What is the best beginner Motorcycle for a woman?

I've never driven a motorcycle before but would like to buy a good, used cruiser. I'm 5'1. I need a bike simple to learn on and not too heavy. I'll be driveing her 21 miles to work and back every day plus around the city.

If you are buying a new bike the Yamaha V Star 250 should fit.

http://www.starmotorcycles.com/star/prod...

Another bike with a low seat height is the Honda Rebel.

http://powersports.honda.com/motorcycles...

Another good choice is the Suzuki GS250.

http://www.suzukicycles.com/Products/GZ2...

These bikes are freeway legal.

One other alternative, though not freeway legal is the Kawasaki Eliminator.

http://www.kawasaki.com/Products/detail....

Specific bikes don't really matter as long as they are in the 250 class, or thereabouts. HOWEVER:

I have owned plenty of bikes (61) and I've been a motorcycle mechanic for 20 years- do NOT get an air-cooled bike. I could explain, blah blah blah, but trust me, don't do it. They require too much attention- warming up, idling, comfort for the rider as the extra heat hits your legs, etc, etc. If you're a new rider, having to worry about the extra commitments you will have by owning an air-cooled bike will just make the whole thing too stressful. I know ignorance is bliss, and you could ride around completely unaware of what's happening to that engine every day, but when it blows up on you and you get hit with a repair bill that makes you choke, that's where your education starts.

As long as there are water-cooled bikes available, choose from them. And yes, the Kymco IS actually Chinese import junk.

Just please please please take the MSF Beginner Rider Course. Trial and error is not a good way to learn to ride, and listening to most "riders" is often a great way to learn some really bad habits.

No matter that you are male or female, it's all based on your level of capabilities.

A great little bike to start out on would be a Suzuki GZ250. It's a cruiser, low slug, and gets awesome gas mileage. They Are under $3300 brand spanking new too. Not to mention very inexpensive to insure. A lot of motorcycle safety school use that bike exclusively because of the reasons above.

The great thing is that it will teach you the basics of how to ride a motorcycle. It is a very forgiving bike for sure. It's agreat way to learn how to ride and progress up to a large machine without spending a lot of money. Plus with these gas prices, it will save you a lot of green too.

Don't foget to look into a rider training course. This will help you out a great deal. Plus, I have found some, not all, but some insurance companies offer discounts to riders who have taken the course.

I will inculde a link below so you can check it out for yourself.

See you on the road! :)

Do looks matter? My co-worker, who an avid motorcycler, just loves his Bergman. It looks like a scooter, but it would be easy to learn on, it cruises down the hiway with the other traffic and the fuel mileage is really good.
I've road motorcycles for 30 years so my advice is just ride something your comfortable on and I've heard the motorcycle riding education courses are good to go through.

I disagree with all of the info listed above. Buying a rebel 250 you will totally regret because there really isn't much of a resale value.

I told my girlfriend that she needs to get at least a 600cc due to resale value as well as being able to enjoy the ride.

You will have to learn throttle control on any motorcycle, why not get a bike in which you know you can enjoy.

Honda Rebel 250.

But if you don't want to shift gears, Qlink makes an automatic 250cc cruiser called Legacy.


Only someone with no real experience with scooters would think Kymco was junk.

But if you treat it like crap, it will show. Same thing with a Honda, or a Yamaha, Suzuki, etc. No brand of machine is completely immune to abuse.

I would look at the Kymco Venox and Hyosung GV250 both have very low seats and are water cooled. They will do you just fine on the highway with out being blown around. I know I have a Venox. They are not Chinese import junk.They have been around since the 60's. They are better buys than 250 Japanese bikes. I work on them and do mostly oil changes and valves adjustments. They are very reliable.

Most cruisers start at 25 inch seat height. See this website and select.

http://www.womenridersnow.com/PublicFile...

This is my favorite and I'm a man.
http://www.womenridersnow.com/PublicFile...


Good luck...

Hello there!
I would suggest a Kawasaki 250r. They have a real slick and sporty look and they are quite cheap too. If you can wait a bit, the 2009 model is going to be meant for beginners. They are going to be very light and nice for a new rider. You should look into them, they are quite a steal!
Cheers

First choice is Honda Rebel
Second is Yamaha
Third Suzuki GZ250
Don't buy cheap Chinese bike they don't last.

Yamaha VStar or Kymco Venox,