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.
Welcome Area OnlyNew Member Welcome Area Only. Be sure to pop in here and introduce yourself & let us know what Harley Davidson you own. Save your bike related questions for the proper area.
Hi all, I have looked around your forum, but never posted anything till now. I would like to ask for some opinions on a bike please. My husband rides a Fatboy and I'm on the back. Well, I'm tired of the back and want my own. Problem is I'm 5'2" and 98 lbs and the hubbie is not all that thrilled about me having my own. I'll just have to work on that one a little longer. But I would like to ask if you have any suggestions for a good starter bike for someone my size to learn on?
Welcome,
Your first choice and most important one wouldbe to take the class on riding motorcycles, it is well worth it !!!, at the class they provide you with little 50' & 75cc bikes (at least they did when my wife and myself took the class) which shows you the fundementals and saftey required.
After the class you can then deternine what bike will best fit your needs as well as comfortability for your size and what you can handle for weight.
This is the decisionHarley or Metric for your first bike.
Both my wife and I rode Yamaha's prior to going Harley she had a 650 and I had 1100 and in my view Yamahas are the best Metric bike out there.... If you do not go with Harley In the Harley catagory:you have the sportster, the bike is light but may appear too high for your size and not much you can do in lowering it.
The Deluxe is a great bike and has the lowest seat height of other models, my wife upgraded to this after the Yamaha 650, she is 5.4 and we had it lowered 1 1/4 all around fits her perfect and we love the bike.
I am riding a Road King.
Good luck with the hubbie's decision, my wife was differant she did not ever want to ride on back with me, and had to have her own.
Hope I was some help
My wife and I have discussed it as well,...but we came to the conclusion that it would only disconnect us. Right now we ride together alot,. I like ahving her close. We can talk about the scenery,...get a free feel every now and again. I'm not hell bent against it,...but I just have grown accustom to having her " riding bitch".
Also,...if road conditions get bad,...or weather,...or ******* cagers,...he'll be worried about you.
I'm kinda old school in thinking the the woman belongs on back.
It's not a schovanistic(spelling?) thing,....I just think it brings us closer.
Welcome From Tennessee!!! Good luck on the bike, on the metric Harley thing, I have had them both. I rode metrics 20 years ago, I quit ridding 22 years ago, the guys at work were riding and I got the itch real bad so I bought the Honda VTX 1300R (nice bike). A friend tried to tell me go on and buy the Harley, but I didn't want to borrow money so I bought the newHonda instead, sobefore a year was up I was selling the Honda, and I bought my Harley(didn't have to borrow so that was nice) I should have got the Hog first because the metrics try hard at being a Harley but when have rode both of them there not even close! So what IM trying to say is if you want a Hog, Just get one.
Welcome from Salem, Oregon - My wife is starting out on a Yamaha 535 Virago, not too big, not too small - she is 5'2". Once she has mastered her skills riding this bike, she will be taking the local motorcycle training course prior togetting her license. My biggest concern when she is learning her motorcycle skills is that she isn't overwhelmed by the size of the bike or the physical weight. Also, I wanted something that she could pick up if she drops it. I wouldn't suggest that you take up street bikes unless your husband is going to support you with your desire to learn. You will have a much better chance of success if you have a good supportive coach. Good luck.
Most people start on cheaper Jap bikes (some are very low). Some go straight to the Harley Sporsters which are lower than your average Harley. Sit on them and try them out. Welcome from Oz.
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.