Just had to tell someone...

[mishelly]

Hey ya'll...I'm new to the site, first time in this forum...names Mischele, I'm an addict. Spent last weekend in Eureka Springs, AR for the Springtime in the Ozarks convention. Very cool. While I was there, a friend tried to convince me to get on the back of his 2003 Indian Chief (I think???) and I was terrified. Had an ex that threw me off the back of his bike on purpose 19 years ago while pregnant with my first son. Never got on one since. Anyway...long story short...I did manage to overcome the fear...got on that bike and within minutes the fear completely evaporated. What an experience! Never felt so free in my life. Rode on the back of that bike several more times over the course of the weekend and well, you know how addicts are...I'M HOOKED! Thinking about taking some kind of class or something to learn how to ride myself...anyway...just wanted to share that with others who can probably totally relate...see ya 'round the boards...

[BillJ]

Welcome, Mishelly!

It's true that motorcycling can be addictive, and we're just the folks to understand that fact. I've been hooked since the age of 7 (a looooooong time ago!) and have no interest in "recovering" from my habit! Besides, it beats hell out of things I used to be hooked on!

Go to your local motorcycle dealer, and they can direct you to a Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) Basic Rider course. You can also Google "MSF Training" and look for classes in your area, or contact your driver's license bureau.

The benefits of taking the course include:
A) Motorcycle and gear are provided, so you don't have to buy a bike before you learn how to ride.
B) It gives you the opportunity to see if motorcycling really is for you. Some people aren't able to do everything motorcycling requires, and still maintain a safe attentiveness in traffic. Better to find that out before you buy a bike, right?
C) It can teach you how to ride competently and safely. I say "can" because your success depends on your ability and willingness to apply what you're being taught. However, the course is chock full o' good information, and the range sessions give you a good feel for handling a motorcycle safely.
D) In many states, successful completion of the course spares you the road-test requirement when getting your motorcycle license. You pass a written test, and you get your license.
E) Most insurance companies offer discounts for riders who take the course. I recently got with my insuror and requested all the discounts to which I'm entitled (multi-bike, group membership, rider course, safe rider), and wound up saving myself a couple hundred bucks!

Come back often, and keep us posted on your progress.

[mishelly]

Thanks for the info Billj...question for ya 'cause you sound like you know what you're talking about...does a 5' 2", 120 lb female stand a chance at being able to safely ride by herself? I mean, will I be able to hold a bike up, etc...I know these sound like dumb questions, but I have no knowledge in this area whatsoever (I just know I liked the way it felt to ride!) and any input is appreciated!

[best]

mishelly

Yes you can handle it at your size. The bike rides itself when moving and they are balanced pretty good when not moving. Doesn't take all that much to keep them up straight at a stop. There are many bikes that have a low seat hight. A lady at my church is a little smaller then you and she rides a 750 Honda. The MRF safety courses are great.
I rode in my teens and early 20s and 25 years later started to ride again.
The course as far as I am concerned is a must have. Saves on insurance costs as well. Discount given for having taken the couse.

[mishelly]

Cool...thanks again for the info...gonna check out what's available round here!

[best]

Smaller isn't always better,

If you are going to do highway riding, the smaller bikes don't ride that well on the highway. Takes more energy to ride them.
250 cc, 350 cc.
My bike is 800cc. Does ok for highway back and forth to work. did ok but bigger would have been better for the long trips on the highway.
All depends on what you will be using it for.

[mishelly]

Originally Posted by best

If you are going to do highway riding, the smaller bikes don't ride that well on the highway. Takes more energy to ride them.
250 cc, 350 cc.
My bike is 800cc. Does ok for highway back and forth to work. did ok but bigger would have been better for the long trips on the highway.
All depends on what you will be using it for.

Riding, Riding, Riding!!! Seriously though, I drive 60 miles one way to work...all highway. I'm sure a bike will get much better gas mileage than my Dodge truck does and be way more fun!

[BikerBill8]

Hi Mishelly, Welcome to SR. You can start out on a sporster 883cc and they are good riding bikes.

