I am a 21 year old female looking to get my first bike this spring. I am very athletic, 5'6';, 130 lbs. My boyfriend has a bike and has been giving me some tips. Any suggestions on a bike? Preferably a cruiser. I drive a stick shift car so is learning to ride a motorcycle similar? Is it hard to learn how to drive it and shift the gears? Should I get a bike for under $1,000 to learn on, since I read most people will crash their bike while learning. Will I crash? Do you think it is too dangerous for me to learn? Help! Thanks!Female wants to be become licensed and buy first motorcycle. Advice?
here's a typical mistake a rookie will make. grabbing the front brake when the bars are turned and the bike is at very low speed...under 5 mph. if u do, the bike instantly drops to the ground like it became magnitized, and once it starts to drop, there's no catching it. so, rule number 1: never grab the front brake with the bars turned at low speed.
rule #2: the bike will go where u look. never fixtate on anything u dont want the bike to hit or run over. this can save ur life in an emergency situation where u have to duck that azzmunch cage driver that almost left-turned u. never look at the cage, look at ur escape route to bypass the idiot.
what makes riding dangerous is the amount of cell phone cagers that are out there....watch for them cause they sure as hell aint watchin for u. with ur height, u could easily handle a ultra classic or a gold wing. shifting is a snap. is the same m.o. as u would in a standard shift car. just remember, ride like ur invisible, and u'll bring her home in 1 piece everytime. always respect the bike...it wont respect u.
i prefer a cruiser over rockets. the cruiser's are easier to see, the rockets have much slimmer profiles, and them dam things are a ***** to spot in heavy traffic. the reason why peeps crash....they get a super high powered rice rocket and they've never been on a scoot, they ride beyond their skill level; like, trying to blaze 50 mph in a 30 mph corner. they fail to ride as their invisible, and instead ride like they own the road and not ride defensively.
if u do get a harley, belive it or not, u would enjoy how the road king handles. very smooth ride, and the low center of gravity makes low speed turning effortless. if u cant afford a harley, a bud of mine rides a kawasaki vulcan 2000, and he says it rides like its on glass. dont let the size of the cruiser intimidate ya. the bigger bikes offer the smoothest ride, they're usually low slung, and even the big ultra classic is very well balanced. i'm used to a sportster, and the ultra feels very balanced with my style of riding. i would recommend u gettin a video or 2 from ride like a pro. the instructor is an ex florida highway patrol motor cop. using his techniques, i can easily handle threading the sporty in very tight places. the link will be below. enjoy the road.Female wants to be become licensed and buy first motorcycle. Advice?
If it wasn't a little dangerous it just wouldn't be fun.
Riding a motorcycle isn't anything even similar to driving a car.
You will have to develop a skill and a sense to watch out for the stupid things that other drivers do.
The more you ride a motorcycle the more the drivers in the cars start to all look like chimpanzees.
Most riders have dropped a bike at least one time while learning.
Watch out for gravel and slick roads and idiots in cars and you will be just fine, go and get your motorcycle and have some fun.
Most importantly, take the Motorcycle Safety Foundation class in your area. You don't have to have riding experience to take it and you will learn tips about riding that you will use the rest of your life. Plus, they provide the bikes so if you drop them it doesn't hurt your pocketbook.
For a first bike I recommend the Honda Shadow VLX 600. It is a small enough that the bike's weight won't be an issue and yet it has enough power to cruise long highway distances. You should be able to pick up one at a reasonable price. I would avoid buying a cheap bike. If it doesn't run well you won't enjoy your riding. You don't want to have to worry about whether or not the bike will run while you are learning to ride. Avoid buying a 250cc motorcycle as you will quickly find you want more horsepower. Other good options are the Kawasaki Vulcan 500 and the Yamaha V-Star 650. If you're in the Harley market, I do not recommend trying to learn to ride on a Sportster 883 (the cheapest model) because the center of gravity is high.
