Been a HD passenger for the last 10 years. Well, the guy left and took his bike. Now I've got the "itch." Going to take classes this summer and hopefully purchase a bike at the end of the year or the first of next. The question is.........how do you decide what bike you can handle? So let me know what YOU ride. Thanks, Susan
my first bike was 1200 XL custom sportster, only put 3000 miles on that which I love and just bought my 2009 softail dulex love love love it, now i just need a man to go with it. not to sure what men are looking for these days out there on the road. Do all men really need that barbie doll??? Ride safe ladies....
I've only got a season under my tires. I started with Sassy - she's an 82 honda magna 750. She's a lot like me...a little older, low mileage, not real pretty but she's got a lot of get up & go! We've become great friends.
We just had our 1st ride of the season today. It almost felt warm (it hit the 40's in Michigan.)
Everyone starts with something different. I was told not to go 500cc or less on a starter bike. Gotta go with what feels good and affordable
My first (only) bike is a Yamaha V-Star 650 Classic and I think it's a great starter bike. My friend who has been rider longer than I've been alive tried to talk me into something with a larger cc saying that I will outgrow this in no time and will want more power sooner than later. Being that I had never ridden before (except for the class I took) had me convinced this was a good starter size. I still love it to pieces. When I get more experience I may upsize, but it's all good for now.
I started out on a 2007 Yamaha V-Star 650 Silverado - I bought it, took the safety course & got my license! I rode it for 2 years then traded up to a Yamaha V-Star 950 Tourer. This bike has better curve response and is fuel injected. It gets to 110 very fast & if I didn't have too many speeding tickets I'd stay there! ;)
I do miss my 650 a little - you hade to muscle her a bit and it was fun - but she stalled some and even though we tried to adjust the clutch a lot - it just didn't fix that entirely. Sooooo I got the 950 - never stalled her once. Dropped her after hittin' gravel - but I picked her up myself!!
Very informative. I am a motorcyle virgin as LeatherLilly puts it. I just received my license last year and looking to buy this sping. I want to buy a HD one day but can't afford one right now. I was looking into a used 05 yamaha Vstar 650 for now do yall think this is a good starter bike?
Hello..I just bought a Honda Rebel 250,as I just started riding...I find the Rebel to be very comfortable and easy to handle for myself as I"m only 5ft tall.I did take a riding course in Kelowna with the safety council and highly suggest that new riders take it..
I am a BMW girl all the way. Have a K1200GT. What a bike! My first was a 650, but I outgrew it in 4 months, glad i learned on something small before gratuating to my big boy. Only bad thinkg about BMW for me is the closest dealer is 125 miles and generally eats-up 1-2 days of time during peak riding times. I have learn to do a lot of the work on my bike myself.
I bought a Dyna Lowrider for my first bike. It was a great ride. I ended up putting on alot of miles taking road trips and even though I customized it to fit me I wanted something more comfortable for the long haul so I traded it in finally last September for a Deluxe. It's very comfortable on road trips and even though it's a bigger bike it's easy to handle. When choosing a bike take into consideration how much and what kind of riding you'll be doing...in town as opposed to road trips. Good luck and happy riding!
Hi Susan! This Rick in Gainesville. What you need to do is go to your local dealership and sit on some different bikes that you like. Make sure you can hold it up, and your body feels comfortable on it. A sportster is a good beginners bike, but you will outgrow it quickly and want a bigger bike. Try a duece, or even a new Fatbob or a Dyna. I hope this helped!
Hey ..fairly new to the Site never posted ..anyways I was reading this post and loved the comments by "FLSTFgal" I so agree with everything said "dont let anyone push you" ..I am a Newbie ..I bought my Harley 2009 Dyna last summer had it delivered Aug/08 ...took me over a month just to get the courage to ride it and that only came when a buddy of mine came over and took my Bike out to the Parking Lot and got me up and ridin her ..I took the M2 course and i highly recommend that to any new rider ..I evenually got out of the P-LOTS and rode on secondary Rds with my Buddy and got the riding bug and started riding by myself short distences ..I just love my Bike and the feeling it gives me such Freedom ..My Bike is in Storage for the Winter and I am counting the days to riding season to begin and put in the ridin time to gain that experince i need to feel comfortable ..And i joined a Bike Club to meet other Riders ..When i made the descion to buy my Bike i researched it and visited 5-6 dealerships sat on afew different Bikes and when i sat on the Dyna i just knew it was the Bike for me ..I'm short 5'3 but my feet touched the ground and i felt comfortable on it ..never felt like i made the wrong choice ever..the Bike is only as powerful as I need it to be ..So "just do it" Buy it and you will never Look Back ..And the Biker Men are awsome and mostly Hot ...thats the Bonus !!
Hey, I started out on a 1200 Sportster. got it cheep and to get my confidence up and now I ride a Dyna Low Rider and love every minute. I got a divorce and he kept the bike. Decided I didn't need him to ride and don't!! You go girl!!!
Went through the class in Feb. My old man bought me a 87 Suzuki Savage 650cc.Perfect size bike for me.I'm 5'4' and it wasn't too heavy,but girls,I decided I had more fun riding on the back.He said I didn't give it enough time,but,too much concentration for me and not enough enjoyment.But you go for it girl!!
I ride a 91 FLTP, and old police bike that is a work in progress. I've had my license since '94 though, and worked my way up to this. Started out riding mini and dirt bikes as a kid, my pops '74 honda 450, then a '80 sportster (was a daily driver for 11 years). Just make sure you are comfy with whatever you get. You can always upgrade.
Hello..I'm a new member to BikersKiss--decided to check out this forum. I'm a former "passenger only" on a HD. I lost the passion for the guy, but not the ridin'. So, apparently like so many others gals, I decided to take charge of my own destiny. I'm 57, and only 5'---I signed up for a Riding class thru the local HD dealer. It was a class of 12 women only. And yes, I highly recommend it for beginner "wanna be's". The only way to go as far as I'm concerned.
I have my license now. And am in the process of buying my own. My kids are like "Way to go mom", my co-workers are totally amazed (and I finally broke down and told my mom what I was doing!).
Anyway---I just want to thank all of you who added tips and comments to this forum--both long time riders and newbees like me. I found the comments to be VERY HELPFUL ---and for me, I will probably start out with a small Yamaha or Honda (250)to start with, but now I realize that is OK! I can always trade up as I get better.
I'm so excited about this new passion and I hope to meet alot of great new friends along the way. I have already "met" Kathy on this website--and she is at the same point with all of this as I am--we understand each other and encourage each other--she's East Coast & I'm West Coast, but we're havin' a great time.
THANKS AGAIN ALL OF YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO SHARE YOUR OPINIONS---you've helped me alot!
growing up we alwaty had dirtbikes and quads, but i could not afford the bike i wanted and felt comfortable with until '02 when I got an '03 Superglide. currently i ride an '07 night train. it is not the bike you ride, it's the bike you feel comfortable on and can handle, so it does not control you! when you go to look, sit on many, lean, straighten them up, etc...good luck!
