Beginer Bike

[ndnbennyb]

So my wife keeps hounding me about getting her a bike. She really wants a CBR600RR. I don't know what to get her. She hasn't really ridden very much at all. Her motorcycle expierence is the MSF Basic Course and about 5 days on my old Honda. When I would take her out riding with me, she used to scare the hell out of me when she would shift. Especially coming out of first into second. She would just about peg out the throttle trying to get it into gear when shifting. I think she really wants another Honda because I gave her my last one. We ended up selling it, but thats another story. I guess my question for you all is, do I find her another 600 or what? I have never ridden any of those SV or FZ style bikes. She has already told me that she doesn't want to get a 250 because of ego and image. . I think that she would be ok with another 600 but needs to learn throttle control and take it easy until she is really comfortable. With all of you guys' expierence and sarcasm, I would like to know what you recommend. Thanks.

[spdu4ia]

suz SV or a kawi er6n or 650r , yam yzf all good choices for a first bike. Just bought my wife the ER6n in oct and she LOVES it. She wouldn't ride a 250 either

Also look into the gladius

[Tylar]

My wife has been riding 600cc GSXRs since before and after her MSF and has zero interest in anything else, motor or manufacturer. I think your wife's height and inseam may also dictate what she can flat-foot at a stop and feels comfortable on...sitting on some used bikes at your local dealers may help her gain some perspective. The SV suggestion above is a popular first-timer.

If she's already a Honda fan and anything other than a Honda will only be ultimately replaced with a 600rr, then it may be financially sound to just get her a used 600rr as a learner. Then again, trying something different may not be the worst idea in the world either. Depends on what you find and your "flexibility" to deal with potential damage from setting it over as she figures out throttle/clutch/you name it. But if ye were me, I'd likely save more by just cutting the bull and getting her what she wants....rather than listening to the "it's not a ____" all season long.

Good luck!

[spdu4ia]

I think he is wanting something a little "tammer" for her go hand

[Tylar]

No doubt, just sharing what I had experienced.

[Vellos]

Get her a Can-am so she can make you sandwiches on your rides.

Maybe look into a CBR with ABS, she knows what she wants.

[ndnbennyb]

Thanks guys. And you said it, do I really want to hear her all season saying, I wish this was a Honda? I think I'll look into a used CBR. Last thing I want to do is have her lay down a brand new CBR with ABS. She can learn on an older one, then buy a new one and turn the old one into a track bike.

[spdu4ia]

There you go. I know my wife was set on a ducati monster and i got her the kawi to learn on ... 350 miles on it and we are looking to trade it in on guess what haha.

but knowing that I would still have done it. learning on something smaller is never a bad idea

[mathman1000]

Let her get what she wants. My wife rides a 2008 cbr600rr graffiti edition and has never looked back or second guessed that choice. Light, quick, and the electronic steering damper makes that bike feel REALLY solid at speed. Granted; she's owned about 8-10 bikes prior to this, but this one is by far the best fitting bike she's ever had (so she says). And, when she started riding at the track with me she already had the perfect bike for it.

Let her make the decision since it's going to be her bike.....IMO. It's not like she wants a Hyuabusa, giant touring bike, or a 10,000lb Hardly.

[ndnbennyb]

^^ very true.

[cdbouncer]

I say get her what she wants....then remind her of that if she changes her mind. My first ride was an old cbr600 and my second was a brand new sv650. If she has trouble with throttle control the sv might not be a great choice (power commander and programming aside). I'm a big advocate of riding what you want to ride...ego, image and all that stuff aside ...if she likes her bike she will want to ride it more and seat time is what will help her figure out what she wants to ride long term. I have trouble standing over a 600rr so that might be a consideration.

