Posted: 5/29/2011 5:39:21 PM EDT
Thinking of buying a pair of bikes (preferably H-D's  ) for myself and the female unit as a gift for her finishing med school. I had a piece-of-shit, $300 used and abused Honda back in high school that I used to cruise around town on, she's ridden a handful of times, so we're both basically noobs. I see us mostly cruising highways and country roads on weekends, not a lot of urban or around town riding. The one issue with her is that she's 5' 3'', so I'm sure that creates limitations. I know there's a lot of knowledge floating around here on the subject, where should I begin looking?
Thanks in advance. |
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seriously, don't buy a harley right off. Lots of people buy a HD, don't use it nearly enough, and then start thinking "man, I got $30,000 tied up in two bikes that I only use a handful of times each summer".
Buy an inexpensive metric bike (decent used Suzuki C series works well). You can find them two years old with 3000 miles for low $4000. Ride it. If you find yourself actually using the bike a lot, then sell it for $3500 and go invest in your dream bike. It's usually nearly always a mistake to spend north of $15000 on a bike if you don't current ride a fair bit. 5'3" can be a challenge. seat hieght can be low but a wide tank sure takes up a lot of leg length. For shorter gals a narrow bike works well. Suzuki's s40 and s50 series are pretty decent options. |
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seriously, don't buy a harley right off. Lots of people buy a HD, don't use it nearly enough, and then start thinking "man, I got $30,000 tied up in two bikes that I only use a handful of times each summer". Buy an inexpensive metric bike (decent used Suzuki C series works well). You can find them two years old with 3000 miles for low $4000. Ride it. If you find yourself actually using the bike a lot, then sell it for $3500 and go invest in your dream bike. It's usually nearly always a mistake to spend north of $15000 on a bike if you don't current ride a fair bit. This, Honda Shadows are great bikes, and a hell of a lot cheaper than a harley. There are tons of options out there, cheaper options. You'll feel less bad when your girl drops her bike, compared to if she dropped a harley. |
| I would not recommend a heavy cruiser as a first bike. Their excessive weight, low center-of-gravity and sub-standard suspensions, frames, and brakes aren't forgiving to newbies. I say this as an owner of a heavier cruiser. I recommend starting off with a good standard. Preferably something in the 500-750cc range. |
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You said piece of shit and Honda in the same sentence. Your credibility is gone. It was a comment on the state of that particular bike when I bought it for 300 bucks, not the quality of the manufacturer. I probably shouldn't have been taking it on public roads and am lucky to be alive. Point well taken on the Hondas and Suzukis, I will look in to them. Thanks. |
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You said piece of shit and Honda in the same sentence. Your credibility is gone. It was a comment on the state of that particular bike, not the quality of the manufacturer. I probably shouldn't have been taking it on public roads. Point well taken on the Hondas and Suzukis, I will look in to them. Just giving you a hard time... I agree with the above posters' comments and advice. |
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Take the MSF course, the both of you.
Buy full face helmets. Get a riding jacket with armor. Get good gloves. On the topic of the bikes themselves, whatever floats your boat I guess. It's not cheap but you can lower the HDs to fit shorties. I think HDs are heavy, don't brake well, slow, and harder to maneuver than other bikes. A good metric bike (I'm partial to Kawasakis) would be great. When I can afford it, I plan to buy a Concours. It's got a sportbike's motor for a soul but it can take you across the country comfortably too. 
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Victory makes some nice motorcycles, a couple of them with low seat heights. They are very well built bikes, with few problems and look very nice. Stainless steel brake lines, Brembo calibers, 106 cubic inch motors and they don't rattle like they are going to fall apart.
I don't buy the argument of buying a smaller bike first. The first motorcycle I ever rode was a CBR1000RR, my little brothers first bike was a RVT1000. Both motorcycles that most "enthusiasts" would say are too much motorcycle for a begineer. I call BS. Find the bike that you want and buy it, then go riding....shit aint that difficult. |
| If I were you I would bring her into your local HD dealership and see whitch bike fits her best, prob a sportster with what they call a reach seat,they should have them available for fitting purposes, write down all the info they give you and look for a slightly used one online craigslist or ebay. You didn't say if you wanted advice for a bike for yourself if your good sized guy I would get something you won't outgrow, 2 years ago I got into Harley's (2 of my brothers have them) I use to have Japanise bikes when I was young (I liked the speed) now I'm 53 fairly large so I bought an 06 Road King Classic, same frame as the big touring bikes. Detachable windshield, you can put all the amenities you want on this bike.Hope this helps. good luck. Dennis |
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I don't buy the argument of buying a smaller bike first. The first motorcycle I ever rode was a CBR1000RR, my little brothers first bike was a RVT1000. Both motorcycles that most "enthusiasts" would say are too much motorcycle for a begineer. I call BS. Find the bike that you want and buy it, then go riding....shit aint that difficult. I think it depends on the guy in the saddle. Some people make rational decisions and therefore even though their bike can lay down 150 horses, they realize they shouldn't use all of them until they know exactly how the bike and road combo will respond. Others are more the "hold my beer" types or just plain not very bright and those are the type of people who should start out on 500s until they learn how to not be retarded. |
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Victory makes some nice motorcycles, a couple of them with low seat heights. They are very well built bikes, with few problems and look very nice. Stainless steel brake lines, Brembo calibers, 106 cubic inch motors and they don't rattle like they are going to fall apart. I don't buy the argument of buying a smaller bike first. The first motorcycle I ever rode was a CBR1000RR, my little brothers first bike was a RVT1000. Both motorcycles that most "enthusiasts" would say are too much motorcycle for a begineer. I call BS. Find the bike that you want and buy it, then go riding....shit aint that difficult. Those are relatively lightweight bikes, especially compared to what the OP is looking at. They also have vastly superior suspensions and brakes. They're easier for a responsible beginner to pick up and ride. |
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A couple dual sport bikes and take them off road so you actually learn to ride, you will then wonder why you would ever purchase cruisers that commit you to boring assed pavement only rides.