[BillJ]

Mishelly,

From the earliest days of our sport, there have been women motorcyclists. However, they've always been such a tiny minority amongst riders that no manufacturer ever bothered to produce motorcycles or riding gear specifically for the woman rider. If a gal could handle (or adapt) a standard-issue bike to her needs; fine. If not; oh, well!

So far as gear was concerned, you could find sexy leather halter-tops, "biker babe" bikini undies and such, but nothing in the way of real protective or comfort garments. Again, women could adapt men's gear to fit, or do without.

In recent years, that's all started to change. Motorcycle manufacturers have realized that women represent a huge, as-yet-untapped market. Hence, a number of models are now available for people with shorter inseams, like the new Harley 883L "low" Sportster.

The same holds true for riding gear. There are companies that specialize in gear (leather jackets, chaps, gloves, rainsuits and touring suits) just for women riders, and some old-line manufacturers who now offer a wide array of appropriately-sized (and attractively-styled) gal-on-the-go gear.

BTW, in both respects, Harley-Davidson has been a marketplace leader. No other manufacturer has worked harder to market to women, or cater to their needs. However, other companies, like BMW, roadgear.com, motoliberty.com and motosport.com, are doing their best to gain some of that market share, too.

Now to your question:

When buying your first bike, you'll be looking for a cross between the safest machine you can handle (re: saddle height, overall weight, center-of-gravity, and power-to-weight ratio), and the biggest you can handle (re: Best's comments about highway riding). You want enough cc's to get you down the road, and still be useful and enjoyable after you've mastered the basics of riding. An underpowered bike will leave you frustrated, and trading up is expensive. You don't want that. However, if you get too powerful a bike, you run the risk of wiping out before you really get going, turning your motorcycle adventure into painful rehabilitation. You definitely don't want that!

A lot is going to depend on the type of riding you want to do. If you're just going to putt around town, commute to work, hang out at the Dairy Queen with other sober riders, and/or go on short weekend jaunts, a cruiser (metric or American) might be just the ticket. A number of these, including the aforementioned H-D 883L, have saddle heights suitable to your needs. Others can easily be adapted with aftermarket lowering kits. All can be customized to suit your tastes.

If you want to travel (i.e.: visit distant relatives, tour Civil War battlefields, or make the pilgrimage to Sturgis in August) you might want a touring bike. Harley makes the best-known of these, but some of the larger metrics (the Honda Wing series, for instance) are also available in full-dress mode. Certain late-model BMWs fit that profile, too. Just be aware that full-dress tourers are large and heavy, and can be cumbersome if you're not tall or strong enough to wrestle with 'em.

There's also a mixed-breed known as a sport-touring bike. My BMW R1100R is one of these. It's quick, nimble, and a delight to ride on twisty mountain roads. In addition, with saddlebags and top-case attached, I can ride for two weeks straight, and never run out of clean undies! The downside, for you, would be the high center-of-gravity (this means the weight of the bike is all up top, making it harder to hold upright if you get off-balance at a stoplight, for instance) and high ground clearance, which would make it difficult for you to stand flat-footed, and leave you more likely to lose your balance.

Ditto for pure sportbikes. On top of that, they have power-to-weight ratios that scare even me, and I've been riding over half my life! In addition, sportbikes have no luggage space, and a less-than-ideal seating position, which makes them unsuitable for anything but sport riding. If you want to play Ricky Roadracer, and go carve canyons on the weekend, a sportbike's what you want. Just know that true sportbikers expect to crash, and so assume that regularly replacing fairings, turn-signals, handlebars and such is just part of the price they pay for riding. True sportbikers also pay higher insurance premiums, and have a more-than-average number of speeding citations.

Finally, there are so-called "choppers," like the ones featured on Discovery Channel shows. IMHO, these are expensive toys for rich, stupid, middle-aged boys - trendoid followers of fashion who want to recapture their lost youth. They never ride any further than the local cigar bar, where they pose with other "chopper riders" and act as if they're real bikers. Their machines are unrideable contraptions - or "works of art," if you prefer - but they are not for serious riders!

[mishelly]

Originally Posted by BillJ

Hence, a number of models are now available for people with shorter inseams, like the new Harley 883L "low" Sportster.

