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I agree with most, to high...and a newer rubber mount, FI would be better...
I would start out on a 450 Rebel, 650 V Star or a 750 Shadow....get a used one for a lot less....if she doesn't ride much, you'd have little money invested. If she really takes to it the bikes would be easy to sell and move up to a low rider, fat boy etc.....
Good luck on what ever you do, and tell her to ride safe...
Get a 2004 or newer. Those are the rubber-mounted engines. Pre-2004 Sportsters vibrate like a bastard once you are over 55mph. If you want fuel-injected, go with 2007 or newer.
Last June, I bought a 2008 XL883L with 4500 miles on it for about $5000. That was a fair deal. You can do quite well if you keep looking. Once Sportsters are a few years old, the price seems to level out for awhile.
If she hadn't ridden much (or at all) since the class, I would suggest she take the class again. She has probably forgotten much of what was taught, and it's amazing what that refresher can do for one's confidence.
I took the class in '95, rode a little bit for a couple of years, had an wrist injury at work and quit riding. In 2008, got the bug again. Took the class for my own peace of mind (still had my license) and found that I had no trouble going directly to a Suzi C50 (an 800). Prior to the class, I thought I would need to start all over in the 250-400 range.
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