Two-wheel motorcycle recommendations

[GaryTheBadger]

Hello, I'm seeking your specific model recommnedations for a used two-wheeler for my 17 yr old daughter. She has passed the MSF course and has all the safety riding gear. She's just 5'1" tall and needs to be able to reach both feet on the ground when stopped. Open to sport or cruiser bike, perhaps in the 500cc to 700cc range. It will need to be able to keep up with her parents on freeways on their Spyder and 950 V-Star. I'll go up to $5k.

Thank you.

[VIspyderman]

The Honda VLX 600 is a great bike for women to get out on, light, sporty, easy to ride and should be able to be purchased for under $5k.


Hello, I'm seeking your specific model recommnedations for a used two-wheeler for my 17 yr old daughter. She has passed the MSF course and has all the safety riding gear. She's just 5'1" tall and needs to be able to reach both feet on the ground when stopped. Open to sport or cruiser bike, perhaps in the 500cc to 700cc range. It will need to be able to keep up with her parents on freeways on their Spyder and 950 V-Star. I'll go up to $5k.

Thank you.

[dltang]

Hello, I'm seeking your specific model recommnedations for a used two-wheeler for my 17 yr old daughter. She has passed the MSF course and has all the safety riding gear. She's just 5'1" tall and needs to be able to reach both feet on the ground when stopped. Open to sport or cruiser bike, perhaps in the 500cc to 700cc range. It will need to be able to keep up with her parents on freeways on their Spyder and 950 V-Star. I'll go up to $5k.

Thank you.

I sat on this at our dealership and it was quite comfortable and low to the ground. It is pretty close to your price range for a new bike as well.
http://www.kawasaki.com/Products/Product-Specifications.aspx?scid=7&id=317

If I was considering a two wheel bike just for back and forth to work I would definitely consider this.

[donanddebbie]

Hi,

A very good bike for your daughter would be the Suzuki LS650 (Savage). It has a 27" seat height, slim and easy to handle.

Too bad you are not in Denver, we are selling our low mileage, loaded 2003 LS650.

If you want to see what this 2003 bike looks like, it's posted on CraigsList. Go to motorcycles and limit the search to LS650 and pick Denver for the city. The bike was just posted yesterday.

The new LS650's are now the Suzuki S40s.

Hope this helps.

Donanddebbie

[2spyders]

If she's interested in a sport bike, the Kaw Ninja 250R is incredibly popular with young women (Ninjettes - they decorate them, etc.), and new I think it's around $4,000.
She should sit on one, though, because I'm not sure if it's low enough. (I'm 5'10", so it's hard for me to judge).

[Smylinacha]

Honda Shadow Aero 750! Low to the ground, good center of balance, keeps up well and good price used. Good gas mileage too. I'm only 5 feet and had one - nice bike - reliable!

[jwfranklin]

Another Bike you might want to look at is a Buell Blast, most Harley dealers sell them. A fellow Boss Hoss Rider's daughter has one, I would guess Stephanie to be about 5 feet, I'm 5-10 and she's about shoulder height. Its a single cyl. 500cc, There less than 4K Sometimes she rides with us on the Boss Hoss's and she keeps up with us pretty good. We've been on the Interstate running about 100 and she's right with us. She can't smoke the tires like we can thought. She drove a V8 chopper last year. They are so low and so easy to drive, and now she wants one.

Wayne

[AMTJIM]

Suzuki SV650 or the Gladius. Very popular, even with girls(they even joke it's a girls bike), the Gladius is new but really just a restyled SV. The SV comes with either a fairing or naked, the Gladius is naked and will probably replace the naked SV. There's even an ABS model. This is also very popular to use at track days. Not too powerful(about 65 hp and fuel injected on newer models), but she also won't get tired of it in a few months like she would a 250. Lots of accessory and upgrades, has a great sound with an aftermarket exhaust. Fully capable of touring on. Mechanically very proven design, some people have over 150,000 miles on theirs. I highly recommend it, check out SVRIDER.com.:2thumbs:

[NancysToy]

Suzuki SV650 or the Gladius. Very popular, even with girls(they even joke it's a girls bike), the Gladius is new but really just a restyled SV. The SV comes with either a fairing or naked, the Gladius is naked and will probably replace the naked SV. There's even an ABS model. This is also very popular to use at track days. Not too powerful(about 65 hp and fuel injected on newer models), but she also won't get tired of it in a few months like she would a 250. Lots of accessory and upgrades, has a great sound with an aftermarket exhaust. Fully capable of touring on. Mechanically very proven design, some people have over 150,000 miles on theirs. I highly recommend it, check out SVRIDER.com.:2thumbs:
:agree: Like a Ducati, for half the price.
-Scotty http://www.pmdawnonline.com/forum/images/smilies/velo.gif

[daddydarko]

Another Bike you might want to look at is a Buell Blast, most Harley dealers sell them. A fellow Boss Hoss Rider's daughter has one, I would guess Stephanie to be about 5 feet, I'm 5-10 and she's about shoulder height. Its a single cyl. 500cc, There less than 4K Sometimes she rides with us on the Boss Hoss's and she keeps up with us pretty good. We've been on the Interstate running about 100 and she's right with us. She can't smoke the tires like we can thought. She drove a V8 chopper last year. They are so low and so easy to drive, and now she wants one.

Wayne

:agree:

Buell's are very innovative and reliable. They're also made right here in the states.

Also consider this (http://www.kikker5150.com/indexb.html)- my next bike. :) It's a nice alternative to a sportbike and is quite small and efficient.

[GaryTheBadger]

Thank you all for the recommendations.

We looked at many bikes and I could not convince her to go with any cruiser, so that left sport bikes, and due to her height, that limited which ones.

A few days ago we picked up a used Kawasaki Ninja 500 for $2500 and I put on a two-inch lowering kit. We decided on 500 because she would have struggled to keep up with her mom and me on our bikes at freeway speeds on a 250. Our daughter's a very happy camper!

Thank you all again!

[AMTJIM]

Good choice, she would have struggled with the SV if you had to lower that 500. I have seen people tour on the 250, but it's maxxed out at 75 and with any bad headwind it struggles to make 60~65.
Thank you all for the recommendations.

We looked at many bikes and I could not convince her to go with any cruiser, so that left sport bikes, and due to her height, that limited which ones.

A few days ago we picked up a used Kawasaki Ninja 500 for $2500 and I put on a two-inch lowering kit. We decided on 500 because she would have struggled to keep up with her mom and me on our bikes at freeway speeds on a 250. Our daughter's a very happy camper!

Thank you all again!