Full rider looking for tips on Wife bike

**bennyjreg** · 28th August 2017, 22:40

I hope this is the right section.
For context;
I am now a full rider for the last few years, I take my bike down to Red Baron for services and maintenance.

The wife is somewhat interested in learning to ride, and we happened across the idea of getting a bike that I can pull to bits and learn to do the maintenance on, and for her to learn to ride on.

Does anyone have tips on what bike would be the most common for affordable parts etc? My first thought was something like a GN250, they used to be everywhere. Other thoughts welcome.

**rastuscat** · 29th August 2017, 06:18

GN is a good choice to suit both of your needs. Simple to work on and easy to ride.

Don't rule out a GW250. It's a bit more of a cruiser style, but is similar.

Only issue I see with the GN250 is a lack of guts on the open road. If you come up behind a car doing 90, it's a mission to overtake. I regard the GN as mostly a town bike, rather than an all rounder.

While you are at it, show your wife how to check tyre pressures. Every rider should know how to do their own tyre pressures, but women often leave it to their male flunky.

**cods4** · 29th August 2017, 10:50

I'm in the same boat. My partner is quite short but she has been riding a scooter for a year or so now so she has the basics. I was also thinking of a GN250 as they are failry low and cheap to buy/fix. Otherwise I would consider a Duke 200 with a lowering kit which I could also commute on pretty cheaply, but the bike would be a lot more expensive and dropping it would be a more costly situation.

**McJim** · 2nd September 2017, 19:12

A difficult one to answer without asking the following questions:
Is she a sports bike/naked/bike/touring bike/cruiser type lady?
What's your budget?
My wife started on a RG150. You were obliged to rebuild the top end from time to time. So good for teaching people engine maintenance. It was a little rocket ship of a fully faired 2 stroke sports bike but most of those have been wrapped round trees or deregistered for racing.
Honda VTR250 is a good second hand bike. Not too high off the ground and has heaps more guts than the GN250. It depends what level of maintenance you mean. Oil changes/spark/plugs/new chains/sprockets etc. or dismantling gearboxes and engines?

**george formby** · 3rd September 2017, 08:57

For better or wosre I started my G/F on a 2t trail bike. She initially struggled a bit with the height, had to learn to think ahead quickly so she did not stop on an adverse camber or anywhere which made getting a foot down harder. My logic was that all bikes are heavy and she would have to learn these things at some point any way. She does not bat an eyelid now, the height is a non issue and she will ride anything she can get a toe down on.

Another reason for going the trail bike route was so she could learn to ride on gravel and develop the skills to ride on slippery surfaces. If she locks a brake or the rear steps out on a wet, slippery, road, the reaction is automatic and correct. No problem. I've come across quite a few road only riders who have had tumbles in these scenarios.
We have a lot of gravel, over banding, mud, diesel etc on the roads up here. I feel it's an important skill.

The trailie is pretty crash proof, too. Been down a few times and only marked a bit of plastic.

I went for a 2t so she does not get bullied on the open road, nothing worse than holding up traffic and impatient drivers forcing their way past. The 2t's are like hens teeth so I'm not suggesting a 2t specifically, parts are hard to find, too.
The versatility of the bike means we can ride anywhere up here which adds a huge fun factor.

If any of this makes sense you could look at bikes like the Suzuki Djebel or some such. They would fit your tinkering aspirations, too. Plenty of parts and easy to work on.
My G/F's DT has lowering links and I've dropped the yokes on the forks so it's pretty low. This can be done on any trailie.

Just my 2 cents to make things more confusing.

**Scubbo** · 3rd September 2017, 09:42

if you've got the coin - https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/mot...1294551239.htm

**ellipsis** · 3rd September 2017, 11:49

...my girl got off the Goldwing after being asleep on the back of it for probably 70% of the big miles we did on it, said 'fuck you, I'm getting my own bike'...she chose a Hyosung 250 cruiser, a bigger and quite low bike and she loved it...did her couple of years, said she would like to change, bought a CBX550 'til it dropped a timing chain then promptly bought a Sportster which she loves more than me...she is only 5' foot 1" and has no problem with balance height, all of that shit...I found letting her get what she wanted a lot easier than trying to shoe horn her into what I thought was the learning curve she should take...that was ten years back and you would think she had been riding since she was 15...

