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She did it.

sprack

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Feb 10, 2004
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Location
Austin, TX
My wife passed the MSF and is going to get her M license on Tuesday at the DPS. I'm so freaking proud and stoked. Now we gotta start shopping for a bike for her. Any suggestions?
 
Well Congrats to her (and to you).

Suzuki GS500E is a great starter bike. Think there are a few others around this site that might say the same.
 
I got mine an 81 Suzuki GS650 to start. I bought used because a new rider is gonna drop it. She moved on pretty quick and decided she wanted a cruiser. We looked at Honda for a Magna or 750 Shadow but Honda didn't give test drives so they lost us. Then she saw a Triumph America and that was it.

I think y'all would have to decide on a style (cruiser, sport, standard) and then go shopping.
 
SVinAustin said:
Well Congrats to her (and to you).

Suzuki GS500E is a great starter bike. Think there are a few others around this site that might say the same.

Yup, as well the EX250, EX500, Moto Guzi Breva 750 (more upscale) are also good bikes.

cheers,
Tom
 
The GS500 or an SV would be great bikes. Lots of aftermarket and comfortable. GSes are hard to find though. I haven't ridden a Magna yet though. How does it compare for comfort and wind protection? Initially she was leaning toward the cruiser style, but after the MSF class she wants a standard -> sport touring. She still likes the look of the Magna though. The Triumph and Guzzi are sweet bikes, but a little out of the price range for a first bike. I like the EX500, but it's kind of uncomfortable on longer rides.
 
Maybe...

An EX500 may be uncomfortable for long rides to us old fa....dudes, BUT, my 18 yr old son has ridden his 30000 miles in the past two years. His longest day on it is 850 miles. I have ridden it for several hundred miles in a day (49 yr old, 300 lbs,etc). I liked his so much that I went out and bought me an EX250 for playing around on-I love it!!. :-D
 
Bike

I'm getting ready to sell a 94 Virago 535. It's in perfect condition. Has Jardine pipes, Dynojet jet kit, new tires, clean title. It has around 10k miles. It runs and looks great!

It's got decent power, has a low seat height and is very comfortable. It also includes two covers, the stock exhaust and the jet kit.

$2700 and it's yours. (I haven't officially listed this for sale yet, but since you're looking...)

My wife has decided she likes riding with me better than riding on her own.
 
sprack said:
I haven't ridden a Magna yet though. How does it compare for comfort and wind protection? Initially she was leaning toward the cruiser style, but after the MSF class she wants a standard -> sport touring. She still likes the look of the Magna though.

The Triumph and Guzzi are sweet bikes, but a little out of the price range for a first bike. I like the EX500, but it's kind of uncomfortable on longer rides.

I paid $8,200 for the America and my Speedmaster was only $200 more. Triumph is in the ballpark with any other new bike, unless you go with the Shadow. You can get those around $5,700.

I think I'd look at the Virago posted above. The Magna is fairly inexpensive but it's really a performance cruiser. It's got a V-4 that I believe used to be in the VFR. Nothing like a V-Max, but along those lines. Besides at $2,700 you can teach her on it then sell it and probably make your money back.

If she is set on a standard why not a Nighthawk? They are simple and reliable and no matter what people say, I think they're cool looking. You can pick those up almost anywhere CHEAP.
 
As far as the Virago and the Nighthawk go, the Tourmeister started out on a Nighthawk 750 and his wife started out on a Virago 535. If you look on their website, you can find out more info related to each as starter bikes. I also believe that they got a decent resale price for it when Beth moved up to another bike. Kidder maintains his bikes very well and keeps them looking showroom fresh, so it would be hard to go wrong there. Adolfo has sure been happy with the SV he purchased from Kidder last year. :-D I'd have to agree with 10-95 about the Magna as well. It might make a good bike for the second bike, but not as the first. The engine is a slightly detuned and chain driven cammed version of the VFR750 engine. I believe they make around 80 hp which is quite a bit for a cruiser style bike. That could very quickly become a handful for a beginner. Stick with something small to begin with and then move on up as skills and confidence improve.
 
