (also 5'8") how to ride for 4 months. She learned on a motocross prepped CR250R two-stroke with a violent power band so it was a bit intimidating for her. She got all of the basics down pretty solid in 3 days. From that point on it was refining proper technique, and then moving to emergency maneuvers. Emergency maneuvers didn't only include hard braking and managing a front wheel lock up but also dealing with sudden patches of gravel dealing with other road hazards. At the end of her 3rd month I taught her log crossings on the dirtbike. After that she got her license through taking the MSF course. Once she got her license I put her straight on my 110hp 08' GSX-R 600 while I followed her on a KLR. She rode flawlessly even after hitting a patch of gravel on her first ride. She tensed up a little for that part but kept a cool head and rolled on the throttle just a little, let the tires slide evenly and she rode through it with no problem. I definitely put her through a fast and rigorous course for 4 months but it payed off in the very first ride and has ever since.

An SV650 is an excellent bike that she would probably like. The 01' that I rode had very smooth throttle response and was never surprising or sudden at any point in the rev range. It never felt weak but it wasn't violent either like my gsx-r is above 10k RPM. The steering can be pretty aggressive since it does have the same frame and geometry of the gsx-r 600 but it feels stable and pretty neutral through corners. With modern sportbike tires I can't imagine an SV "overpowering" a tire and causing a wreck unless conditions are pretty bad. Bottom line is training though. If she gets good training and understanding of how to ride a motorcycle correctly than she could ride anything. Seat time (lots of it) while pushing the bikes and riders limits is pretty vital in my opinion. Its the only way to really learn how to deal with a motorcycle in less than ideal conditions and proper throttle control which is best learned off-road. And yes, you can teach/learn those things on an XR100.

I did have quite a few long talks with my wife about the dangers of riding though. She already knew them but I wanted to make it clear that motorcycles can kill you. They could kill her, me, or anyone else the very next time we ride. The biggest deciding factor however is rider skill. Prepare yourself for the worst of situations, not the bare minimum before you actually ride on public roads with traffic and dumbass cagers. The next conversation was riding gear.....

As far as which bike she wants to get. See if you can get her on a few test rides of some sort. My wife didn't know what she wanted when the only thing was my dirtbike and had no idea what to expect from other motorcycles. She LOVED the sportbike when she rode it and thought that's what she wanted.... until she rode my friends KLR. The sportbike has a very tight, refined, and confident feel that's like nothing else but its only good on street, and the seating position isn't the most comfortable. She rode the KLR and even though it doesn't have that nice refined feel she enjoyed how lazy it was but still pretty decent through corners and handling lean angle. Having the off-road capability and a very comfy seating position put a dual sport over the top so she's been drooling over the DR650 ever since.

[Tepi]

She already knew them but I wanted to make it clear that motorcycles can kill you.

Thats kinda like saying guns can kill you. Neither can, operator error can kill you but not the bike just by itself.

[Ceri JC]

SV650s is a great first bike. At 5'8", it shouldn't need any lowering. It's relatively light and I have known lots of smaller ladies to ride them. It's generally a popular middleweight with females, so much so that it has something of a reputation as a "girl's bike" in the UK. It's as sporty as she'll need as a n00b without the higher consumables costs of a 'full on' sportsbike. The SV650s is very easy/cheap to restrict to 33BHP (and to reverse the procedure afterwards). It also, because it's relatively torquey and light, it doesn't feel castrated when restricted the way some bikes do.

So, my response would be: get the SV650s and if you/she feels it is a bit too powerful, stick the restrictor on it until she gets more comfortable on it.

Good luck!