Then if you both fizzle out on your wild hair you wont be out several thousand dollars. |
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Thinking of buying a pair of bikes (preferably H-D's ) for myself and the female unit as a gift for her finishing med school. I had a piece-of-shit Honda back in high school that I used to cruise around town on, she's ridden a handful of times, so we're both basically noobs. I see us mostly cruising highways and country roads on weekends, not a lot of urban or around town riding. The one issue with her is that she's 5' 3'', so I'm sure that creates limitations. I know there's a lot of knowledge floating around here on the subject, where should I begin looking?
Thanks in advance. Have her sit on a FLSTC (Heritage Softail Classic) the bike comes with everything you need from the factory and fits about any size individual rather well. My wife got her permit last year, spent around a month on a VLX 600 (waste of time and money) moved her to my FLSTC which she adapted to in a matter of hours. BTW she is 5'4, a little over a years exp and rides rather well and was 58 years old when she took the riders course and got her permit. I am 6'0" weigh around 175 and found the Softail much more comfortable than my EG Ultra Classic when operating the bike as I am a bit cramped on the Ultra. 
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I agree with the folks telling you not to get super nice HDs for your first bike(s). But that also doesn't mean you have to buy a piece of shit.
I say you get a couple of used Harley-Davidson Sportsters. You can find them used in good condition for around $4k-$5k in my neck of the woods. Maybe get an 883 for her and a 1200 for you. Sportsters are great bikes and very, very customizable. As a shooter you may be familiar with a gentleman named Chuck Hawks. He just happens to be a big fan of the Sportster. http://www.chuckhawks.com/sportster.htm |
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I agree with the folks telling you not to get super nice HDs for your first bike(s). But that also doesn't mean you have to buy a piece of shit. I say you get a couple of used Harley-Davidson Sportsters. You can find them used in good condition for around $4k-$5k in my neck of the woods. Maybe get an 883 for her and a 1200 for you. Sportsters are great bikes and very, very customizable. As a shooter you may be familiar with a gentleman named Chuck Hawks. He just happens to be a big fan of the Sportster. http://www.chuckhawks.com/sportster.htm This. 883 is a great first bike for your SO. 1200 may seem like a lot for a first bike but on a Sportster it feels perfect anbd I'm short (5'7"). I love my 1200 sportser and am not really into the bigger less maneuverable H-Ds. I would never own a Metric, just me but I wouldn't feel satisfied. A Triumph though, that is another story, love those... |
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Look at the new Triumph Thunderbird and Rocket III. Better horsepower, better build quality, better service, and netter price. After owning a Harley product and having to pay the service bills I will NEVER own anything with Harley-Davidson on the side again. A Rocket might be a bit much for a novice rider IMHO. 2.3 liters on a bike is a whole lot of power. I have a '09 Speedmaster and absolutely love it. |
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Thinking of buying a pair of bikes (preferably H-D's ) for myself and the female unit as a gift for her finishing med school. I had a piece-of-shit Honda back in high school that I used to cruise around town on, she's ridden a handful of times, so we're both basically noobs. I see us mostly cruising highways and country roads on weekends, not a lot of urban or around town riding. The one issue with her is that she's 5' 3'', so I'm sure that creates limitations. I know there's a lot of knowledge floating around here on the subject, where should I begin looking?
Thanks in advance. do not do not do not buy a new harley. the used market is FLOODED with them. |
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You said piece of shit and Honda in the same sentence. Your credibility is gone. That's what I thought as well. Every manufacturer has managed to turn out a few pieces of junk, and Honda is not exempt. 