Howdy,

:tab The Virago 535 is good for learning and backroad riding. I would not recommend it for touring. It is VERY lightweight and gets tossed around by the wind off of other vehicles if you are in traffic. This can be very unsettling for a new rider. They will top out around 85-90mph if they are running well. They are sweet looking and sound great without being obnoxious. No offense Kidder, but $2700 may be a little high even for a perfect example. Ours was a 96 or 97, can't remember. And it was literally in showroom condition with about 8K miles on it and we got $3500 for it four years ago. The used value guides show the Special Version (two tone paint job and extra chrome) to be about $1800 for a 94. My wife loved her Virago but when it came to touring, she wanted something a little heavier so it would ride better and also be able to carry luggage. The location of the rear turn signals on the fender is right in the way of saddle bags.

:tab Regarding a Nighthawk, if you a referring to the 750, I wold NOT recommend this as a beginner bike. It is quite top heavy, much more so that my VFR 800's. It is also fairly tall. Being a naked, if you do drop it the damage is exceptionally minimal. But it will be a real **** to lift it back up again. A Nighthawk 250 on the other hand might be a decent bike. They can be had for quite cheap at most Honda dealerships because they are used for the MSF classes and then sold. The dealer will be asking way too much and you will have to chew them down, citing all the abuse at the hands of beginners ;-) The bike is lightweight and will crusie at highway speeds without too much trouble. It gets fantastic mileage. You can through a set of saddle bags on it and head out of town for a weekend with no problem. When you go to trade up, they really don't lose much value.

:tab Stubbs Cycle in Houston on Telephone Rd., had a leftover 2001 GS 500E on the floor back in July. I got them talked down to about $3500 out the door at the time, but then we got Debbie's bike at the Cycle shack in Conroe for a hair less. She loves the bike. She is 5'2". We dropped the rear suspension a little, put on the engine guards, and put new preload spacers and oil in the front forks to reduce the dive. It is a blast to ride. It is not intimidating. It will do trips very well. It gets close to 60mpg. We also put a windscreen on it. At the time, we paid a little under $3500 for a brand new bike with a full factory warranty, the same price that used GS's were going for with about 5-8K miles on them. The bike handles being dropped very well, especially with the $60 engine guards. Resale should be a good deal as well. You might call Stubbs and see if they still have the bike and offer them about $2700-3000 for it. This bike is also nice because your wife will be able to ride it for quite some time without immediately outgrowing it. I have over 100K miles riding experience and I still find the bike to be a hoot on the backroads! Sustained cruising speeds much above 80mph would get old after more than an hour or so.

:tab I would really recommend staying away from any bikes with fairings, even the SV650S. I have yet to meet someone that has not dropped their bike when they were learning. This is not to say it is a given, but if you are a betting person, the odds are definitely in favor of the bike hitting the ground. Why pay for the plastic just so you can turn around and pay for it again after it gets messed up?

:tab Check out GStwins.com. They have a forum and there are always used bikes for sale. This will give you a good idea of what they are worth:

http://www.gstwins.com/forum/

Adios,
 
I guess it all comes down to what she'll feel most comfortable with. We're going to hit most of the local shops this weekend to get a feel for what she likes best and feels the most comfortable on. She's pretty tall 5'11" so a lot of the bikes recommended first for women seem kinda small to her. Kidder, I'll make sure she sits on a Virago this weekend and I appreciate you offering us an early shot. As for the Magna, I'm partially to blame for suggesting it. I was looking for a cruise that if she doesn't want to ride I would still be satisfied with. :mrgreen:
 
Howdy,

:tab Even if she is tall, it is not so much the reach to the ground that is the issue. Like I said, most people WILL drop their first bike several times until they get their brain trained to deal with the weight of the bike. It is easier to do this with a lighter bike.

:tab Remember, the first bike does not have to be the bike she thinks she'll want to hang on to forever. It should be thought of as a temporary and somewhat disposable bike. You don't want her to have a nice pretty new bike that will get her upset when she dings it up ;-) Trust me. No matter how excited she may be about riding now, after dinging up a bike, she WILL have second thoughts. This is the biggest reason you want a bike that can be dropped with minimal damage; ie, as little plastic as possible.

:tab If she wants a bike that will last a long time in terms of not outgrowing it, look at used SV650's (the nekkid version). Those are fantastic bikes, you can put frame sliders on them, they are relatively light weight. They have enough power that you not have to worry about outgrowing them. The S model may be prettier, but again, if dropped, the fairing will hit the ground.

:tab As far as bikes that will maintain some resale value, if you buy used, the SV650, GS500, Nighthawk 250, etc,... are good deals. They are relatively cheap to buy. You can put 5-6K miles on one and still sell it for almost what you paid for it. Then go find a bike you really like. :-)

:tab Oh, and tell her congrats for doing and passing the class!!

