When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
i bought a 2007 buell blast with 4k miles on it for $800 to
learn on. bike was actually kind of fun. you could throw
it around and it weighs nothing at all. i still ride it every
now and then. my wife is now learning to ride on it as well,
and she is having no issues with it so far.
Are you planning on riding with your wife? You have a heritage, do you really think a shadow or 883 can comfortably cruise the same as a heritage?
We'll as I commented I've been riding for 40 years and my first street bike was a Honda Nighthawk, so this ain't my first rodeo.
I'm fully aware of the performance limitations that a smaller bike has over a Heritage.
Also, on any trip my Wife and I take we rarely go via highway but rather cruise only on back roads.
Even with the time savings I'll never understand why anyone would take the highway when there's a back road available that will get you to the same place.
I would much rather take 3 days getting somewhere by back roads than getting there in 2 days via highway.
To me and the Wife; the ride getting to a destination is as much if not more of the adventure than the destination itself.
Again thanks everyone for the input.
I've decided to go with a smaller metric cruiser.
I would much rather take 3 days getting somewhere by back roads than getting there in 2 days via highway.
To me and the Wife; the ride getting to a destination is as much if not more of the adventure than the destination itself.
Again thanks everyone for the input.
I've decided to go with a smaller metric cruiser.
Did not intentionally try to offend you. Nothing wrong with the metric bikes if that is what you are after. We do a lot of touring trips. Where we are located, it takes 2 days on the main roads traveling 75 mph just to get out of the state.....LOL. If we stuck to back roads, the entire trip would be heading to our own state line and back home. Once we get out of Texas we do just like you guys, ride the back roads and just take in the sites. That is why there are so many different bikes available, different strokes for different folks.
How tall is she and about how much does she weigh?..
THIS ^^ is the question.
My wife has zero positive physical/strength characteristics. She has no desire to learn to ride, and I would never suggest it.
Point #1: A Sportster is not a beginner's bike. Period. I don't care what anybody says. It weighs the same as a Hayabusa. It doesn't matter that you can flat-foot it. It's too tall and too top-heavy, and too heavy. No.
Point #2: If your wife is 5' 10" and a fit 150 pounds, or is 5' 2" and not physically fit, or some other combination of short and not fit, then that's going to be a huge decision factor. Huge. No pun intended. If she's not strong and not fit and easily physically intimidated, then you need to get a bike that is NOT physically intimidating.
I'll go along with roughly 3,597 other experienced riders and suggest a 500cc (give or take) used metric. It's the right size, it's the right weight, it's the right power, it's the right price.
So what if you have to swap it out for something better in six months. That means she's improving, right?!? Yes. If she doesn't improve, then you keep the used Rebel, or whatever, a little longer.
Really. I love Sportsters. I've had three. I'd like another one day. They are NOT beginners bikes, particularly for women who aren't also athletes. Really.
After careful research I decided against a Sportster all together.
The more I read about them the more I came to the conclusion that they are just probably not a good "learning bike".
Eventually likely my Wife will be moving up to a Sportster but only after having some serious time in the saddle.
So you guys will likely see me on the Sportster forum in a year or two.
I also came to the conclusion that a Honda Shadow wasn't the best learning bike either.
So what did we chose? A Suzuki Boulevard S40.
It's 650cc, 350 lbs., has a 27" seat height, is about as simple of a machine as they come and they are priced right.
I picked up this 2005 w/2700 miles on today for $1200.
My Wife will sit firmly flat footed on it and it's so nimble feeling it shouldn't be intimating.
After the weather warms up I'll get her in a open parking lot with some cones and start the learning process.
Of course before she hits the open road she'll need to attend a MSF class.
Thanks all for the advice.
After careful research I decided against a Sportster all together.
The more I read about them the more I came to the conclusion that they are just probably not a good "learning bike".
Eventually likely my Wife will be moving up to a Sportster but only after having some serious time in the saddle.
So you guys will likely see me on the Sportster forum in a year or two.
I also came to the conclusion that a Honda Shadow wasn't the best learning bike either.
So what did we chose? A Suzuki Boulevard S40.
It's 650cc, 350 lbs., has a 27" seat height, is about as simple of a machine as they come and they are priced right.
I picked up this 2005 w/2700 miles on today for $1200.
My Wife will sit firmly flat footed on it and it's so nimble feeling it shouldn't be intimating.
After the weather warms up I'll get her in a open parking lot with some cones and start the learning process.
Of course before she hits the open road she'll need to attend a MSF class.
Thanks all for the advice.
Great decision process, great choice! She's gonna love it, and that means that she has the best possible chance to end up as someone who loves riding a motorcycle, and will keep riding for a long time.
you will totally be able to get your money back out of that when she's done with it. might even profit
I think I did alright.
All it really needs is fresh tires.
The ones on it only have 2700 miles on them but they are 13 years old.
However let's face it; tonight it supposed to drop down to -23 degrees here in Omaha.
To say it's a motorcycle buyer's market right now is a bit of an understatement.
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.