Learning to control the clutch and throttle are two of the most important things you will learn about riding. It doesn't really matter if you've driven a stick before, but at least you understand the principle of the ';friction zone';. The MSF class will give you a lot of practice with that also.
It is not a given that you will ever crash. It is likely that at some point you will drop your bike, but dropping your bike is not a tragedy and as long as you don't wrestle with it, you generally won't get hurt when it happens. Most of us drop the bike when we grab the front brake and don't have our feet down (or park without the kickstand). I (knocking on wood) have been riding for 5 years and haven't crashed. I have had a few drops though, as have most of the guys %26amp; gals I ride with.
As long as you remember that when riding a motorcycle it is imperative that you ride defensively, then you will not find it ';too dangerous';. It is certainly more hazardous than driving a car, but it is more enjoyable too. You just have to keep an eye out and expect the worst from other drivers. As long as you stay alert and prepared you give yourself a chance to avoid crashing.
1. take MSF course
2. get bike....ninja 250, gs500, or similar cc cruiser.
3. have fun, ride safe!!!
First thing to do is take a course. That way you'll know if you even like riding and can also come to terms with it. Riding a bike IS more dangerous than driving a car, and you have to decide if the extra risk is worth it to you. I decided it was, and don't regret that decision at all (even after my accident by some dingy in a car). Also, definitely buy a used bike first. I dropped my first bike in the gravel in my driveway. Sucks to admit that, but hey it happens. I ask people if they can drive a stick only because if you can't even learn stick, don't bother with a bike. So, good luck to you- I think you will really like it! Oh yeah, the ride is so much better when you have your own rather than on the back:):)
U have my full support. Girls who ride bikes are great. Especially at your age, its more affordable. Its not like you are going to ride it till you turn 60. Yeah. But im not residing in US so i dunno about the bikes there. But if you could afford one, u could try the y2k. Or vespa. It would be a thrilling experience.
ps: Nothing is too dangerous to learn. The ability and desire to learn is what makes us intelligent beings.
You shouldn't have problems learning to ride. It's similiar to shifting a car. What I suggest is taking a riders safety course. You use their bikes so if you drop them it's not your bike. They'll teach you all you need to know to stay safe and to ride. Plus you'll get your licensing one you pass. It takes a while after that to get road experience and be careful of other drivers. I wouldn't say people crash while learning. You're more apt to drop it. It's the slow moving stuff when you're less experience where people goof up. Getting a cheap bike for the first year isn't a bad idea. That's what i did, then got a Fat Boy. It's a cruiser. I always tell women not to let their smaller size stop them from riding a bigger bike. If you know what you're doing it's not a problem. Take the course, buy your bike and welcome to the family!!
Going off the information you provided about yourself I would suggest a Honda Shadow as your first cruiser bike, and I guarantee you fall head over heels in love with the ride.
Clutch on a motorcycle is very similar to riding a dirt bike (if your familiar) otherwise its only similar to a stick on a car in the sense of coordination.
It is not hard to ride or learn, the best thing for you to do is go to TEAM. Its a Arizona based driving school for motorcycle riders. You can rent anything you need there, including a motorcycle. If you are afraid of dumping your bike you will most likely dump it in the worst way. The first thing to learn about riding is to know how to correctly lay down the vehicle. In Arizona riding and shifting are the least of your worries, you must be very defensive in this state. Not many people are aware of motorcycles, and because we have so many winter visitors (who can never see anything) its a very defensive ride. But learning the ropes and going on cruises to Lake Havasu, Lake Powell, Canyon Lake, and many of our other wonderful rides really make it all worth while.
Remember, Learning (anything) is never dangerous! :)
Take Care!
Two things are extremely important.
Take a class. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation and local community colleges are two places to look.
Wear excellent safety gear. Good helmet, jacket and pants (protective gear, not fashion stuff), hand and foot protection. All the gear, all the time.
