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250 honda rebel is a great starter bike .. find a used one and sell it when she feels confident.... then go larger... putting a novis rider on a 883 or larger bike is kinda crazy to me . you aint gonna get much out of a bike that has been layed down several times.. good luck with what ever you choose
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it's not about what you are , it's about what you become !!!!
Cheap, light, nimble Jap bike. Yep. Prolly gonna have a mishap. Or two. Or three. Lotta times new riders find they don't like it as much as they thought they would. If it's gotta be a HD, get a Blast. She's little. That makes the lightness a good thing, because you don't want her to get intimidated. My $.02
I've got a 2005 lowrider for sale. It's got the sage 1 upgrade, passing light kit, turn signal relocation kit, quick disconnect boss luggage bags, mustang seats. New back tire and brakes. 13000 miles on it. Never dropped. Well maintained. Asking $9000.00.
I am 5'6" and 130 lbs. Granted I had ridden before but when I went to look at bikes I found the Street Bob to be the most friendly. When I sat on it I picked up my feet and it stayed upright for at least 30 secs before it started to tip. It had a fantastic handle and was lightweight to boot. Fantastic bike! Even with my experience I found the Sportsters to be a little top heavy. Only if she has to have a Harley would I buy her one. Otherwise I would def go the Honda Rebel or Suzuki 250 route. Of course I tell everyone to let their wives or gf's throw a dirtbike around first. They are very lightweight and can be dropped without worry about damage. Plus when she goes from that to a cruiser she will think she's on easy street!
My resume:
1. Female 5'5" weight 120 lbs age 53
2. Took basic riders course this year 2009 passed
3. Attempted to ride son's 96 sportster prior to class-dropped it 3 times
4. Picked up used Buell Blast -rode it 1500 miles felt comfortable with it
5. Traded it in for a 2005 xl883l put on another 1500 miles this year
6. Plan to ride the xl883 low next year and keep my eye open to move up to a Deluxe
7. It all depends how the bike fits you and when you are a newbie it doesn't take much to drop a bike.
8. Let her sit on some bikes at a harley shop and just try to pull a bike up. Take the class and then decide what bike works. Good Luck, I know I'm hooked.
Not sure what your budget is but I think a Softail Deluxe would be a good choice. It's low, rides very smooth, easy to steer and it looks killer. You can probably find a few nice used ones out there very competitively priced. I personally like this option because you won't have to spend more money upgrading in a year when she decides she wants a bigger better bike, say if you started her on a Sportster....Just my .02.
I've got a 2005 lowrider for sale. It's got the sage 1 upgrade, passing light kit, turn signal relocation kit, quick disconnect boss luggage bags, mustang seats. New back tire and brakes. 13000 miles on it. Never dropped. Well maintained. Asking $9000.00.
lol and for 3 more gs you can have a bigger motor 0 miles and a 6 speed tranny oh and 2 year warrenty............i would buy brand new
learn to ride on what you want to ride. Take the class then start riding. Get your drops out of the way on the msf riding range on their scooter not yours
I agree with the comments on buying a Japanese bike the first time around. I bought my '04 750 Aero two years ago and it was enough bike for me even though I had riden before....that was many years ago. Even then though I had a 500 Suzuki.
I am 5'6" and found the Aero has a low center of gravity, it is easy to balance, has enough power to move out, the seat is low enough and besides looks pretty good. I took her to Sturgis this year from Vancouver, BC and never had any problems (8,000 km trip). I bought her for $5200 and sold for $5900 two years later and almost 18,000 km. In alot of ways it was hard to sell her but needed to move on. Very good experience with the bike
I found that my transition to the Heritage Classic just a matter of getting use to the power. The two bikes are actually very similar in weight distribution, balance, and feel, just more stretched out. The Heritage would have been too much bike in the beginning for me.
My experience is that you can't lose when buying a Japanese bike in the short term. I would also let her decide on the bike she wants....afterall she is the riding.....
Here are some pics.....
