Learner bike for the wife?

[Rhys]

The far better half has expressed some interest in getting her bike license :facepalm:, was thinking of a chopper style bike, something cheap and reliable (jap):innocent: was thing Honda magna has any one had any experience with these or any thing similar

[Virago]

There's a few options in 250cc cruisers. Off the top of my head - Honda Magna, Honda Rebel, Suzuki Intruder, Yamaha Virago, Yamaha Dragstar, Hyosung Aquila.

Of those, the Yamaha Virago is probably the most popular.

Your wife's height and build will have a lot to do with what will work best for her.

[The Baron]

Rule number one - let her pick her own bike

Rule number two - follow rule number one

[Rhys]

Rule number one - let her pick her own bike

Rule number two - follow rule number one

yes I should have learnt that by now.

She had a pink helmet ,gloves have pink higlights and her jacket is pink so when i found some pink pants I though I had it sorted.:innocent: but you don't have pink pant with a pink jacket:facepalm:

[DJSin]

Not a chopper but I found my Yamaha Scorpio great to learn on :yes:

[Gibbo89]

make sure it has more than 1 cylinder.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Motorbikes/Cruiser/auction-331390061.htm

that bike looks ok, for a cruiser! :gob:

[ellipsis]

.....after 18 years of me loading my flat tracker or road racer on a trailer and disappearing off early in the morning and returning home 10 hours or so later with either a broken bike or broken body my wife called my bluff and said ...fuck you... i can do this too...i followed her fancy and took her out to find her bike...sussed a 250 virago to test....sat on it for a second or so and got off...feels like a toy she said...30 years as an operator of big industrial sewing machines probably gives you an inkling of machinery, so i indulged her....sat on a gn250 for about 10 seconds...wiggled the bars about like she was Chris Carr just about to take the grand national ft champs....it feels slow she said....told me she thought a trumpet speedmaster would be the bike she would like when she gets her full licence....yeah, cool honey...few days later she points out a machine...I want that one.....cool, can i check it out....no, I like that one....um..yeah..ok..can i check out what a hyosung aquila is......no i like the colours..its cool..i've got the money..buy now....DEAL DONE.

...i picked her hyosung up and brought it home ..only 90 ks...fun ninety ks though........i had a few heart seizures in the learning to ride stage...18 mths later and she's off ...im getting txts at 2pm at work...come home, we'll go for a ride......fuckin' heaven, i thought...yeeha....whizzed around everywhere at her constant whim...

...didn't need to txt me in the end....just fucked off for a big whizz on her own ...bitch...really used to fuck me off when she'd piss pass me on the highway when i was driving home from work in my truck...bitch..she's got her full licence now....rides a hot little HONDA cbx550...thinks its the coolest thing since sliced bread...buggers off on it all the time...scooting about...having fun...talks motorcycles...knows what 5000 extra revs in a four mean...life is COOL...and she called my hand....it has made our lives so much more level and balanced..(my way)...if she still has designs on a speedmaster, she can pay for the fucking thing, and i hope she doesnt want me to keep up with her, all of the time.

............COLOURS...DO..make a difference...and i personally felt quite confident....whilst at the same time, having heart seizures...that my girl had the bike she loved ...it wasn't a toy..it wasn't slow and it was the right colour.....

....girl from auckland fell in love with it from afar and now its up there...

....the hyosung was a big, girl friendly bike ...my girl is 5'1"...the physical size of the aquila is a big plus for it....not a toy....not really slow either...

.....only the opinions of a rider....

[sil3nt]

I know someone who is selling their 2005 Hyosung Aquila for $3000.

[Virago]

I have to agree, the Hyosung has the "big bike" look and feel.

[Phreak]

+1 to the Aquila, only cause Fatt Max's one looks the biz! Thinking about getting one for my missus too... :love:

[Blinkwing]

Had my VL250 for a tad over 6 months now, no complaints. :D

[Tink]

The far better half has expressed some interest in getting her bike license :facepalm:, was thinking of a chopper style bike, something cheap and reliable (jap):innocent: was thing Honda magna has any one had any experience with these or any thing similar

Hi I am 5ft2 and the Yamaha Virago has done me 7400km and I have loved every minute, great confidence bike... BUT YES height is a big thing, I was not confident for a sports bike, but now I am biting at the bit to get one... it took me 3 months to find the bike, and I found it at BAYRIDE in Tauranga, purchased at Full Throttle Pukekohe... great service from the team.

