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Wife looking for first bike, suggestions?


jacobhawkins

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This brings back the memories of my wife falling a few times on her old Rebel....but it was at such a low speed and in the grass she never as much as got a bruise.  A couple were almost like that old guy on Laugh-In who was riding that little tricycle, slowly falling over.

 

the way my XR is geared for CRP, I am guessing it can only hit 45mph or so :p     And it would be highly unlikely that a new rider could come close to that speed without some serious balls.  The track just isn't large enough to allow rev-limiter runs in 5th gear unless you're comfortable going through turn 1 wide-open.    I mean, depending on the direction we're running the track, it would be easier one way than the other, but still pretty unlikely. 

 

All that said, my worst crash injury (knock on wood) was a slow 3rd gear fall in the parking lot behind JB's shop...  I've crashed the XR at 50mph in turn 1 at PIRC, and the 600RR exiting turn 2 at PIRC doing somewhere between 80 and 100 and walked away in better shape.

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You're experience when you bought it?  Approximately 20K miles, but started, zero experience, with 15K on a brand new 08 Ninja 250r, then 5k on a 805CC Suzuki Boulevard C50.  Bambi killed my 250r.  Riding style/what you do with it?  "spirited" street.  I hit twisties as much as possible, but do commute occasionally.  Your approximate size?  230lbs with gear. 5'10" What appealed to you about it and what are you leaning away from now?  Price(bought outright), Fuel Injection, 385 lb weight/ narrow tires, high RPMs make it  a hoot.  I am wanting a true SS suspension.  Do you think it would be reasonable for a person with zero experience to start on? Yes.  If she was fine in MSF.  Seat height is low.  Weight is low.  Stock brakes won't endo her(I have upgraded EBC HH on now, but easy swap back).  The power is LINEAR, even sloppy habits won't get her in trouble, ever.  The suspension is aimed at beginners and forgiving.  Insurance is dirt cheap, for full coverage.

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She can ride in th field where no one is watching, or spin some laps during lunch.

I have an old 2-piece suit she can borrow. My sister-in-law can't be more than 120, and she has worn it.

 

 

Awesome, we'll be down.  I have a blue FJR, whiteish jacket, yellow helmet, ponytail.  Katie has a black jacket, yellow helmet.  See you tomorrow!  

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Awesome, we'll be down.  I have a blue FJR, whiteish jacket, yellow helmet, ponytail.  Katie has a black jacket, yellow helmet.  See you tomorrow!  

 

Psht, like anyone looks at the riders or gear :)  

 

Bikes and women, that's all you need to describe :)

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My opinion is that the weight of the bike is just as important as the power of her first bike. Being light herself she'll be much more comfortable on a bike that is as light as possible for maneuverability and confidence building. The Ninja 300 is a blast and its a lot quicker than you would think. I started on a SV650 which worked out fine but I believe I would have had more fun sooner with another choice. Either way gear her up, discipline her throttle hand and enjoy the ride.  

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Sara would kill me for posting this, but she called me from her MSF course crying. She just wasn't getting along with the rebel 250.

They moved her to a TW200, and she did great. Came home and rode my 500 just fine.

Rebel can be a hard bike to ride for beginners...your feet are in front of you and you set back, almost like falling backwards.

I always try to steer beginners to a UJM type of bike, Ninja 250/300, or trail type dirt bike.

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Rebel can be a hard bike to ride for beginners...your feet are in front of you and you set back, almost like falling backwards.

I always try to steer beginners to a UJM type of bike, Ninja 250/300, or trail type dirt bike.

Sitting on a Rebel is more like riding a bicycle imho.  Curling up while laying on your stomach to ride a Ninja type bike, to me, is an unnatural stance, something I cannot do.  Tried it, felt enormous pressure on my wrists and my ankles trying to get them on the pegs.  Now I have seen some other sport bikes where you don't lay forward so much but the Ninja, or a Catana, just seem awkward to me.

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Sitting on a Rebel is more like riding a bicycle imho. Curling up while laying on your stomach to ride a Ninja type bike, to me, is an unnatural stance, something I cannot do. Tried it, felt enormous pressure on my wrists and my ankles trying to get them on the pegs. Now I have seen some other sport bikes where you don't lay forward so much but the Ninja, or a Catana, just seem awkward to me.

I would agree if you are taking about a supersport bike ( ZX6R and ZX10R), but other than the name and general styling, the Ninja 250/300, 650, and 1000 are not even in the same realm of riding position.

Would recommend the Nighthawk 250 way before a Rebel. Not that the Rebel is a bad bike, have just seen many complain about riding position, especially after leaving the Rebel for a more natural upright UJM bike.

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A Rebel would be a good choice for someone who would like to move up to a big cruiser later on. For others its's not such a good choice because the forward peg position will not allow the rider to transfer her weight off the seat without pulling on the handlebars. UJM, small Ninja or small CBR would be good. Don't worry about a 250 not having enough power. They keep up with traffic just fine. I highway commuted on a CBR250R in rush hour traffic around Cleveland for a couple years, no problem.

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yeah, especially after seeing her in person, she is plenty small enough for a 250, but that 500 is a good deal, and would last her a lot longer.  Forever if she wanted...

 

Maybe lower it an inch while she gets used to the weight, then raise it back to stock height after a year.  Longer dogbones can be had for $40 from "FOG" on ex-500.com.  I had a shorter set from him (raised the rear 1.5 inches) that really improved the turn-in on that bike.  He'll make them any length you want though, and if you explain it's just a learning mechanism, he won't give you a hard time about lowering the bike :p

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The Ninja 500 has already been mentioned. Since she's a shorter rider, consider the Vulcan 500 LTD. Yeah, it's a "cruiser", but way more nimble than anything else in its class, has the same 500 cc engine tuned to have a broader power band and a low seat. Power wise, it is plenty tame if one rides it as such, but will certainly propel her with great glee when wound up to 8k or so. Spend $150 on the Tucmoto crash bars (factory ones are useless) and let her at it.

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  • 1 month later...

Well, just picked up a 2007 Ninja 500... I'll put up a pic tomorrow with the proud new owner!  Thanks for the suggestions, she's a happy camper.

 

 

Good deal.   now you just have to deal with it sitting there through the cold winter... well unless the next 2 days work out to be fairly decent riding days. 

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That 500 will feel like a complete beast compared to the 100!

I remember the first time I rode my EX500. It was impossibly fast. I was shifting at 5k, and the thought of doubling that RPM before I got maximum horsepower was giggle-inducing.

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