Any good motorcycle shop can steer you to the right stuff if you make it very clear that's what you want.
The bike is way less important. A cruiser is a good bike to start with.
You probably should get a cheap bike to get started on - depending on where you live, winter is a great time to buy one because if you live where it is cold, most people are getting tired of having them fill up their shed or garage and will sell for less.
I would recommend a 150-175cc enduro style bike (kind of a cross between street and off-road, check around for older yamahas, that's what I started on). It will have enough power to get around, but won't shoot out from underneath you (really only a problem with high powered sport bikes), plus it will be light, so it will be easier to handle.
Riding a motorcycle is just like riding a bike, except without the pedaling (or the health benefit) - once you get going fast enough you have to remember to counter steer - lean the direction you want to go, but actually push the handlebars the opposite direction. Try it out in a big parking lot to get the hang of it. Shifting is a breeze - actually easier than a car for two reasons - your throttle is in your left hand, and the clutch is in your right, so getting the right RPM's and releasing the clutch is simple. If you have to you can just squeeze the clutch back in. Most bikes shift with your left foot - one step down for first, then a click up (past neutral) into second, third-fifth (or sixth) just keep clicking up.
Get comfortable with the way the bike handles (since they are all a little bit different) and make sure to get used to going through curves - that's one of the major reasons for wrecks - when someone starts feeling the bike lean over they panic and sit straight up - and the bike goes in a straight line. Once you are used to it, curves are the coolest thing about a motorcycle.
The biggest danger on a bike is other cars - if you don't take any other piece of advice from this answer, take this one: pretend you are invisible to other drivers (it's not far from the truth) or better yet, pretend like they are actually TRYING to hit you (still not far from the truth). That way when someone doesn't pull across three lanes to wipe you out, you'll be pleasantly surprised.
With a little common sense, and some practice, you can get a lot of enjoyment out of riding - it's the ultimate anti-depressant, and like someone said once 'when you drive a car, it's like watching a movie, when you ride a motorcycle you are IN the movie'.
As far as bikes to get once you get more comfortable, decide what style you want - I'm currently riding an '06 Suzuki Boulevard C50 (805cc), fuel injected, shaft driven, and liquid cooled. It's an awesome cruiser, MUCH cheaper than a Harley (which have gotten way out of hand), easy to handle, looks nice, has plenty of power (the C90 has a little more torque, but adds more weight), the M50/90 is a little sportier looking. Most manufacturers have started making 'naked sport bikes' that are similar to the crotch-rockets, but without the huge fairings, the suzuki bandit is an example of this.
Good luck - be safe, and have fun!!
Take the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) beginning rider course. In most States, if you have your permit, when you pass the course, you get your license.
You'll do 4 hours in the classroom on a Friday evening. Then 2 8-hour days riding and classroom for Sat. %26amp; Sunday. Best of all they supply the bike.
Don't worry about what to buy until after you've taken the course. There are different types of bikes. Depending on how you want to ride, you can choose a sport tourer (crotch rocket), cruiser (Harley type), standard, dual (for road and off-road) or luxury tourer (Goldwing). You might even want to try a scooter first. They're very popular and come in a lot of different sizes.
Learn how to ride first though.
Here's the best bike for any female who's under 5'7'; and not over 150 lbs.
Just get the Ninja 250R sport bike. It's fast and brand new they cost 3400.00 us.
Here's a link for an article written by a friend who rode one on a 700 mile trip.
The Only other bike I would suggest for a female is the Suzuki GSXR 600cc. Great bike.
you could get any size bike, i have friends your size that own full size Harley's. a word of advice though. take your drivers license road test on as small a bike as you can. it will make the cone course much much easier. they have you perform maneuvers on the cone course you'd never have to do on the street. also i would advise a guy to do the same thing.
You're lucky - you're tall enough that you'll be able to get pretty much any bike you want without needing to have it lowered. I'm jealous.
