My daughter always enjoy's riding with me, Well last week at Biketoberfest she said she wants a bike. I have a friend that is selling his Springer 1992 with various mods. Well maintained and in great shape... Is this too much of a bike for her first? She's 5'09 125 lbs so I know that she can reach and would be able to hold it up.She dosen't want a Metric ( good girl) she wants a HD. her boyfriend told her to look at a crotch rocket ( I had a good talk with him )...I have never ridden aSpringer soI dont know much about them so help me out here guys. Should Ilookelse where or would a Springer be a good choice? (She is signed up for the msc class already)

 

Springers are so cool! if she likes it - go for it.

 

My 2 cents: That is a very large cc for a beginner, but better than a crotch rocket, imho. Just make sure she does a reputable motorcycle safety course.

 

Is he still "above ground"?

As for the springer, its a big bike no question about it.
But if she's careful and isn't into hot ******* it, it should serve her well.
The Springers are not all that different from something like a Standard or Custom. But they do "suffer" from a smaller brake caliper up front and the front endcan be a bit less "solid" when time and mileage starts loosening things up. So a word to the wise would be NOT to try to follow any nut on acrotch rocket with one. Just let him go, sonner or later the nut is going to need someoneto call for the EMT'sand you can be the one to do it whenyou catch up.
You also should know thatbecause of the front end design and its extra weight thehead bearings needmaintenance on a more frequent basis.

 

I don't know if the bike is suitible, but just make sure she is well educated. Her life may depend on her skills and knowlge. Atleast keeping her off a crotch rocket is a start.

 

Ride with her when you can. The rider course made me a better rider, I can honestly say. I've ridden a lot on a Sporty, a Heritage Springer and a Road King. Each bike is different handling but it's the attitude of the rider that matters the most I think.

SIPDE!

 

You're one lucky man. Taught my daughter to ride my Sportster, which seemed to be a perfect fit for her. She's 5'7 and 120. Turns out she just didn't want to ride that badly. The sporty just might be a good choice to consider.

 

Definately get her in the MSF course, it could make a big difference in her skill and safety level on whatever bike she chooses. As for the Springer, they're alot of fun. I'm not as familiar with the '92's but I love my '06 Classic.

 

A '92 Springer? That is the street version with the 21" front wheel? If so, she should be able to handle it fairly easily. Too many people recommend a Sporty to women but there's a lot of women that have trouble with Sporty's even if they are taller and stronger. The Sporty is fairly topheavy compared to the Springer thus easier to manuever around at slow speeds or in a parking lot. Several of our lady riders have Sporty's and have considerable problems with parking lot moves...you know, backing the bike, turning it while slowly starting, etc. and they are all riders with more than 5 years of experience. Two have decided on other bikes to trade up to because they're tired of asking for help every time if it isn't a flat parking lot. Just something to think about. The best thing to do is have her try both bikes and see which she is most comfortable with. My wife originally thought a Sportster would be best for her until we had her push it around and move it around while sitting on it. She decided on a Deluxe instead because it was easier to manuever even though it "looked" bigger to her. She's 5'3" and weighs around 135 or so.

 

Thats just stupid. Maybe you forgot what its like to be a beginner. She needs a safty class, and a a few months in a parking lot on a very small bike. Maybe after a while she could move to an 883 low.Yea she might be fine on a springer, but do you really want to risk it and find out? Maybe you people don't see all those little white crosses on the side of the road with all the nice flowers. Maybe you haven't seen the result of a novice rider taking a turn too fast or too slow. Riding a motorcycle is a stupid place for pride, and wanting your own daughter to start out on a harley so you can be proud is not wise. Kids look to their parents for advice, she is looking up to her dad to steer her in the right direction. Nobody ever regretted starting out slow, learning the basics, and having a solid foundation on a bike they could handle with ease. If you want your daughter to ride you have to ask yourself if you are ready to see her die, if you are not advise against it. If you are willing to take the risk make sure she gets the best instruction and starts on a good beginner bike. Harley doesn't make one.