Sportbike for a Girls- Advice?

Question

Hey... so I go to school in LA and traffic drives me nuts. Gas is insane. Cars are expensive. I also horseback ride and I like the balance of motorcycles lol. I decided I'm going to get a sportsbike instead of a car (when I do buy one..).. and I need advice on what to get. I would just get a vespa or something for around town (though I would feel a bit lame lol) but I drive to the barn and so I need something that goes on the freeway. I am looking for a sportsbike that is small, not a big chunky thing, not something with a crazy engine thats all insane, just the basics lol.. But I have no idea what to look for, so what are some brands and models... also if you could rate it based on price, I don't want something expensive... and if you could give me basics in lamens terms of what the key items in specs to look for, so I know what everything means.

thanks mucho

Answer 1

Suzuki GS 500F.

Answer 2

I hear where you're coming from, and the price of gas is why I try to ride anywhere instead of driving as much as I can.  AND, on a bike you can get anywhere alot faster because--even when the freeway is jammed--you can ride between the cars (called "lane splitting") and get there twice as fast than if you were in a metal box.  I don't care what anyone says, NO ONE LOOKS COOL ON A VESPA!!! ;) So looking into motorcycles is a good idea.

You did not say whether you were looking for new or used bikes, and what your price range is (for new or used) so I cannot give real specific advice without these parameters, but I can give you some thoughts.  Everyone is going to say get a Kawasaki Ninja 250 for your first bike. I disagree.  It's a great bike for newbies, don't get me wrong.  But the thing is the 'newbie' part of you dissapears after a few months of riding, and I think most people will get bored with the slow speed of the thing, and I don't see the point in switching bikes after a few months.

Since you are not interested in maximum performance, I would say that you should look for a middleweight bike between 400cc to 600cc.  The larger displacement bikes 750cc to 1400cc are probably not for you.  The downsize with the larger engines, is more weight.  And unless you want to go really fast, or do long distance riding, you really don't need it.  It sounds like you will do in town commuting with some highway hops, and a 600cc bike sounds like what would suit you best.

I, myself, prefer the cruiser style because they are so comfortable (like riding a scooter) but since you want a sportbike style there are a bunch of options.  All of the major Japanese manufacturers offer more comfortable, civilized versions of their 'cutting edge' sportbikes which sacrifice comfort for performance.  

As for specific bikes I would recommend you check out, I would say look at the Kawasaki EX 500, which is basically a 250 ninja with a larger engine.  Or the ZX-6 Ninja NOT the ZX-6r.  The ZX-6 is an older model, and more comfortable, the ZX-6R (636) is the cutting edge racebike. In Suzuki, look at the GSX Katana, which is a more comfortable version of the GSXR.  In Yamaha, look at the YZF-600R, which is a more comfortable version of the YZF-R6.  In Honda, the VFR is the comfortable version of the CBR, but a Honda CBR is a fairly comfortable bike to begin with, so you might look into those too. Any of those bikes are fairly affordable, fairly comfortable, and have all the speed and power you would need for SoCal.

As for your other questions, there are really no other specs to look for other than the engine size.  I mean all the major japanese brands offer good quality, and the features are about the same.   All you are really looking for is engine size, and 250cc is weak, 400-600cc is all you really need (they could also be more powerful then what you need if you are not careful).

In terms of Price, it would depend on the year.  Suzuki Katanas seem to be the cheapest.  I usually see them from $1200 to $2000 for older models.   Ninja 500's I would say are about $1500-2500 used, in good shape.  Ninja 600 are about $2000-$3000 used.  YZF 600R's are about $2000-3500 used.  CBR'S seem to be the most expensive because, I guess of Honda quality.  Usually they go from $2500 up (depending on the year).  These are just some of the prices I see on craigslist for Southern California. Good luck with your choice.