Adios,
 
Virago 535

Tourmeister said:
Howdy,

:tab The Virago 535 is good for learning and backroad riding. I would not recommend it for touring. It is VERY lightweight and gets tossed around by the wind off of other vehicles if you are in traffic. This can be very unsettling for a new rider. They will top out around 85-90mph if they are running well. They are sweet looking and sound great without being obnoxious. No offense Kidder, but $2700 may be a little high even for a perfect example. Ours was a 96 or 97, can't remember. And it was literally in showroom condition with about 8K miles on it and we got $3500 for it four years ago. The used value guides show the Special Version (two tone paint job and extra chrome) to be about $1800 for a 94. My wife loved her Virago but when it came to touring, she wanted something a little heavier so it would ride better and also be able to carry luggage. The location of the rear turn signals on the fender is right in the way of saddle bags.

Our Virago is the S (maroon and silver). According to Kelley Blue Book the value is $2575. So, I guess I'm over on the price a little. $2500 would be a fair price, IMO.

http://www.kbb.com/kb/ki.dll/ke.kb....;rc;r&154&1994;Yamaha;XV535S;42535;12410;;;;&

28105343.gif


28105439.gif


28105444.gif


The only difference in the picture is the bike has the stock mirrors back on it. Those little mirrors don't work worth a flip.
 
:tab Very nice! Ours was the Royal Blue/White color scheme.

:tab That is amazing that the price guides would show such a wide variation. The $1800 seemed a little low to me, especially in light of what other older 80's type bikes are going for lately. I'd say the $2500 seems more reasonable.

:tab At 5'11" the Virago might be a touch cramped. I am 5'10" and it was tight for me. However, most of my height is in my legs (think Kermit). For someone with a 32" or less inseam it is a nice fit. I really liked the sound of the engine when rolling on the gas through a corner. Very satisfying. Are those aftermarket pipes? Ours were side slash cut and I think were OEM. Not real load, just a nice rumbling.

Adios,
 
Pipes

They are Jardine pipes. They're kinda loud but I like them. The bike has a lot more punch than I was expecting for a 500 cc v-twin cruiser. It's a blast to ride. I'm 6' and a little cramped, but I've also been stricken with the Kermit-the-Frog syndrome.

Anyway, I'm not actively looking to sell the bike, but if someone here could get more riding use out of it...
 
Doh! I was just about to past that very same link hehe. Looks like it could be a really good deal.

Adios,
 
I see a lot of people are loyal to certain bikes, but it won't hurt to look at everything. My girlfriend just got her licence 6 months ago, and really liked the honda shadow but, when we compared all of the bikes there was a lot more to the decision than first thought.

She ended up with a Yamaha V-Star Classic 650 Silverado. Honda wouldn't let us test ride, the styling was cluttered with the external shocks, the maintenance was higher with chain drive and liquid cooling, and the price was higher with less accessories. She has dropped the bike three times so far and had no trouble picking it up and, it only cost $35.00 for a turn signal.

She was aproaching a 400 mile day the first time she dropped it, and she said the bike was tired and needed a rest! :sleep:

My advice would be to use your expererience to educate her on all the pros and cons of all the types of bikes available.

Good luck! ;-)
 
Congrats Sprack! I'd stay with something 500cc or less. I have a riding buddy who has a Magna. As many have already said it's too much bike for a beginner, he can just about keep up with anyone on the thing.

Definately look for something used and upgrade after her confidence builds. I started back riding after many years of dirt riding when I was younger on a VFR. I dropped the **** thing in the drive way 2 times when cleaning it. I'm almost 200lbs, it happens to all newbies (at least I hope so :oops: ) Rember it's fun to buy new bikes...now you've got double the excuse!
 
2 Great Bikes for Sale

Sprack -- congrats to your wife for passing the class. My wife and I are new riders who recently bought bikes. But we're about to relocate to the cold north and need the cash right now, so we're selling them. Either one of these would make a great bike for your wife:

'01 Suzuki GS500, pristine condition, 9500 miles, with all the recommended mods such as better suspension in front and back, new tires, asking $2750

'03 Honda Rebel 250, showroom condition, 800 miles, asking $2500

Call or PM me if you want pix and more info!

Matt
713-444-1221
 
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