Bike for Daughter

[09CVORider]

Okay here's my dilema, my 19yr old daughter is taking the state riders course in April, which thrills me and at the same time scares the chit outta me. So anyway, she wants a sport bike and i was thinking about something in the range of a used 500 or 600, however she is about 5'5 and thin as a rail and that has me thinking that a Ninja 250 or something similar might be a good idea until she gets more experience. She has ridden dirt bikes so she has some experience, at least off road.

So what i am looking for is advice here folks....any recommendations, thoughts, anyone been there, done that so to speak.

-dave

[mrs rooster]

 I would go with the 500 or 600. The 250 would just piss her off when she rides with friends or you. You'll just be buying another bike that much sooner. As far as her size don't short change her, there are a lot of small women on big bikes. this is just MHO. Congratulations to your daughter. 

[PAPA T]

I went through the course this past October with my 21yr old 5'0" 130lb daughter and my 16yr old 5'10"160lb son and we are sort of in the same boat.

My son can handle either of the Sportsters we have, but they seem (to my daughter) top heavy and she would need either of them to be lowered.

She actually can sit flat footed on my 99 FXSTS (it has a cheap lowering kit from the previous owner) but, she considers it to big and heavy and is worried she will damage it.  (Me Too!!!)

We are leaning toward trading the 98 Sporty in for a Buell. The local Stealer has some "program" bikes that we took the classes on with low mileage. They come with new plastic "tins" on them as they take off the new ones before classes and are in really good shape. Plus I will get about 1k extra on the trade to use for goodies on the FXDSE2

They go for around 3k for the nicest used ones (452ci) and she is familiar with them from the course we took.

Looking to finalize with the Stealer this weekend if they come up with the $'s I would need to get out of the Sporty.

Good Luck!

Tim

[J-Carr]

For what it's worth, I tried to teach my wife to ride on my '94 1200 Sporty.  Disaster.  Sporty's are notoriously top heavy, although the new ones are much better.

She bought a used Buell Blast that already had a couple of scratches.  It was the best bike we could've picked as a learner bike.  It had plenty of power to keep up with us on the big twins, since we don't hell ride.  70-75 on the interstates was fine.  It was light and easy to turn with a very low center of ballance, and since it's all plastic, when she dropped it a time or two it ended up being no harm no foul (money).

It gave her the confidence to move up to her Dyna a year later.  She'd probably have kept the Buell but we did a 600 mile trip around New Jersey over a weekend and she decided she needed a cushier suspension and rubber mounted motor.

Ride Safe,
JC

[Luca Brasi]

My personal favorite for teaching somebody to ride a motorcycle without sinking a ton of cash into the idea is a Honda Rebel. Great little bike that has kinda of a chopper look to it, a nice easy on the inseam seat height and a farily low center of gravity. You can generally pick them up cheap and resell em for what you paid.

B B

[Miker]

FXR

[09CVORider]

FXR

She wants nothing to do with a HD.... typical 19 yr old. A buell might be the ticket, i appreciate the advice !

[Buyearly]

Got my wife a Suzuki S50. It's a decent looking 800cc V Twin. Very reliable and the smallest profile 800cc bike I have ever seen. Low center of gravity, good power, no problems at freeway speeds. She rode it for a year steady and felt ready to move to the SE Deuce I got her. She still rides the S50 about 1/2 the time. She'll ride it in the spring for a while until she gets her skills back. We rented a Honda Rebel for a week and that was about the right amount of time for her to realize that was gonna be too small.

[J-Carr]

She wants nothing to do with a HD.... typical 19 yr old. A buell might be the ticket, i appreciate the advice !

If she's got no interest in the world of HD then I'd second BB's recommendation of the Rebel as well as the Blast that I like.

Ride Safe,
JC

[09CVORider]

Well after much debate we bought a 2008 Ninja 250, i am a little concerned she will outgrow it pretty quickly but it fits her perfect and it is the only bike she really felt comfortable on.

I have never ridden a sportbike and to my surprise it hauled my 200lb self around pretty well, actually a fun lil ride.

[Luca Brasi]

Well after much debate we bought a 2008 Ninja 250, i am a little concerned she will outgrow it pretty quickly but it fits her perfect and it is the only bike she really felt comfortable on.

I have never ridden a sportbike and to my surprise it hauled my 200lb self around pretty well, actually a fun lil ride.

If I'm not being too nosy, what does something like that go for ?


B B

[09CVORider]

$2500 dalluhs...