a motorcycle that fits

[aviationfred]

My 16 year old daughter has been wanting a motorcycle for awhile now. The problem has been finding one that she fits on and is not a used POS. We were at the local dealership this afternoon and she found one that she liked and actually fit on. Don't beat me up because it is not a Yamaha. She really likes the Bolt, but it is too heavy for her. She is only 5 feet tall and 100 lbs.

She found the Honda Rebel 300 and the 500 fits her well and does not intimidate her with it's weight.


Fred

[Pat Conlon]

Lucky girl!

Does she have any riding experience? Dirt bikes, etc?

[oldktmdude]

   Fred, I've ridden a friends (female) Ninja 300  recently, and was very impressed with it's performance, especially the handling. It inspired me to finish
re-building one of my Suzuki GSXR 400's. I have since got it rego'ed and is now on historic plates and is a hoot to ride. My friend, that owns the 300, is of larger proportions for a female and can out-ride most of the local population in this area. She absolutely loves her Ninja but is saving up for a GSXR750.
   Regards, Pete.

[aviationfred]

Lucky girl!

Does she have any riding experience? Dirt bikes, etc?

No previous experience, she will be going to a 2 day (16 hour) training course that also allows her to get her drivers license with the 'M' endorsement upon completion. The training course even supplies the motorcycles.



Fred

[rlucas]

Cool, Fred. The last time I was in my "local" dealership, I took along look at the Rebel and thought, "I'd ride that..."

But I knew better than to try it on for size, because then I'd want one.

[fj1289]

That looks a LOT better than the old "rebel"....

[Bill_Rockoff]

We are not the kind of crowd that likes or dislikes a particular bike based on its manufacturer; we like FJs because they are FJs, not because they are built by Yamaha. If the bike that fits the best is built by some other company, we are generally all for it!


Good for her for finding something comfortable for her! Do you know what bikes they'll be using at her riding class? My ex-wife (also 5'0" but particularly short of inseam) took a 2-day class a few years ago and had a tough time because they used Buell Blasts, which are 400lbs with a full tank and have a 27.5" seat height. (Buell makes a lower seat; I don't know if they had any of those, and I don't know if my ex knew enough to ask about it.)  Hopefully your daughter's class will use something more suitable for teaching new (and smaller) riders.

And if it fits her and she finds it comfortable, a Rebel would be a great bike for her.

You shouldn't feel bad that she isn't getting a Bolt for a "first bike." A Bolt is nearly as heavy as an FJ, the seat is over 27", and it's almost 1,000 cc / 50 hp. It's a good aspirational bike for her, maybe a good *second* bike if she gets pretty serious and puts a lot of miles on her first bike, but a Bolt seems kinda big and heavy and powerful to be considered a beginner bike. If the Bolt had been around 50 years ago, it may not have been the fastest motorcycle you could buy, but chances are it would be the fastest motorcycle you saw most days.

[Country Joe]

https://www.revzilla.com/common-tread/2017-honda-rebel-500-rebel-300-first-ride-motorcycle-review

The RevZilla Common Tread guys seemed to really like the new Honda Rebels. It appears that the 500 would be advisable if there is going to be much riding at highway speeds. Those bikes look like they would be a total hoot for a day to day runabout.

Joe

[johnod]

I 'd  think a used bike first, and that opens up the choices a lot.
Plus if you drop it you won't feel quite as bad.

[Bill_Rockoff]

For a first-time rider, they need something new enough / nice enough to be reliable and predictable. That way, they can actually learn how to ride a motorcycle, without having to also learn to ride around malfunctions of that particular motorcycle.

If you have a bike where maybe
1) the carburetors and charging system ain't so great anymore, so it stalls due to low idle / high charging-system current draw if the brakes are on simultaneously with the turn signals at a stoplight
2) the shift forks & drum are worn out enough that it needs to have the revs matched pretty close before it goes into first gear, because it won't go into gear at a stop light
3) the clutch cable, or hydraulics, haven't been serviced so it's not always catching at the same point in the lever's travel

then you and I might be able to ride it just fine, because the rest of riding is second-nature to us and we can ride around all those problems. "Sure, just shift down to first gear while you're still moving. Also, make sure to keep the throttle open a bit so it doesn't stall waiting for the green light. And when you go, you may need to feel out where the clutch takes up, because it's different each time." But a new rider is gonna be so busy trying to remember to pull the clutch in or shift to neutral when they come to a stop, and put their feet down when they stop, and press DOWN for first gear, that they're going to forget at least one of these things and wind up on the ground with one leg underneath it in a parking lot or at a stoplight. They won't know if it's because of something they did wrong, or because something is wrong with the bike, but either way they're going to say "Screw this, I'm not doing this any more."

By contrast, a new bike works correctly the first time, every time. And the kinds of things that go wrong with a $5,000 bike if you drop it are mostly as cheap and easy to fix as they'd be on a $1,500 bike.

[CutterBill]

May I suggest a new Yamaha XT250...

In November, I bought one for a lady friend so that she could learn to ride. It's a very simple air-cooled, fuel-injected dual-sport (street and light dirt use.) It's light-weight, has a low seat height, easy to ride and cheap... $5500 out-the-door. I installed a set of Barkbuster hand guards and she loves it.

Bill

[Motofun]

Not to disagree (much) with Bill but I think a rather cheap used bike is the way to go for a beginner.  My experience has been that a beginner almost always goes out with other more experienced riders.  Also, the bike is going to get dropped...as close to a guarantee as you can get.  Finally, when ready to sell you can recoup most of the initial cost.  And finally, riding isn't for everybody.  Why take a big depreciation hit on a new bike until you know you're hooked?

[Pat Conlon]

Yep, I understand the practicality of a used bike. That's the route I took with my boys. I'm sure glad I did, those guys absolutely slaughtered those bikes...

Girls are different.

If it was my little girl...a shiny new bike is what she gets. She deserves it. Once in a lifetime event.

Did you guys notice the look on her face?

Priceless

[CutterBill]

Yes, of course... a used bike would be cheaper. Absolutely. But I bought new because I have gotten to the point in my life where time is more important than money.  I am so tired of fixing previous owners' screw-ups. I wanted her to learn to ride, not to learn how to wrench. (that comes later.)  I am so tired of fixing bikes instead of riding them. So I bought new.

Plus, I have come to think of my "toys" as objects to be used and enjoyed.  I don't want to die in my bed and leave behind an immaculate, low-mileage bike without a scratch on it... for someone else to enjoy.  When I'm gone, I want someone to look at my bikes (and Jeep) and say, "Wow, he sure rode the crap outta that one..." 

"Those aren't scratches; that's patina."   
Bill

[fj johnnie]

 I concur with the idea of new. The odds are stacked against any new rider. Why give them a machine that gives them a greater disadvantage. By new I mean 2-5 years old. The vintage of bikes we ride are just not as safe for new riders.