[DeeStylez]

So my wife keeps hounding me about getting her a bike. She really wants a CBR600RR. I don't know what to get her. She hasn't really ridden very much at all. Her motorcycle expierence is the MSF Basic Course and about 5 days on my old Honda. When I would take her out riding with me, she used to scare the hell out of me when she would shift. Especially coming out of first into second. She would just about peg out the throttle trying to get it into gear when shifting. I think she really wants another Honda because I gave her my last one. We ended up selling it, but thats another story. I guess my question for you all is, do I find her another 600 or what? I have never ridden any of those SV or FZ style bikes. She has already told me that she doesn't want to get a 250 because of ego and image. . I think that she would be ok with another 600 but needs to learn throttle control and take it easy until she is really comfortable. With all of you guys' expierence and sarcasm, I would like to know what you recommend. Thanks.

Thats exactly why I told my wife to stick with the ninja 250, she is happy with it for the most part. She struggles with the clutch and Im right there with you Im scared as hell of her riding ability. lol

[spdu4ia]

my wife would have killed me if I got her a 250. I'm not scared of my wifes riding ability (she impresses me acctually). I'm scared of other people , like somehow me being with her would change that. As long as she is comfortable on it then she'll want to ride it and enjoy it.

[ndnbennyb]

^^ agreed. I think she'll kill me if I get her a 250. I'm just gonna have to see how she does on a 600. Now just finding one for what we can afford will be the next step.

[bornwildnfree]

From a woman who had an SV650 for two years, they are nose heavy and really hard for a n00b female to ride. My best advice, let her get what she wants and GET THE SUSPENSION TUNED FOR HER, no matter what she gets. Sportbikes are built for 150lb skinny guys, not for boobies so it presents a different challenge for us. I spent two miserable years on the SV because of bad suspension and I don't want anyone to go through that. Dave Rose @ STM Suspension in Ft Collins is worth the trip and he will set her suspension for her, not give you a "well this is standard" solution. Also remember, if you are having it lowered, lower it the same front and rear and more than 2" will seriously mess with the handling of the bike. There are other options if she needs more than 2" such as putting spacers in the springs and shaving the seat. Dave will be able give her all her options and get the bike set up. He is very reasonable and has literally changed my riding experience. I also recommend that you have her go on group rides instead of trying to teach her to canyon yourself. Have more experienced riders who are not emotionally invested in her teach her. Less arguments that way. I'd be happy to take her on some practice runs around town since there is a nice open road by my house that has little traffic, has awesome curves and is great for practice. Remember, she will not ride like you and what works for you may not work for her. Our center of gravity is different and when we get scared, we tense our shoulders driving all the top weight forward (men tense their lower back driving weight over the rear tire). This is esp important going down hill as all the weight goes over the nose of the bike and off that rear tire. If the suspension is not set up properly, she will have a miserable experience and may stop riding. It's also amazing how much the canyons cool your throttle control as well as listening to stories of other people going down. Oh, and if she clutches hard and burns out the clutch, make her replace it herself. She won't keep doing it because replacing a clutch is a pain and she'll be out of a ride for a while.

[ndnbennyb]

From a woman who had an SV650 for two years, they are nose heavy and really hard for a n00b female to ride. My best advice, let her get what she wants and GET THE SUSPENSION TUNED FOR HER, no matter what she gets. Sportbikes are built for 150lb skinny guys, not for boobies so it presents a different challenge for us. I spent two miserable years on the SV because of bad suspension and I don't want anyone to go through that. Dave Rose @ STM Suspension in Ft Collins is worth the trip and he will set her suspension for her, not give you a "well this is standard" solution. Also remember, if you are having it lowered, lower it the same front and rear and more than 2" will seriously mess with the handling of the bike. There are other options if she needs more than 2" such as putting spacers in the springs and shaving the seat. Dave will be able give her all her options and get the bike set up. He is very reasonable and has literally changed my riding experience. I also recommend that you have her go on group rides instead of trying to teach her to canyon yourself. Have more experienced riders who are not emotionally invested in her teach her. Less arguments that way. I'd be happy to take her on some practice runs around town since there is a nice open road by my house that has little traffic, has awesome curves and is great for practice. Remember, she will not ride like you and what works for you may not work for her. Our center of gravity is different and when we get scared, we tense our shoulders driving all the top weight forward (men tense their lower back driving weight over the rear tire). This is esp important going down hill as all the weight goes over the nose of the bike and off that rear tire. If the suspension is not set up properly, she will have a miserable experience and may stop riding. It's also amazing how much the canyons cool your throttle control as well as listening to stories of other people going down. Oh, and if she clutches hard and burns out the clutch, make her replace it herself. She won't keep doing it because replacing a clutch is a pain and she'll be out of a ride for a while.