First take the safety course. After you take the class and get a bike, find an empty parking lot to practice in. Go as often as you can and ride around in circles, practicing all kinds of manuevers. When you really feel comfy, hit the road.
It wouldn't be a bad idea to start on a used smaller bike if you can find one. Really anything that weights 400(ish) pounds or less will be great.
Understanding how a clutch works WILL put you one up on those who don't, but it's not a huge advantage. I took the course with a friend - I drive 5 speed and she doesn't. She stalled a few times and I didn't. But it didn't take her long to get up to speed.
It's not at all difficult to learn - you'll be surprised how easy it is.
It looks like you're thinking at least. Yes, there are three types of riders, those who have wrecked, those who are going to wreck, and those who have and lie about it and say they haven't.
Riding a bike is somewhat similar, it uses a clutch. You have to be able to use both hands and both feet all at the same time.
Go with a cheaper bike at first, even a dirt bike, something you can drop and not panic about the paint job. You be careful, think about what you're doing, respect the bike and know your abilities, you may be able to delay your wreck until later.
Take the MSF course, a couple of reasons, first and most important, they will teach you how to ride correctly. Second, it's cheaper on your insurance.
Good Luck, and hopefully, welcome to the open road. Nothing else like it, promise
In the UK many more women are learning to ride and it's not before time
Only advise I can give is based on UK ruling. Here you can have training and gain a full unlimited licence (Direct Access) but it seems a definately good idea to have professional training. These guys know what they are doing and will train you properly. Regards crashing well thats a bit up to you. Try to ride as safe as you can and remember that the car driver is more likely to ';not see you'; so see him first, maybe go out with your boyfriend to get a bit of riding experience. Choice of bike is up to you there is plenty to choose from. A Harley softail is quite low riding position or maybe a sportster. Plenty in the Japanese range. Don't be too hasty and hang on to you dollars until you find the bike that suits you
You work hard for your dough and it is all too easily spent
Whatever happens good luck with the training, ride safely and stay upright
First, your definatly tall enough to ride a bike on your own. Second, if you can balance the bike, no problem. Third, you should take a rider safty course in your area. This will allow you to obtain your license, as long as you pass your course, when you go to the DMV.Learning to ride a bike should not be that hard for someone like yourself if your as athletic as you say you are. Shifting gears is not too complicated, most bikes are first gear down and the next four are up with the left foot.If you get a new Harley though, you'll have a sixth gear . One down and five up. Do not ride without a helmet!!! No matter who tries to say otherwise. Your not cool if your in the hospital or God forsake something worse. Also, you'll have a hard time finding a cruiser for a thousand or so. Your looking more in the range of five to ten thousand. Harley wise you wood be better off starting with an 883 since it is smaller and lighter than most bikes and more affordable.Check out your local dealers and look at some of the used bike sites on line and get a price range of the bike you would like so you don't overpay for your bike. I'm sure you'll be fine if you remember that you have to look out for everyone on the road first and then look out for yourself. Most people don't have any respect for a biker so they will take chances, pull in front of you,cut you off, things like that. You have to be very dilligent and alert when you ride. Anyway, RIDE TO LIVE, LIVE TO RIDE.
I would stick to a car at first and then get you a bike...just practice around an area that you know very well and I think it is too dangerous only because i am not that type of risk taker you are more likely to die on a bike if you crash vs. the car and having a seatbelt on plus the weather always tells you if you can ride it or not so yeah i think it woul dbe cool to get one and learn but not use it as primary transportation...good luck to you and y es you should buy a cheap bike first or why not just learn on your boyfriends bike? good luck
It's easier than driving a car and the fact you understand gears is a big advantage. Girls who ride bikes are cool!!! You probably won't crash if you're careful, but everyone drops their first bike at some point so don't get anything you can't lift back up again. Good luck, you'll love it.
buy a used bike to start with and if you can drive a stick you can do a bike,to practice have your bf ride on back and start riding in a empty field so if things don`t go good you and your bf will not get hurt and if you dump it ,get right back on
practice makes perfect.
i love riding bikes and driving them
Find out whom in your area has an Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basic Riders Course, and sign up for it. Many parks departments and community colleges have them.
