What's a good girl bike?

Question

I am a very young 50ish, petite woman (5'2", 125lbs) and would like to buy a motorcycle. I would be using it for city and expressway driving. I have never driven one before, but I can learn. Would a scooter be better?

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Answer 1

I'm surprised no one has yet suggested the suzuki 650 "scotter-style" motorcycle. This baby cruises with 2 riders as fast as 110 mph, and handles very well. The beauty of this full-size motorcycle is the step-through style.

Definitely avoid the standard scooters if you are going on the highway. They are intended for slower around-town traffic. Even if the scooter can reach highway speeds, you will lack power and speed on hills, or riding into a head-wind. And with their smaller diameter tires, ta scooter won't have the stability and smooth ride of a standard cycle.

Smaller bikes such as the Honda reber 250cc are great for local rides, but you will soon grow tired of it if you ride the highways very much. Like the scooter, the 250 has to work hard to keep up the highway speeds, and also will not be as comfortable.

So check out the Suzuki 650cc "scooter-style" motorcycle if you like the step-through design.

On the Sportster, I also say YES. They are light and low, and have PLENTY of power to carry you down the highway- even on a coast-to-coast ride!

Happy trails, and ride safe!

Answer 2

go and sit on a few you wil know the right one will fit your butt and no a scooter are slow and more change of getting run over and you cant ride many of them on the freeway

Answer 3

Sportster 883 all the Harley guys swear its a girls bike.

Answer 4

get the bike you want to get , make sure your comfortable  and the bike has power , take the safety test than test drive different bikes

Answer 5

If you are planning to ride on the expressway, a motorcycle is definitely a better choice. Motorcycles have more stability, better traction and grip at high speeds, and can move more easily with fast traffic.

Given your petite size, the most important thing is getting a bike that fits you. Go to your friendly local bike shop and sit on some bikes. You should be able to sit in the seat and put both feet flat onto the ground. If you can't, the bike is really too tall for you, and that will only cause problems as you try to handle it.

There are plenty of "cruiser" type motorcycles that will meet your need. The Harley-Davidson 883 sportster is a good choice if you prefer an American v-twin; it's got excellent handling and can be customized to fit you.

Check at the motorcycle shop about taking a motorcycle course. Many are offered at community colleges or similar schools for first time riders. There are also good safety courses like the M.O.S.T. course (motorcycle operator safety training course) that will teach you how to handle your motorcycle in emergency riding situations. Good luck and enjoy.

Answer 6

Either a motorcycle or a scooter could work for you. The major difference is a step-through frame and an automatic transmission on the scooter, versus a manual transmission on a motorcycle. Small scooters don't have the power for expressways, though.

A motorcycle that might work well for you would be a 600cc Honda cruiser- close to the ground, easy to find used, relatively cheap. The best way to decide what would work for you would be to sign up for a motorcycle safety foundation (MSF) class. You'll be able to use their bikes to practice, and in some states you'll be able to get the endorsement for your driver's license in the process. This late in the year, some classes may be filled, but a number of locations have walk-in policies to fill spots.

Glad to see you have a positive attitude about learning, hope you can get out on the road soon!

Answer 7

A good starter bike would be a Honda Shadow "Spirit."  It is a 750cc bike that has a seat height of only 25.9 inches.  It is not overly powerful (about 40HP) but will easily do highway speeds but yet is not overly powerful or heavy to drive around town.  

Answer 8

Scooters are not as slow as some say.  The larger scooters like the Suzuki Burgmans are really quick and can hold their own.  A small lady of 125 lbs, IMO would be better served on a scooter.  There was a friend that had a Honda scooter and the Harley guys used to kid him, that was until they went for a ride with him and he had to wait on them the whole time.

****Edit***  Vulcan, The Burgmans are Suzukis scooters

Answer 9

My bike's kinda girly. It's an '82 Honda C70 Passport. Some chick on a nice cruiser pulled up next to me and asked if it was gas or electric. She said it was adorable. That's pretty much the look I was going for. I might put the little white basket back on the front and make it flat-out precious. It's fun to ride, though.

I forgot to mention. I put an Edelbrock decal on my adorable Honda to make it look more badass. I think it's working.

Answer 10

The main problem people first have with learning to ride a bike is the shifting. If you can drive a stick shift, or feel you can learn easily, then I suggest to stay away from a scooter(they don't perform well past 35 mph).

If you don't feel comfortable with shifting, then a scooter would be more suitable. Scooters are automatic. If you are doing some expressway riding, you would need to get a class m license, in order to buy a bigger scooter(50cc scooter is the biggest engine you can get with a standard drivers license).

If you want a motorcycle, I suggest the VStar 650 classic. It is a very nice bike for the price, and sits incredibly low, making it ideal for us shorter people :)

Answer 11

First take a MSF Class at your local JC. you will learn lots of usefull information. And you won't have to take a driving test at DMV. But you will have to take the written still. Be prepared to take you Car Test too if you havn't in 5 years or more. Its DMV's way of getting you finally, they wait till you upgrade your Licence.

If you like Harleys

1. A Honda Rebel 250=Comfort

If you like Rocket Bikes

1. A Ninja 250=Sporty

If you don't mind being laughed at

1. Scooter=Comfort and practical.

Then if you out grow them in a few months you will know by then what you want. Me I have a Cruiser and a Rocket. Because sometimes you feel like a nut and sometimes you don't :)