First bike for the wife

66replica

66replica

The Wrecking Crew
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Well, it finally happened. My wife has been infected with motorcycle fever. She's taking a safety course soon and it's my job to find her first bike. She's short - 5 foot even to be exact, and has never been in control of a motorcycle. I'm looking for something small, easy to handle, cheapish and can cruise on the highway with the crew. So far I've looked at CB/CL 350s, 450s, SR500s, SR250s and a Ducati Single 350 (didn't meet the cheap requirement :mad:). I'm leaning towards a CB350. Any another bikes I should consider?
 
Of course I'm a little bias to KZ400's but they are great little bikes that would fit your requirements, and they are always cheaper to pick up than cb's.......just a thought.
 
GS450 - cheap, reliable as heck (once you work on the electrical system), has a 6 speed tranny for highway use, and can be made into any style of bike with some work.
 
What about the small cruisers like Honda Rebel 250 or Virago 250? Or even the Suzuki Savage 650?
 
My wife is about 5'4 and she can barely touch tippy toes on my CL350, if she was to come in hot and have to catch herself it would be over on top oh her... and thats where I belong, not my bike. Being that your wife is smaller than mine, I would worry about putting her on something as big as a 350 at least until she has some time under her belt, and then your still going to have to lower it and put a thin seat so she can flat foot it.
 
66replica said:
She's not a fan of the style.
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In my experience, when it comes to first motorcycles, women tend to value form over function. Since your wife is vertically challenged, I highly suggest you convince her to start on a bike with a very low seat height or be prepared to do a lot of brake and shift lever bending.
 
66replica said:
She's not a fan of the style.
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I'm with you (her). Can't plish a turd, and those Rebels are functional but butt ugly. CB350 will get her on the freeway if she wants (I am partial to the fours, and my wife rides mine just fine). CB400F are great too but expensive (so are the 350Fs nowadays, I guess). IF she wants to scoot around town, CB200, CB175, or Yamaha SR250 are good bikes, and I've built them for girl friends of mine. Working on 175 now...
 
I was going to suggest a 175, but afraid that might have been too slow for good highway riding.
 
I would go light and skinny- this adds confidence.

mikey6.jpg


I would try a CB100/CB125 since these are easy to hold up, have good parts through Thailand and Vietnam and actually scoot.
 
HD V-Rod - nice low seat.

All joking aside, it's a delicate balance between enough power to keep out of trouble and not so much that it gets her into trouble. Mine learned on a CB350 and quickly moved up through a series of Kawasakis to a KZ1000LTD which she says was too heavy. Her favorites were smaller bikes like a baby eliminator (600cc) and her current fave is her FZR400 which is reasonably low.

A 350 would be a good starter bike until she's ready to go on longer runs and has the experience and confidence to try something with a little more capability. There's a version of the Sportster IIRC with low seat that might be a good second bike, but whatever you get her, invest in safety gear and keep her safe while you have fun together.
 
redwillissuperman said:
I would go light and skinny- this adds confidence.

mikey6.jpg


I would try a CB100/CB125 since these are easy to hold up, have good parts through Thailand and Vietnam and actually scoot.
Click to expand...

I'm 5,5 foot and i'm so happy with my tiny cb200, to me it's true, it ads confidence somehow. It's my first bike as well. I see a lot of people around who want big and fast bikes immediately. To me, there's enough to learn on a small bike for now. Can't really hit the highways but it's ok, they're boring here anyway :p
 
4eyes said:
This is the bike you are looking for:
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The TU250X is a great starter bike. JSJamboree rode one of these during our Abate (motorcycle safety) class. I got stuck on a Rebel 250.
 
A guy at my work rides a new bone stock rebel 250. and Ive always thought it would be an easy bike for a first build high school kid OR a gal. Loose the giant rear fender and seat...It could be a nifty little quick and easy project. Best of all 1 carb. I dont have any experience w them. but, surely it would cruise ok at 65.

example I found online...
rebel_rat_bike_040.jpg
 
I think the Suzuki GZ250 is close to being the perfect first bike. It has a low saddle height and is very easy to handle. The air filter for a Suzuki 500 will fit in the air box. If you buy a K&N filter for the Suzuki 500, and rejet, that little bike will run 65-70 mph all day long. My daughter had one for four years, and I took it on many trips. Once I rode it to Johnson City, TN, from Philadelphia and back.

The engine has a counterbalance shaft and is smooth and vibration free even at top speed. Buy one used, ride it for a year and get comfortable with riding, then sell it for what you've got in it and she will have a better idea of her riding preferences and how to make a good choice of a bike.
 
Suzuki Savage / S40 is an easy bike to ride. I rode one in my MSF to get my un-restricted license. It may be a bit cruiserish but can be modded to look better and the ones with the straighter lower bars aren't too bad. The torque is soo good you can litterally ride them with the clutch only so is great to learn, the post 90+ model is a 5 speed, better for highway before that they are 4 speeds. They aren't too heavy, have a low seat and can be bought cheap enough with low miles and then sold for the same amount when you are done with them. Being 5' tall will make it hard for her to fit a non cruiser bike and still flat foot safely to start out. Good boots with a thick sole will help and if cruisers are a no go, find a skinny bike, that will help. Cheers and congrats, I am still trying to infect my wife with the bug and get her to take the MSF.
 
The Savage is the one used in the Ryca kits, correct?

Alpha - if the GS500 filter fits, there might be another option. Look for a filter for a GSXR1100 or 1300 - they fit the same as the GS, but are a little bit longer (1/4"?).
 
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