1st time rider - opinions on bikes

After she completes the rider class she will have a feel for what the 250 or 400’cc bike they use.

i would look for a used Yamaha vstar 650 custom. It’s a little lighter than the vstar classic and easier to handle. There should be lots for sale out there.

i had a vstar 650 custom for in town, and a venture for the highway. Sold both and compromised on a vtx1300.

G

My daughter (30 years old, 5'5") got her M1 license yesterday (graduated licensing - M1 is first level) and will be taking the training class in May (pass training and gets M2). She asked me about a 2018 Suzuki GSX250R and thought I'd get feedback from members on this bike.

 

She has ridden with me (on Virago and Venture) and has been passenger on a Ducati. She won't get a bike until after the training.

 

So....thoughts on :

- GSX250R - good bike? Other options like the Honda CBR300 ? Comparison?

- is a 250cc twin a good option or would she be needing something bigger as she gains experience?

 

Found this : https://www.cycleworld.com/which-small-sportbike-should-you-buy-in-2018

My sister started on a 250, but was disappointed with it after a very short time. she moved up to a Honda VLX (600cc) and it has been a very good fit. It's lighter and narrower than a vstar650 but can run freeway speeds with stability.

A co-worker rode a Honda ST1100. His wife rode a Honda Rebel 250. They rode from home in SC to Key West together. He said she held the Rebel 250 wide open at 80mph hour after hour on the interstate and it did fine.

Don't get a bike! It might become a lifetime addiction. So many of us are paying the price!

Don't get a bike! It might become a lifetime addiction. Many of us are paying the price!

zag

Don, if your daughter has not aquired those skills and she were my adult daughter, I would offer to pickup a used XR100 or something similar and offer to spend the time working with her in a vacant parking lot doing stop and goes, figure 8's, running thru the gears and all that. Being able to OWN (and I am referring to the riders ability to easily manhandle the bike when I refer to "own") a bike is a huge advantage to brand new rider when developing those skills so they are not fighting the weight factor too, plus this sets them up for a lesser failure/lower discouragement rate with learning to ride and tends to lay the platform for a lifetime of happiness in riding, all this IMHO of course.

This was me last year with my daughter last summer. Spent too many hours to count with her in parking lots, before even thinking about neighborhood roads with me. She is tiny so started with a Kawasaki Z125 Pro.

It has been a great little bike for her. She took it with her to college to buzz around campus. We are now looking to upgrade and leaning towards Kawasaki Z400 which comes standard with ABS. It is between that or Honda rebel 500 with ABS.

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I agree with most of the comments previously stated so can add little to them. However I can say this. What she does or does not intend to do there will be a time when for one reason or another she will ride on the highway. Secondly Don you do a lot of long rides which I am sure she is bound to join you on from time to time. Having said that I owned a 400 and on the highway even with my added weight, it was just too light specially on a windy day. In my opinion a 650 is the lowest and probably in her case the best size to start with both for highway stability and long ride comfort yet still small enough to tool around town.

Most has been said.

The class I took used 125 and 250 cc. They are great confidence builders even for an old fart who used to ride big ones before a 26 year leave of absence from riding. Of course once I finished the course I bought a Honda VTX 1300R, great bike.

As for the lady. A used 250 is a great trainer, cheap, and not much to loose if she doesn't continue to ride. As said earlier if she keeps riding it will soon be her previous motorcycle. Also as said something in the 400 to 650 range would be a good long range keeper.

Also as said it must fit her. I am short so not many feel comfortable for me. I lowered my RSV with Race Tech and Barons.

I can speak very highly of the V Star 650. Although it is air cooled (I am not fond of air cooled) but it is shaft drive and a very, very tough motorcycle. It is low.

The reason for being so positive about the V Star 650 is that a friend had a well used and abused, naked V Star 650. He threw on a duffle bag and kept up with another buddy and I on a cross country trip. I was on my VTX and my other buddy was on a Gold Wing. We did not cut him any slack. We were running 70 and 80 for most of the 4000 mile trip. Many of the miles were 95 degrees and higher. He never had any problems.

If I were to buy in the 650 range I would not hesitate to buy the V Star 650. Also the Honda 750 is a good choice. This size could be a tourer later. I know a guy who has ridden to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska from north eastern PA more than once on his BMW G650, single cylinder. And remember "back in the day" as when in my previous life of riding, an 850 was considered getting large. Many 650 Triumphs and BSAs have traveled the world.

Good luck.

My first bike was a Yamaha 400. That was a long time ago. It was perfect for me and where I lived at that time. It could get up to 100 miles per hour, got great mileage, was cheap to insure and was easy to maneuver in the parking lot, it was also easy to pick up if dropped. The down side was semis on the highway would blow it sideways.

I rode it for many years. I would not go smaller than a 400. Not sure about having a sport bike for a first bike. The temptation to over ride your skill might be too great.