I'll side with the people who think the SV might be too much for a first bike. I don't think your first bike ought to be able to do 130+ and power wheelie in first gear. Perhaps I don't think people have as much restraint as KirkP thinks they do.

Also, about touching the ground on an SV. My girlfriend is 5'2.5" and could barely touch the balls of her feet on my SV650S (I figure ride height is the same for the naked model but I don't know for sure). Maybe she has a short inseam. I think 30" sounds like a long inseam for a 4'11" person, but I'm not a tailor so I don't know (I'm just guessing off the fact that I'm 5'10" and buy my pants in a 33" length).

Anyways, I don't want to bandwagon against KirkP, because I think his position has some logical validity, and he certainly seems knowledgeable, but I disagree on the SV as a first bike.

Quoted: I'll side with the people who think the SV might be too much for a first bike. I don't think your first bike ought to be able to do 130+ and power wheelie in first gear. Perhaps I don't think people have as much restraint as KirkP thinks they do. Also, about touching the ground on an SV. My girlfriend is 5'2.5" and could barely touch the balls of her feet on my SV650S (I figure ride height is the same for the naked model but I don't know for sure). Maybe she has a short inseam. I think 30" sounds like a long inseam for a 4'11" person, but I'm not a tailor so I don't know (I'm just guessing off the fact that I'm 5'10" and buy my pants in a 33" length). Anyways, I don't want to bandwagon against KirkP, because I think his position has some logical validity, and he certainly seems knowledgeable, but I disagree on the SV as a first bike.

The "S" model and the nekkid one both have the same ride height.  My wife is a little long-legged for someone so petite.  And she clearly is only able to tippy-toe the bike.

Quoted: Quoted: One of my favorite bikes of all time.  A good bike (if you can find one) for a beginner, and heaven help you outrun in the twisties with an experienced rider on board. www.wemoto.com/wem/pic/hawk1.jpg That is seriously cool.  Unfortunately, they didn't sell well when they were new, and nobody realized how cool they were until Honda stopped making them.  I haven't seen one that hasn't been raced and had it's brains crashed out in many years.  I haven't seen one as nice as your pic since the late '80s.

OT: Sorry if mislead anyone but thats just a pic I scrounged from the intarweb.  But a buddy of mine has one that his wife pilots when we go on rides together.  She weighs all of 100 pounds and that bike seems perfect for her.

FWIW I ride an '06 1000RR