**george formby** · 3rd September 2017, 11:54

Originally Posted by ellipsis

...my girl got off the Goldwing after being asleep on the back of it for probably 70% of the big miles we did on it, said 'fuck you, I'm getting my own bike'...she chose a Hyosung 250 cruiser, a bigger and quite low bike and she loved it...did her couple of years, said she would like to change, bought a CBX550 'til it dropped a timing chain then promptly bought a Sportster which she loves more than me...she is only 5' foot 1" and has no problem with balance height, all of that shit...I found letting her get what she wanted a lot easier than trying to shoe horn her into what I thought was the learning curve she should take...that was ten years back and you would think she had been riding since she was 15...

In hindsight this is a very valid point.

**Ulsterkiwi** · 3rd September 2017, 14:28

have to say I agree with Ellipsis. My wife did the same thing, got very bored with staring at my shoulder blades. She bought a very good condition S40, she learned how to ride on the open road on that and it taught her what she liked/disliked in a bike.
She picked out a CB500X for herself after that. It was pretty well farkled and she did lots and lots of kms on it. She was pretty happy with it and was not minded much to change. Then we went from home to Cape Reinga last summer, she loved the trip and the bike did really well but she found she was constantly pushing the bike which makes sense I guess. She wanted a more relaxed kind of riding (= more power on tap) and has got herself an R1200R now.
I was always with her when she went shopping, only because 'bike shopping' right? At every point she decided what she wanted and did the dealing with the shops. Have to say I really enjoyed that part, so many sales people hear my wife wants a bike/car etc and they start to talk to me. Does not help their case lol.
I realise from your question you have a box in your list that she didn't have to tick but honestly there will be so much fun for both of you if she gets the bike she wants, not the one you want to tinker with.
Maybe for that you could get an insurance disposal or an older bike that has sat in someones garage and they need rid of it?

**Taxythingy** · 3rd September 2017, 17:27

Originally Posted by Ulsterkiwi

I realise from your question you have a box in your list that she didn't have to tick but honestly there will be so much fun for both of you if she gets the bike she wants, not the one you want to tinker with.

Listen to this one, for he knows what he is talking about. Marital harmony will be stretched when you have a bench full of bits and she's looking out the window at the lovely sunny day. Posting on Kiwibiker is not a substitute at such times.

**HEsch** · 3rd September 2017, 19:50

I am no wife (apparently I would make a good one, so you can probably trust what I say). I decided I wanted a bike so I did my research and I went and bought one (for the record, Suzuki SV650). The then-bf had no say in what I got (I actually didn't even tell him). I wanted something that would keep up with his BMW whateveritwas (fg650? gs650? I don't care enough to remember ... we never even rode together because I wanted to learn to ride properly and he is a speed freak who would likely do things that would scare me, which is not how I wanted to learn).

In conclusion - I love my bike. Nothing would kill me more than it being broken when I wanted to ride, or having to rely on someone else to do anything to it to get it going.... Get her her own bike and get yourself a tinkerer.

**Jeeper** · 4th September 2017, 14:18

Originally Posted by HEsch

I am no wife (apparently I would make a good one, so you can probably trust what I say). I decided I wanted a bike so I did my research and I went and bought one (for the record, Suzuki SV650). The then-bf had no say in what I got (I actually didn't even tell him). I wanted something that would keep up with his BMW whateveritwas (fg650? gs650? I don't care enough to remember ... we never even rode together because I wanted to learn to ride properly and he is a speed freak who would likely do things that would scare me, which is not how I wanted to learn).

In conclusion - I love my bike. Nothing would kill me more than it being broken when I wanted to ride, or having to rely on someone else to do anything to it to get it going.... Get her her own bike and get yourself a tinkerer.

Probably the best advice for your (original poster's) own safety and the safety of the relationship.