Thanks. Once I find her a bike, I'll deffinately send her your way. You might be able to meet her on the noob ride if we can find a baby sitter. We still only have one bike so she'll be on the back of mine.

[Vellos]

Sportbikes are built for 150lb skinny guys

[bornwildnfree]

^ ..|.
Eat a sandwich Vellos ;-)

[bornwildnfree]

Thanks. Once I find her a bike, I'll deffinately send her your way. You might be able to meet her on the noob ride if we can find a baby sitter. We still only have one bike so she'll be on the back of mine.

Eh, just give the kids Bennadryl and put them in a closet...they'll be fine.

*Just kidding, hope to meet her out there LOL.

[Swift]

Get her a busa.

Best n00b bike? I would say an F4i actually.
Talk about an easy sportbike to learn on, not to mention a less strenuous riding position than most supersports. The 600rr is a very balanced and poised ride. I'd say its probably the smoothest in its class, but its still the same aggressive riding position as the others.

[MetaLord 9]

Here's what I read:

my wife keeps hounding me about getting her a bike....She hasn't really ridden very much at all...she doesn't want to get a 250 because of ego and image. ...needs to learn throttle control and take it easy until she is really comfortable...I would like to know what you recommend.

I recommend she get over herself and learn on a smaller bike.

If she's discounting it because she doesn't like the look, image, whatever, then she's already not thinking about it the right way. Learn to ride a motorcycle. Then get a bigger motorcycle. Remember that 250's hold their value moreso than probably any other bike. Buy it used, sell it for the same price (sometimes more), buy the bike she's ready for.

Here's the problem almost all beginning riders have, they don't understand these three principles:
engine size does not equal horsepower
more horsepower does not equal better
a bigger bike doesn't make you faster.

[Bueller]

She has already told me that she doesn't want to get a 250 because of ego and image.

Funny thing is most people don't even realize the new gen ninjettes are 250's. And for sure only ra-tards ride them.

[asp_125]

Nah, 250's are not for noobs, they are for racers. Anyone would be hard pressed to say the Ninjettes are slow or have the wrong image after seeing the 250 production cup.

She should look at the new Honda CBR 250R... there was a new one at HPR in the pits.

If she has problems with clutch and throttle control and pegging it in 1st, she should definitely NOT get a supersport as a first bike. Even the SV with it's torquey twin, she'll end up flipping it. GS500F, FZ6R, Ninja 500 would be my max recommendation.

[dirkterrell]

She has already told me that she doesn't want to get a 250 because of ego and image. .

May I humbly suggest that she reconsider this sort of thinking for a variety of reasons. The main one is that this kind of mindset takes you down the wrong path when it comes to staying alive on a bike. If you're worried about what other people think of your bike, you'll worry about what they think of your riding. And when you start making riding decisions based on those sorts of things rather than your skill level, you'll quickly find yourself in a situation that can turn tragic in an instant.

In my view, the very best thing a new rider can do is start off on a lower powered bike and hone those riding skills. Having lots of power can lead you to think that you are better than you really are. I really don't like to sound preachy, but I've been riding on the street for the better part of 30 years and I have seen the above situation played out more times than I care to count. Ditch the ego and become a lifelong participant in a great hobby.

Have her come out to the MRA races and watch what the guys are doing on 250s. But Bueller is right. The 250s are for retards, which is probably why I want one so bad.

Dirk