I am getting a great trade in offer too... so I am stoked, hopefully a xmas present for me!!! A new bike. Good Luck!

[Gibbo89]

Hi I am 5ft2 and the Yamaha Virago has done me 7400km and I have loved every minute, great confidence bike... BUT YES height is a big thing, I was not confident for a sports bike, but now I am biting at the bit to get one... it took me 3 months to find the bike, and I found it at BAYRIDE in Tauranga, purchased at Full Throttle Pukekohe... great service from the team.

I am getting a great trade in offer too... so I am stoked, hopefully a xmas present for me!!! A new bike. Good Luck!

what bike??

[Tink]

what bike??

Do you mean what bike am I looking at buying next?

[Gibbo89]

Do you mean what bike am I looking at buying next?

yes, the one that took you 3 months to find

[Tink]

yes, the one that took you 3 months to find

The one that took me 3 months to find was the virago 250cc, the two I like the look of are Suzuki Gladius 650 and Yamaha XJ6N or XJ6S 600, mind you I have looked at lots of other bikes, but limited with my height.

[Gibbo89]

The one that took me 3 months to find was the virago 250cc, the two I like the look of are Suzuki Gladius 650 and Yamaha XJ6N or XJ6S 600, mind you I have looked at lots of other bikes, but limited with my height.

ahh sweet. It's annoying that there are so many 600 and something cc bikes but cost just as much as a 750 or 1200cc bike. good luck with the search.

[KiWiP]

you're too far away to buy mine http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=336059703 (or not?) but one to consider. The ST is a lovely little thing to learn on and has enough of a difference to appeal to those who like to stand out (plus get a black one as it is a very slimming colour :yes:)

full spec here http://www.suzukicycles.org/ST-series/ST250.shtml

[Mully]

Learner bike for the wife? Sounds like a deal


The ST is a lovely little thing to learn on and has enough of a difference to appeal to those who like to stand out (plus get a black one as it is a very slimming colour

Is that GN mechanicals in that thing?

Mrs Mully has a Kawasaki Eliminator 250. She has short leg syndrome, so it fits her. Big bike feel too. and more fun than a box on monkeys for me to ride.

[Roki_nz]

To be honest just give her some pointers and advice on what to look for and what might suit her, but if she likes the look of a bike find some reviews for her and let her make up her own mind. Will save the hassel later. BTW how do you convince your girl to get a bike, I am still trying to convince mine

[zmlam]

Read a book yesterday about first time bikes - harley/choppers are much lower so have to be slower around corners?

Am a noob myself so I may be wrong.

If you were considering a different type of bike, I can highly recommend a VTR250! :) My wife can sit on it and both feet touches ground comfortably - and she's short than me (I'm 5'6?).

All the best! :)

[SMOKEU]

The thing about those 250cc cruisers is that you're likely to get bored of it by the time you get your 6R.

[Genie]

Bought myself the Kawasaki Ninja 250 in January of this year...loving it. It's a great little bike, right size, light weight, nimble, easy to learn on yet it has a bit of pep should one wish/need to use it.

[nz3rdsqr]

funny enough i have learned on both a scorpio z and a gsx250f and tbh i prefer the gsx it feels more tame and i know that sounds weird but the low down power is softer than on the single cylinder scorpio. i think this is due to the larger range of revs avalible on the gsx it really doesnt hit a lot of power till 10k where as the scorpio hits it at 5. plus as an upside once she gets better she can still do very good country speeds. as the icing on the cake the gsxf is much better looking. i have also tried a volty stright 2 and that jerked and pulled when you didnt want it to but that could have been cause it was a loaner bike (for licences) and had been abused all its life, and a gn125 i wasnt happy with that either it just felt cheap and nasty, the hoyosung gt250r was good i did like that but probably a bit on the pricy side. tbh since getting my learners at the start of the year (im still on it) i have tried a lot of bikes for how long i have been riding.