Been reading through the different model sub forums for a few months now looking for ideas for a bike for my GF to start riding.

She's 5' 4' with no riding experience and I've only about 3 years now which is long enough to know it's not long enough lol...

Before I get started I'd like you to rest assured I do know enough to know how dangerous our hobby/passion we all share is a dangerous one and her safety is paramount to me. So MSF course is on the fore-front of any actions we take in our 'venture to get her on two wheels. Already got some great safety gear so MSF for the safety experiance.

Now on to my questions...

She loves the look of my 06' ZX6R and really would like one, my worries about this choice are many, Isn't 100% flat footed close but not quite atleast not close enough for my comfort. Being a Super-Sport it has a high center of gravity making each pound that much heavier each degree to the side you lean it, and as much as I hate to admit it I've had my bike take itself to the ground dragging me with it as I try with all my might not to drop my baby. (Coulda sworn that damn kick stand was down lmao) Not to say I'm a strong guy but I can handle the weight slightly better due to my height and what not and it still hit the ground *tear*... However she's rather adament against a 250 and even a 500. She's not exactly a fan of the looks. She does agree it would be a better start for her, but she's worried she'll tire of the 250 quickly (I tend to agree no offence intended to 250 riders I would kill to have one to play with hehe they look damn fun for the twisties.) she's getting closer to accepting a 500 but still pretty put off by the looks doesn't agree with her.She's been asking about the 650 but I've honestly no information to help her with a decision on it (well pretty much no information on anything but my bike and a few of my buddies sport bikes... I'd like to keep it in the Kawi family but I'm more concerned with her safety than my trivial loyalty to Kawasaki (Don't take that the wrong way lol) so if a recommendation comes from outside the Kawi blood I've an open mind if it suits her needs better. She's quite intelligent and I am not really worried about a sport bike being too 'fast' for her as any of these bikes I've listed has more than enough kick in them to get you going far faster than you probably should =)... I'm more concerned with stability andwhere the weight is and how that plays a part in making for an easy learning curve, and of course safety. With that said I don't want to take all the fun out of it for her either, which is my dilema. Maybe it's just knowing how dangerous it is that's keeping me from coming up with a solid recommendation, there's a strong chance I secretly don't want her to have it but that's a load of crap because I wouldn't give up riding if you paid me lol.

Been trolling these forums for quite some time and I have gotten a bit caught up with the family feel here so I know I can trust your advise when it comes to looking out for the ones we care about so I will keep an open mind on any and all recommendations so please don't hold back. I'm a strong believer that anybike can be the love of your life it's all personal preference, but she's sat on all the bikes I've mentioned and due to never having riden before she (and I) could use a little extra help in making a decision.

 

Contrary to popular belief, girls can do anything guys can do. Just ask the girls here. If she really wants to start on a 6 or a larger bike, it has been done before.My only concern would be throttle response and like you said accidental dropping. When you are new to riding the response of the supersport bikes might be too much for any person male or female, if you arent prepared for it. And dropping the bike is an all around newbie mistake, it doesnt matter how strong you are because most of the time it only happens because of inattention which disappears after a few close calls. From a pure safety and financial standpoint I would say go with the 500, you should find no suprises in the throttle, and if you happen to drop it, repairs would be alot cheaper. And dont worry about getting tired of the bike, the 250's and 500's hold their value really well. If you buy a used one, you can ride for your first season and sell it back for about what you paid for it. Thats it from me, who's next?

 

i would say the 500, great starter bike...... all around smooth sailing!!!
i have mine now for a few months and still have lots of fun on it, but yes I'm looking for a 600 now..... (in my case i have been riding dirt bikes for some time so riding is not all that new to me)!

 

Just want to throw it out there since it seems that you have got all the Kawis covered...She can always look at a....Suzuki gs500f....Pretty much the same as the ninja, but it looks a little more aggressive than the ninja 500r (i personally like the ninja better tho...it almost looks like suzuki tried to make a mini-gixxer).

As for a 600+ cc bike...there's always the zzr600, ninja650r, suzuki sv650, honda 599... that won't give you the hypo response of a super sport.

Also, it's okay not to be flat footed on the bike, as long as the ***** of her feet touch the ground, she'll be fine.

 

Just remember that many people drop their first bike, so you may not want anything too expensive right away.

 

Where should I start my gf rides an 883 hd sportster my female friend has an 06 gsxr600 her first bike and first time riding of any kind. She is 5' has her bike lowered 4". The higher center of gravity kind of goes away when you start rolling. Take the MSF class it is wonderful. Get her a 10r then they sit a 1" lower then the 600.... Or you can have it lowered as much as needed up to 4 inches. If you look for a member by the name of Shinobi36 you can look at his 636 it is lowered. I forget how low though but it is low. MOst of the female population around here all ride 600 or bigger bikes. Just invest in some frame sliders maybe some swingarm slider/spools.

 

damn pic won't come up.

 

 

I started my ex-wife out riding a quad to get her used to the shifting and using the clutch, it was a major benefit, once she got on a bike for the 1st time the only issue was balancing the bike, learning to turn and so on. its a little much to learn the art of turning and leaning while trying to learn the clutch and gears too. If you don't have a quad with a manual clutch see if someone you know has one that will let her ride it around a few time, Get her comfortable with shifting, stopping and starting. When she is ready, learning to ride a bike will be much easier.

 

BTW my ex rides a 06 650r and its almost the perfect bike for her, light, balanced well, not over powering, pretty foregiving, upright riders position. Its a great 1st bike. I even have a great time riding her 650r so its not a bike she will want to replace in a month or two. They are a good lookin bike as well with lots of hop up potentioal.