Bike for the Wife
Road Warrior
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 1,837
Likes: 46
From: Macomb MI
My wife wants to start riding,I mean I am trying to get her in to it, she is 5'3 and she fills really comfy on this little awesome ride...I want her to get the street bob but she is afraid of it...
Tourer
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 467
Likes: 0
From:
My wife is 5'2 105 lbs and had never even ridden a bike before. She took the MSF course in August '09 and then we bought her a '07 1200C and put some lowering shocks on it. She dumped it a couple times in the high school parking lot getting used to starting and stopping on it. She didn't get hurt at all and the bike only suffered a bent front brake lever. After about a week of of practice a couple hours a day she was doing good and I felt comfortable that she was ready for some back roads. We took our first ride together and she did great. She put a little over 2000 miles on before we put it to bed for the winter. She loves it but I gotta admit it's more stressful for me. I feel like I spend more time watching my mirrors than I ever have. She's been sick so she hasn't been out on it yet this year. I told her I think we'll go do a couple days in the parking lot again when she' ready so she can get her "bike Legs" back before going on the road. She found that she doesn't like riding with a group of friends because she gets nervous so we ride alone when she's on her bike. So I guess my point is if she really wants a Harley that would be a good choice.
Tourer
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 432
Likes: 5
From: Tennessee
Start small and move up as the skill level improves.
The smallest of the cruiser bikes are the Kawi 125, the Hondal Rebel 250 and the Yamaha Virago 250. Close to this range but sligthly larger is the Vulcan 500. All are light and good bikes for first timers.
The next move up class encoumpases the Vstar 650, Honda Shadow 750, The Suzuki S50 or C50 and my favorite the Kawi 900.
The kawi 900 is very well balanced. Light off the centerstand, Metric quality. Looks big but actually fairly light 595# great gas milage and my 5'2 wife can flat foot it and ride interstates at 103 MPH indicated (had to chase her south of Birmingham
)
Final admonition. buy used. You will also be able to sell if for what you paid for it in most cases with the starter bikes listed above
But to each his own
R. todd
The smallest of the cruiser bikes are the Kawi 125, the Hondal Rebel 250 and the Yamaha Virago 250. Close to this range but sligthly larger is the Vulcan 500. All are light and good bikes for first timers.
The next move up class encoumpases the Vstar 650, Honda Shadow 750, The Suzuki S50 or C50 and my favorite the Kawi 900.
The kawi 900 is very well balanced. Light off the centerstand, Metric quality. Looks big but actually fairly light 595# great gas milage and my 5'2 wife can flat foot it and ride interstates at 103 MPH indicated (had to chase her south of Birmingham
)Final admonition. buy used. You will also be able to sell if for what you paid for it in most cases with the starter bikes listed above
But to each his own
R. todd
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 3,605
Likes: 3
From: Adirondack Mountains
Road Warrior
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 1,697
Likes: 0
From: Indiana
OK here we go. Wife took the MSF course in AUG 2006 never sat on a bike before. No intentions of riding herself just took the course to know what I was doing. I took it also. On Feb 14 2007 I bought her a new 1200L sportster. She also practiced at the highschool parking lot. She rode through a 6' chain link fence and got knocked off. Scared but not hurt.
I bought her a 2007 Rebel she rode it for 300 miles and then went back to her 1200L. She rode that for 2700 miles and then she bought a used 2007 Heritage with 492 miles on it. She now has over 7000 miles on the Heritage and loves to ride. I say start on something small like the rebel then by pass
the sportster and go to a softail lowered better balance and a better ride.
Good luck.
I bought her a 2007 Rebel she rode it for 300 miles and then went back to her 1200L. She rode that for 2700 miles and then she bought a used 2007 Heritage with 492 miles on it. She now has over 7000 miles on the Heritage and loves to ride. I say start on something small like the rebel then by pass
the sportster and go to a softail lowered better balance and a better ride.
Good luck.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 4,473
Likes: 15
From: River City Western Canada
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Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 2,951
Likes: 6
From: Kingman, AZ
If she feels comfortable, confident and like it's a "fit" then it probably is.