Are you serious? Those things handle like tanks!

OP, if your wife seriously wants to learn to ride her own, pick up a used Honda Rebel. She can beat the hell out of it until she wants to go bigger & it's cheap. My oldest daughter started out on one & she's tiny also. After that, go to a 550 or 750 that she can flat foot. Let her step up rather than starting out on too much bike!

 

dd, check into the Queens of the Road forum. The ladies are great.

So sorry to hear about your daughter.

 

Sportys seem to have a higher center of gravity than the heritage.
It seems like, to me anyway, that the heritage will pretty much stand up and balance itself.

 

I have not tried many HD. I own a 2012 Nightster and seems decently light to me.
Otherwise, a Monster 696 is very light, and it brakes and steers just at the thought of it.

 

I can't believe people are suggesting 700lb twins for a first bike for a 'petite' gal. K-riste. I'd suggest something that lets her plant both feet on the ground and that she can lift up by herself when she drops it at a stop sign.

 

My $.04 (because it's twice what you asked for)

0) Repeat: It's HER timeline
1) Take a MSF course
2) Buy an el cheapo 250cc
3) Practice at low speeds in parking lots and on empty streets
4) When a little skill and confidence is built, take surface streets to busier areas to up the confidence level
5) Skip the middle size bike (500 - 900cc both handling and power are compromised at this size - you should have at least one of the two if not both) and buy the Harley SHE wants
6) Enjoy

 

I say a lowered Superglide- better resale than a a Sportster, not too heavy, lots of fun.

 

My wife (petite) took the MSF course and passed it (barely). But this is a MUST!!!

Bought her a Yamaha xvs650. Fell over on her in the parking lot.

Bought her a Yamaha xvs250. She owns the road on that thing. Still working with her to face Mass traffic comfortably, but a GREAT beginners bike. Light, easy to handle, (a lil top weighted IMHO) and a great way to build confidence.

If she does buy a bike get a headset to talk to her with and shadow her for a while. And then try not to crap a brick when you're waiting for her to come home on a solo ride. Still working on that last part myself. GL

 

Yamaha makes a V-star 250, V twin wet weight 323. They have been around a while so a used one should be fairly inexpensive

 

Wife and I rode two up on my 2011 RKC until she said she wanted her own ride. Put her through the Riders Edge course to see if she still felt that way after she finished (which she did......barely) then two weeks later found a 2001 Honda Shadow 600 VLX on Craigslist. It had less than 4k miles on it and the guy sold it to me for $2700. She LOVES that bike. Never had any problems with her on it other than she always wants to be on it which is fine by me.