New female rider- Help

Question

I just finished the MSF rider training program and am in the market for a new bike. I want a sports style bike (not interested in cruisers AT ALL). Now having made that clear. I was leaning toward the Ninja/Suzuki somewhere in the 500 -650cc range. The problem is I am only 5'2 and would have to have it lowered a bit. I recently found a Buell that's seat height is perfect. The weight is good and they style is pleasing. The thing that worries me is that its a 1200cc bike. Its the Buell lighting XB12Scg. From what I have been told the Buell (even the 1200) isn't nearly as powerful torque wise as the Ninja or Suzuki. My main concern is being worried that the Buell is too much bike. I was wondering if anyone had any experience and could give me some advice. I am just starting out and want to be safe out there on the road. Obviously I will ride whatever bike I choose safely on back roads before getting out there with traffic. So 1200cc Buell that fits excellent or the Ninja (or something similar) 650cc that needs to be adjusted?? Thanks in advance :)

Answer 1

due to your height you might want to stay in the 650cc range , there are a lot of good bikes on the market. the 650 is not to heavy for limited off road use on country roads, yet will be good on the highway while handling great in city traffic.    

Answer 2

Unfortunately, with your short legs, you would be better off with a cruiser style bike.

Although some sport bikes can be lowered, the process messes up the steering geometry and sacrifices ground clearance.

For someone your size, the most important thing to consider is seat height.  Most of the people answering this question are not considering seat height.  You have to be able to balance the bike while stopped in traffic.  Best if you can sit and put both feet flat on the ground.  With a seat too high, you will only be able to put one foot on the ground.  You may be forced to lean the bike to the side and can easily lose your balance and drop the bike. This could also be a problem when you take your motorcycle license road test.

Honda Shadow VLX.  It has the lowest seat height that I have seen, 25.6".  This is a small cruiser.  This is a 538 CC liquid cooled V-twin.  It should have plenty of power for you.  I would go to a dealer and sit on one first and see how well you can put both feet on the ground while stopped.  They sell new for $5500.  You may be able to find a good used one if this is too much.

If you want something with a smaller engine, the Honda Rebel has a 234CC parallel twin engine.  It has a 26.6" heat height.  They go new for about $3200.  They have been around a while so you might be able to find a good used one.  This is also considered a small cruiser.

The Yamaha Star V-Star 250 might be acceptable with a seat height of 27"  This is a cruiser style V-twin.  But this may be pushing the limit for someone with short legs. These sell new for about $3700.

The Suzuki GZ 250 is considered a standard bike. This bike has a 27.8" seat height. It has a 250 CC single cylinder engine.  This bike may also be pushing the limits for someone with short legs. These sell for about $3250.

The lowest seat you will find on a Buell is in the XB12Scg at 28.6".  This may be too high.

The Honda Night Hawk has the same 234CC parallel twin engine as the Honda Rebel, but has a higher seat at 29.3".  This may be too high.

Some people might say the Kawasaki Ninja 250R. However this bike has a seat height of 30.5".  This would be a poor choice for someone with short legs.

The lowest seat you will find on a Buell is in the XB12Scg at 28.6".  This may be too high.

Get yourself enrolled in a motorcycle safety course.

Answer 3

Suzuki GS500F

Suzuki SV650S

Ducati Monster 6 series

Aprilia Shiver

Answer 4

Go with the bike that you are comfortable on, the Buell.  It has a lot of juice but it is controllable. This will be something that you will never outgrow.

Answer 5

mags #1, kile # 5, both answers at the same hour.

I rest my case.

Who's doin the dishes this night, boys?

Answer 6

My sister in law rides a Buell. She bought one after passing her test in 2000 and is now on her third. She is 5'4" and was worried about the size of the bike but has had no problems. It just needs practice & a bit of self belief. Good luck whichever you go for.

Answer 7

The Buell is a great bike, but it is pretty big (heavy). You'll be able to do virtually everything with either of the 500s that you can on the Buell, and they'll be easier to handle, cost less, get better mileage, and require less maintenance (a relative thing, to be sure!).

I don't know too many people who can out-ride a 500 Suz or Kaw, though there are a lot of egoes out there that think they can. If you can't outride it in all its dimensions (straightline, corners, braking, wet and dry, day and night), you don't need more bike, and the 500s are just so much easier to handle in the parking lot, when you're putting them away, or when you're paying for them.

Concentrate on riding, learning the bike. Also, if you want to keep yourself together, concentrate on traffic. You won't believe what car drivers will do, so always pretend either

1) that you're invisible, or

2) that you're completely visible, and everybody is looking for an opportunity to kill you.

I used to adhere to #1; now I'm closer to #2 -- at any rate, riding a bike in traffic is absolutely NOT like driving a car. Stay safe.

Answer 8

Many people who don't ride will tell you start with a smaller bike, then trade-up. The skills to ride a motorcycle are the same, no matter if it is a 50 cc bike, or a 1,200 cc bike. Buying a smaller bike, then turning around in 6 months and buying a bigger bike is costly.

There really is no such thing as "too much bike".

You merely adapt to any bike you are on.

Go with the frame/size of the bike you are most comfortable on regardless of horsepower.

Like the others suggested I might steer away from the Buell, unless it fits you perfectly. It's kind of an oddball bike, more for the folks who like to work on bikes.