Most H-D dealerships have their version of it called Eaglerider.
Although someone may be teaching you, you need to learn safety foremost.
Many folks recommend you buy a used bike first, on the thinking that 'you'll probably drop it'.
Probably good advice.
It's not hard to learn to shift, and since you drive a stick, it'll be easier for you to get the feel of it.
Here's a great link to a safety-oriented website..read the tips, and don't be afraid to participate in the forums--lots of good advice:
http://www.msgroup.org/forums/mtt/defaul鈥?/a>
I would suggest that you check out the ';New Rider Program'; offerred by Honda. They will let you ride select bikes and will also help you get licenced. It's quite a cool program..Go to their website and look under events.. I don't think I can give you the url here as it may not show up but in case, here it is
http://www.honda.ca/MotorcycleEng/Events/default.htm
go through a training course. they provide the bikes and you get your license when you pass. Its a pretty good deal.
Well, there has already been lots of good advice but i'm gonna throw in my two cents worth too. First and foremost, take the MSF Basic rider course. It's not terribly expensive when you consider that they provide the bike. It will also teach you everything you need to know to ride safe. Second, pick a bike based on what you like and what feels comfortable to you. Your comfort is the most important thing. If your not comfortable you won't be focusing on the ride like you should. Beyond that, everything else is up to you, ride like you wanna ride. Also, I would like to add a phrase that an old harley rider once told me. There are only two types of riders, those that have crashed and those that will. The explanation is that if you ride long enough odds are you will have at least one wreck. Don't let that stop you though. If you do wreck just get back up, dust yourself and get back on a bike as soon as you can. On a personal note, I think there should be more female riders. Riding isn't an exclusively male thing. Also most of the guys I know, including me, think there isn't anything better than a girl who can ride her own scoot.
Good luck and keep the rubber side down.
Take a basic rider course.
http://www.msf-usa.org/index_new.cfm?spl鈥?/a>
at 5'6'; you are the right size. can your feet touch the ground? there area lot of pretty good jap bikes out there. I would look for at least 800cc. I don't think $1000 will be enough. yes you will fall down IF YOU AREN'T paying attention.
i'm with you girl to girl.
i advise a safety course, you will learn alot. the gears are different, although you have the understanding of shifting, try not to compare it except for the sound of the rpm's. have confidence. it is only a dangerous as you make it or others on the road, but you only live once. i did it because i wanted to be in control. i didn't want to be on the back with my husband anymore.
well hi. im a 20 year old female, similar build. i learned to ride about 7 months ago. i learned on a buell blast, they are very beginner-rider friendly. i would suggest a bike that you wouldnt mind scuffing up. cruisers are ginormous monsters to handle. i think you should start off with something a little easier to handle, and more friendly.
in reference to your stick shift...i drive one. i dont think there is much similarity, except the fact that there is a clutch. now the fact that you know how to slip the clutch is going to be very beneficial to learning.
it isnt that hard to learn how to drive it, but it is a little more difficult to learn to ride well.
if you have any more questions, feel free to email or IM me
if you are looking for a cruiser then try a small bike like the honda rebel , there are others out there , dont bother with a bike under $ 1000 - it will just frustrate you . after a couple years you can trade your small bike up to something bigger , and please take a course from some motorcycle driving school .
Harley Davidson offers classes, you learn on small bikes, take the class first before buying a bike. It will be a good investment in your life. Not only do they teach you the fundamentals, but they teach you emergency techniques if you should ever have to lay your bike down to avoid an accident. Some bikes are automatic now and you do not have to change gears or kick start.
My advise is to increase your life insurance first.