Too funny...just the other day I was online looking at that very same bike, thinking, "if and when, that's what I want"...

Thanks a ton BillJ and everybody for the invaluable info...gonna print out this thread and hold on to it for future reference!

[BillJ]

Hey, Mishelly, didja notice that a neighbor of yours is on this board? Check out the "Hi everyone" thread by biker princess.

[mishelly]

So there is...I'm on one side of the state, she's on the other...I'll have to say hello. Thanks.

[tramp]

i have a bro about your size mishelly, he rises a 2005 stupidglide no problem.
the dyna lr is even lower, and then my personal favorite ( of the sprung bikes), the soft tails. the sportys are actually taller than the 3 bikes i just mentioned. the specs may say different, but just sit on each.
you'll be straining to get your tippy toes to touch dirt on the sportys, while on the dyna you'll be near flat footed.

not to start an argument with Bill,lol.

[Gooch]

yup I've seen lots of petite ladies on softy's and lowriders and even some dyna's.. they all said the same thing .. after trying a sporty they were surprised at how much easier the big twins handled. I rode a buds 883 years ago and didn't like it all that much, then I rode an old iron head sporty and liked that even less. Nothing to do with the motor or trans, just felt that the frame was too high center of gravity and stretched me too far forward to reach the bars.

[tramp]

thats why i throw away the frame first thing.

[BillJ]

No argument from me, Tramp! I've often said Big Twins are more user-friendly than Sporties, and especially for the inseam-challenged among us, because of lower COG and saddle height.

The only reason I mention the 883L is because published reports say the L model (new for 2005) is significantly lower than other Sportsters, and hence better suited for shorter riders. It's also more affordable than a Big Twin (which may or may not be a consideration for Mishelly) but still large and powerful enough that a beginning rider won't "outgrow" it once she gets some saddle time in.

Again, no argument. I'd recommend a Big Twin in a heartbeat. That's what I started on, so many moons ago!

[mishelly]

Wow...ya'll are putting me in sensory overload with all this info and debate!!! I noticed the common thread amongst all your suggestions is that you all recommend (hope I'm right about this ) a Harley of one type or another...

Was wondering if any of ya'll know anything about Freedom of Road Riders? A friend of mine and her husband are members and she wants me to come to their meeting Saturday afternoon...I thought that was kind of strange since I don't ride (yet).

[BillJ]

Mishelly,

While most of us here seem to favor Harleys, that's not the only bike worth having. The metric (Japanese, British, and European) manufacturers also make fine machines that may be even better suited to your needs. Some riders might argue that metrics are actually superior to Harleys, but pay them no mind. They're just jealous, because we ride real motorcycles, and they don't!

Seriously, the important thing is to find the bike that's right for you - not what eveyone else is riding, but what you want to ride.

About Freedom of Road Riders: I googled them, and found a website at www.forr.net. FORR is a Motorcyclists' Rights Organization (MRO) for the state of Missouri. A statement on their front page reads:
We are NOT a Club, we're a Motorcycle Rights Organization, open to all riders and fans from all walks of life, no matter what brand you ride, drive or dream about! Our members own or ride almost every make & model, old & new. We all have one thing in common... we all love motorcycles, and desire to protect our rights to own, build and enjoy them. We're not just about helmet laws! We work in all areas of motorcycle rights and freedoms, and endeavor to pursue such rights as Equal Access to Riders, Anti-Health/Insurance Discrimination, Pro-Rider & Driver Safety Training, just to name a few. And we LOVE to get together and ride! Sign up Today!

My experience with MROs (I'm a member of two here in Texas) is that, while MRO members can talk issues to death, they are usually active, concerned individuals who care about making a difference in the political process. You'll meet some who seem insufferably overbearing, others who are wonderful to hang with, and maybe even one or two you'd ride with to hell and back. By all means, go and enjoy!

