Here is my thought.....I've been riding just over a year. I ride a 1994 883 Sportster Hugger. This was a bike that my husband bought several years ago (from a private party / out of the news paper). He wanted a bike because he hadn't had one in years. 2 years ago he got an EGS, so the sporty just sat there. Last summer I got a quick lesson on how to ride a dirt bike and then went right to the sporty. I took the Rider's Edge Course and since then I've been making major changes to the bike. I do want something faster, but this is really good for me.

Does your daughter pay CLOSE attention when she is driving a car? You need MUCH more on a bike.

Make sure she can pay for the things that she wants, at least help pay for it.

 

It's not that easy... Yes she has a job and I told her I would help with the bike and she handle's her own ins. Just like she has on her Jeep... She has a good head on her shoulders and we are looking used and not a 17k bike it will be one she can afford to maintain as well as ride.. It will be for around town, work and rides with Dad when we are off together,,, She does not have things handed to her she earns and works for them

 

I should shut up and not post this, but I believe he was asking for advice on what bike would best fit his daughter, not advice on parenting. If he rides, I'm sure he's given a lot of thoughtabout his girl riding her own bike.Whydoes anyone care who's gonna make the paymentand insurance or buy the bling? It isn't your business.
For the record, I agree that too many kids get things handed to them and some abuse that, but let a biker buy his girl a bike so they can have some Father/Daughter quality time.Which is probably pretty rare for Dads of 18 year old daughters.

 

I agree. Back to the question at hand. I am not a woman, but I did own a rebel, a loooong time ago. It was a great bike, and they are cheap. That being said, if the girl wants a harley, she should get one. We all know she wouldn't be happy with anything else. I believe the deluxe has the lowest seat height, not that at 5'9", she would need a short bike. I would not be looking at a sporty, unless it is for price, or she likes the way they look. I would be leaning more toward a used dyna or softail. Bikes are plentiful, right now, so any can be found within a smaller budget. Have her find one that suits what she is looking for. I ride a rk custom, and think it handles great. And even though it is nearly 800 lbs, you hardly notice when moving. Have her get the bike she likes, in the price she wants to spend, and she can learn to ride any of them (BTW, springers are the finest looking harley, IMO). I am a father of two young girls, and I know either of them can handle anything a boy their age can.

BTW, being a father of girls is the best thing in the world!!!

 

I started out last year on a 883L. Only put 1200 miles on it and went to a Deluxe. I'm short, 5'3" so I really like the height of the Deluxe but it's also a very well balanced bike. So many people think that women need to start out on a Sporty but (JMHO) they are hard bikes to ride since they are so top heavy and they also have a lot of power for thier size and can get away from ya if you're not careful.

 

Check out Ebay. It's a good source for used bikes. You can narrow your search to only show bikes in your area so you can check them out in person before bidding.At 5'9", yourdaughter should be able to handle any bike she feels comfortable on. She's lucky to have that height. I know several women whose bike choices are limited because they are short. Glad to hear she's taking the safety course. There's no substitute for the proper training.

 

My wife started on a Sportster 883. She now rides a Heritage or our Road King. I heard someone say Honda Rebel. Light and easy to maneuver. Hope that is helpful.
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my wife started with a Sportster 883L. and now wants to move to a Dyna Lowrider or a Deluxe. She likes the lower seat position and she is not comfortable with forward controls.

 

I'm not a woman, either, but saw your post and it coincidentally timed with a poker run we had yesterday in which the conversation was about a "starter" bike for women. A lot of people weighed in (including several women who owned 'em) on Deluxes. Very forgiving in the handling, lower to the ground, etc.

What was interested is many of the seasoned riders (people with 30+ yrs of riding) were saying they don't know why so many people think Sporties are a "starter" bike. Their thoughts were these are high-performance bikes, a bit top-heavy, and not at all forgiving in the handling.

 

I would not start her on a sportster, I did and found it to be top heavy and soon sold it to get a low rider. Have her sit on a few to see which seem more comfortable for her