Need to know what a good bike (not a Harley) for a brand new rider would be. By the way, she is 5'4" on a good day... I was thinking of the Rebel. Any advice? I know it isn't a touring question... but someone will know! Thanks.

 

what kind of ride? cruiser, sport? i know of a few sportys.

all of these are under 60hp/Tq

honda hawk 650
suzuki gs500
yamaha fzr400
suzuki sv650
kawasaki zx500
kawasaki zx250

im not good with small cruisers, im unfamiliar with them.

 

Well I had a V-Star 650 and that was "too tall" for her.Want a cruiser, not a sport bike or anything fast.

 

xr-50

 

Sorry, what brand is that? Don't know much about other bikes...

 

My ex bought a Suzuki Boulevard S40 and loves it asher first bike. And she only stands 5' even. Brand new for under $4500 and used for a good bit less. It'll have a little more azz than a Rebel but not too much power for a beginner.

 

Suzuki Intruder (800 cc), also known as S50 starting in '05.

My wife went that route. She's 5'6", but is long waisted (short legs). Bike worked very well for her. Light, easy to control and she could maneuver it easily.

She rode about 2500 miles onthe Suzukithen moved to a lowered Softail Deluxe.

 

just look around for Hondas rebel, or suzukis equivlent,,,
any single or 2 cyl model,
there are tons out there, cause it seems like a lot of people start out on them,
then move to a bigger bike,,,
I know a lot of guys around here that did it for their wives,,, heck I might
in a couple years

 

Honda Shadow 600, Yamaha Star 600or Suzuki Bandit 600. Great "cruiser" beginner bikes with low seating profiles. Plentiful supplies of used bikes at or under $ 4K with super low mileage.

 

If the idea is that this is a bike she'll use for a year to learn and for around town before upgrading, that isn't going to be intimidating, which is what it sounds like... you're right, just get a Honda Rebel.

Don't consider just the seat height. The wheelbase and weight are important as well. When you consider all 3, and if you want something with more classic styling, then the Rebel is really the best choice. Some of these metric Harley knockoffs start getting very long wheelbases, even at 650cc displacement.