Suggestion on a bike for my wife?

[malber]

Given she seems to be timid and maybe a bit afraid, I would look for something lighter than the XS650, especially because she's pretty small. Why not locate a XS400? Heck, I started my ex out on a rebel 250 and she loved it. They are easy to find, pretty inexpensive, and we sold it for $50 less than we paid for it 12 months later...

How did the 250 ride on the highway? Friend of mine in CA just sold her Honda 400 because she said it was worthless on the LA freeways.

[Smash]

How did the 250 ride on the highway? Friend of mine in CA just sold her Honda 400 because she said it was worthless on the LA freeways.

It is useless of freeways. But do you want a timid new rider braving the highways right away anyway? I know I didn't want my ex on the freeways for a while.

[CatatonicBug]

It is useless of freeways. But do you want a timid new rider braving the highways right away anyway? I know I didn't want my ex on the freeways for a while.

How long is "a while"? A few weeks should be plenty. Around here, you can't get anywhere without hitting the freeways, and IMO, the freeways are actually safer then the surface streets.

[Smash]

She didn't even want to be on the freeways. She rode 1 year off the freeways entirely. The Rebel would top out at about 65, we have 75 freeways. The bike for her, and probably many other significant others, is not a mode of transportation to and from work or a gas saver. It's a hobby, something they want to do for fun. For my ex, highways weren't fun, mountain roads were. To each there own, and I figure every person is different. That was just why we got a Rebel for her.

Now if I got a Rebel for my current girlfriend, who we just got the XJ for, she'd kill me.... I can just hear her now.... "What do you want me to do with this scooter?? Take it to the skate park??"

[XS1100 Newbie]

I agree with the XS or XJ650. I had one, and found it sat nice and low, had plenty of power, worked on the freeway, and was smooth enough not to get her in trouble. Thing is if you get something that is not safe at higher speeds, it may scare her. Make sure she can flatfoot it well. As far as an 1100, forget it until she can ride. You allready know you will have to lower it. There will come the time to move up.

[fredintoon]

I am working on trying to convince my wife to get a bike get her license. She seems to be coming around to the idea slowly so maybe some time this fall or winter I can find something for her.

So I am looking for suggestions She is about 120lbs soaking wet and about 5'4'' and has never driven a bike before. It would be nice if I could find something to sort of match my XS but isnt necessary though. Anyone have any suggestions?

Hi Nate,
going through what others have suggested:-
XS650? No way, at 484 lbs it's too heavy.
XS400? That'd do as a starter bike and keep the stable in the XS family.
Honda 250 Rebel? low power, light weight & low seat height make it a good starter bike.
OR
A Suzuki Savage? The most mild-mannered 650 single ever made. Light weight, (brochure claims 350lbs) and low seat height.
But whatever you get, make sure it starts easy. Nothing is more likely to sour a beginner than a bike that either won't start or needs a complicated ritual to get it running.

[malber]

Sorry, I missed the bit about her being 5'4". An Eleven would be right out.

The only issue about the XS400 would be that she'd have to learn to service the chain at the required interval. Keeping her on a shaft drive means no muss, no fuss.

[natemoen]

Sorry, I missed the bit about her being 5'4". An Eleven would be right out.

The only issue about the XS400 would be that she'd have to learn to service the chain at the required interval. Keeping her on a shaft drive means no muss, no fuss.

Well she would probably not learn that, I would

[cywelchjr]

Well she would probably not learn that, I would

Actually the day to day maint on the XS400 chain is pretty simple, just spray the lube on while spinning the rear wheel.

They can be a fun little bike to learn on, and pretty peppy too. Mine will peg the speedo with MY fat azz on it, so I'm sure one would work well for her. As a matter of fact, back when I was a few pounds lighter and the bike was a few years younger, I could really get on it off the line and bring the front wheel just barely off the ground for about 10 feet or so. Could probably have wheelied it, but I was more into quick acceleration. The 400 is a nicely powered and nimble bike, although at high speeds the vibration is a lot higher than with a 4, but they were marketed back in the day as "the fastest 400cc bike you can buy". I know I used to outrun other 400's and even 500's and 550's back in the day. If you get an 80 or 81, they use the same exact carbs as our bikes do, so you would know how to work on the carbs, and the carbs on the 400 pop in and out in less than 5 minutes, and that's with the stock air filters.

Oh, lots of parts available for the too, as they were a really popular bike, almost as popular as the 650's. And, mine was used as a touring bike, it has 54,000 on it, and is on the original chain still, with very little stretch or wear (I'm a bit anal about keeping it well lubed, and it's a pretty hefty chain for such a small bike).

[crazy steve]

I'm a firm believer in the idea of a new rider starting out on a smaller bike and working their way up, particularly for a smaller rider who needs to get used to horsing around the weight of a street bike. Having a background in dirt bikes helps, but there's still big differences in how they ride/handle, not to mention the weight. I've known a lot of riders (now former riders, most of 'em) who went directly to a big-bore bike out of the gate and got themselves in trouble. There's a reason the MS courses use small bikes.

Yes, a smaller bike will be mostly worthless on the superslab, but do you really want to 'learn' at higher speeds and in heavier traffic? Secondary roads offer their own hazards, but at least the speeds are lower, giving a newbie a better chance at surviving their 'mistakes'.

With that said, I personally don't like the really small street bikes, as they don't offer the acceleration/braking of the larger bikes. I would consider a 400 as the lower limit, preferring something in the 500 to 650 range. But that's entirely up to the individual rider and their 'comfort level' with the machine. Admittedly, my experience with small bikes dates to 60s/70s, so they may be better now. And at 5'4" 120 lbs, a smaller bike won't be struggling as hard to haul her around, unlike my fat a**.

[natemoen]

I was always thinking of the rebel as an option but they really are so small and basically just a throw away (ie sell soon after) bike. I was leaning more to a 400 to 650 (more in the lower range though). It was sort of for selfish reasons as well though cause sometimes its nice to have something smaller to zip around on as well