I'll reiterate that I paid 300 dollars for the bike when I was 17. I probably never should have taken it out. "Piece of shit" meant that it was falling apart and unsafe to ride. |
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Quoted: seriously, don't buy a harley right off. Lots of people buy a HD, don't use it nearly enough, and then start thinking "man, I got $30,000 tied up in two bikes that I only use a handful of times each summer". Buy an inexpensive metric bike (decent used Suzuki C series works well). You can find them two years old with 3000 miles for low $4000. Ride it. If you find yourself actually using the bike a lot, then sell it for $3500 and go invest in your dream bike. It's usually nearly always a mistake to spend north of $15000 on a bike if you don't current ride a fair bit. 5'3" can be a challenge. seat hieght can be low but a wide tank sure takes up a lot of leg length. For shorter gals a narrow bike works well. Suzuki's s40 and s50 series are pretty decent options. I saw a Harley Davidson that had training wheels on it. I shit you not.  |
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So is this ARFcom's motorcycle week, or what? Seriously, I don't get it. http://www.weather.com |
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Thinking of buying a pair of bikes (preferably H-D's ) for myself and the female unit as a gift for her finishing med school. I had a piece-of-shit, $300 used and abused Honda back in high school that I used to cruise around town on, she's ridden a handful of times, so we're both basically noobs. I see us mostly cruising highways and country roads on weekends, not a lot of urban or around town riding. The one issue with her is that she's 5' 3'', so I'm sure that creates limitations. I know there's a lot of knowledge floating around here on the subject, where should I begin looking?
Thanks in advance. OK, here it is. Go to the local BMW dealership. Buy two of the prettiest boxer twins you find. Go straight to the motorcycle safety class. Scenario A: Sell the damn things 18 months later if you never use them. You will not have lost too much. Scenario B: Sell the damn things 18 months later if you think there is something better that you just have to have. Spend years and years kicking yourself for selling your first boxer twin. My job here is done. Email me if you take my advice. |
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Thinking of buying a pair of bikes (preferably H-D's ) for myself and the female unit as a gift for her finishing med school. I had a piece-of-shit, $300 used and abused Honda back in high school that I used to cruise around town on, she's ridden a handful of times, so we're both basically noobs. I see us mostly cruising highways and country roads on weekends, not a lot of urban or around town riding. The one issue with her is that she's 5' 3'', so I'm sure that creates limitations. I know there's a lot of knowledge floating around here on the subject, where should I begin looking?
Thanks in advance. OK, here it is. Go to the local BMW dealership. Buy two of the prettiest boxer twins you find. Go straight to the motorcycle safety class. Scenario A: Sell the damn things 18 months later if you never use them. You will not have lost too much. Scenario B: Sell the damn things 18 months later if you think there is something better that you just have to have. Spend years and years kicking yourself for selling your first boxer twin. My job here is done. Email me if you take my advice. Fuck that... Find some low mileage used boxers for a third of the price. I've got a 2004 R1150R that I paid $6k for with 3800 miles on it... yes, I know that's a smoking deal, but there are some decent deals out there. Ebay search for R models 2000-2010 |
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I've been riding for over 30 years. I won't try to scare you away with horror stories, because I'm sure you've heard them before. But i don't actively encourage anyone to take up the sport. i don't dissuade anyone, i just don't try to sell it. Here's the kicker - I actually took up shooting because it's a safer sport. I still ride, though.
My advice is to buy used, because you're inevitably going to drop them. It happens, but let it happen to a cheaper, used bike. After 30 years, I still drop a bike. My friends who race professionally or in the amateur circuits still drop bikes, no biggie. And buy small. Try it for a while. When you get more confident and develop riding skills, moved on to a bigger bike. There's no rush. Wear a helmet. I've crashed twice and the helmets saved me. Wear a good jacket. Wear boots. And take a rider's skill course. And if your lady still wants a Harley, check out an Iron 883, a Nightster (which I owned) or the 48. They have very low seat heights, and they're thin bikes as well. I don't know if I consider them beginner bikes because of their poor handling and brakes, but they're not the worst, either. Don't worry about a "lifestyle" or fitting into a certain crowd. Learn to ride first. Treat every car as if the driver - aka Cager - doesn't see you, because they probably don't. Be especially careful of drivers who want to make a left hand turn in front of you. Did I mention wearing a helmet and taking a rider's course? After 30 years of crashes, riding in the rain, breaking down on the side of the road and having good friends die or get seriously injured while riding, I still do it. Because in spite of all that, it's fun as hell, you meet great people and absolutely nothing compares to riding a bike down your favorite road on a beautiful day. |
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A Shadow 750 would be a good bike for her if you want it new. I think MSRP is around $7,000. It's got a nic, low saddle so it should be easy for a 5'3" woman to control it. One of the first things the MSF course will do is make her stand over the bike and tip it to prove that it won't fall over.
I'd love to get a Bonneville, but I haven't got the cash and it has a high seat. You'd love it, she'd hate it. |
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There are lots of like new sportsters out there that were purchased and rarely/never ridden because the owner found out they didn't quite have the skills to ride it, got scared, and just let it sit. They're in the paper and Craigslist every week with anywhere from 50 miles to a couple hundred. Lots of them sit because they couldn't find the charm of v twin boneshakers. |