[Gooch]

Originally Posted by BillJ

Some riders might argue that metrics are actually superior to Harleys, but pay them no mind.

i have a hard time hearing their arguments ever since I started running the drag pipes. :Lmao

[okcmike54]

Greetings,,
As Bill J says, before you throw down a bunch of cash for a motorcycle, please take the basic MSF course. Here in Oklahoma it's a three day course that costs 150.00.
If you find out that riding your own ride is something you really want to do, you might want to think of buying a mid-sized cruiser. Unless money is no object, I'd think about buying a used one. Your 5'2" 120 lbs?? Don't fall for the line that something in the 650cc to 750cc class isn't big enough to tour on, because they are. My girlfriend, 5'5' 135lbs, was in your same situation about six months ago. She loved riding 2-up with me, but got the itch to ride her own. She took the MSF course, and after that she was totally hooked. After that it was decision time on what to ride. After much research she bought a Yamaha 650 V-Star Silverado. The Silverado package include a windshield, studded seat, leather saddlebags, and a passenger backrest. It also has a shaft drive and the bike is very low maintainence, and last but not least, it's a very nice looking scoot.. If I remember correctly, she paid 6195.00 for a brand new 2005 model. In other words, alot of bang for the buck. At the time, I was riding a 1500 Goldwing and she had no problems keeping up with me. We've ridden a few 500 and 600 mile weekend trips around Oklahoma, and she absolutely loves riding her own scoot. Don't get me wrong, riding 2-up was nice but both of us riding our own scoots is much more enjoyable. She can load her scoot down with HER stuff, and still pile more of HER stuff on my scoot,, LOL.. June 8th, we leave Oklahoma City for MMAAC in Pearl City, IL. Here's a link to the website- www.mmaac.org.. This will be her first multi-state trip riding her own and both of us are chomping at the bit ready to take off.
Good luck on your decision, and most all motorcycle makers produce a motorcycle you would be comfortable with. Keep an open mind while your looking..
P.S.- Your in Clinton?? You know where Montrose is?? It's a little crossroads about 15 miles west of Clinton on hwy 18. I haul compressed hydrogen to a power-plant located there. I missed my turn going south into the plant late one night and had to go to Clinton to turn around,, LOL..

[BillJ]

Originally Posted by okcmike54

before you throw down a bunch of cash for a motorcycle, please take the basic MSF course. Here in Oklahoma it's a three day course that costs 150.00....
After much research she bought a Yamaha 650 V-Star Silverado. The Silverado package include a windshield, studded seat, leather saddlebags, and a passenger backrest. It also has a shaft drive and the bike is very low maintainence, and last but not least, it's a very nice looking scoot....
Don't get me wrong, riding 2-up was nice but both of us riding our own scoots is much more enjoyable....

Amen, amen, and amen!!!


okcmike, enjoy the ride to Pearl City, and safe journey. Wish I could be joining y'all, but it just ain't happening this year. Maybe we'll meet somewhere down the road.

[GettingBy]

Hey all... I gotta jump into this conversation!!!

Another woman rider here (5'6" - 130)! I was right were Ms Shelley is about a year ago! Sat around and listen to my husband and all his buddies tell me all about the bikes THEY wanted me to get! LOL!! I'm just glad they talked me into getting my own... now let me pick the one I want!

I really wanted a Harley (had my eye on the 883L) but it really made no sense to me to spend that kind of cash on a "beginner" bike. I turned to the metric bikes for all the reasons mentioned above. Ended up with a Honda Shadow VLX Deluxe. It's a 600cc so it's got enough muscle and mass to cruise on the highways, yet it's only 450#s and sits relatively low to the ground. With my height I think I've got more than 6-7 inches clearance when I'm standing over it! (I'm pretty lucky I guess). The things that I love most about it: it looks "just" like my husband Softtail Standard (bobtail fender and all!!), I put V&H Cruzer pipes on it so at least it doesn't "sound" metric (LOL!), it cost about $3k less than the 883L, and it's got great re-sale-ability. It really all comes down to the bike that YOU are comfortable with, not what anybody else tells you that you should feel. I'm really comfortable with the 600 I have, already got 1,400 this season (in NY we've only had 2 months so far!!), and we're already talking about me taking over my husband's 1450!!! Whoo-hooo!! I LOVE his bike :-)

Like everyone else said, the MSF course is a must. Good luck and don't forget to look around for all the women rider clubs!

[mishelly]

Originally Posted by okcmike54

P.S.- Your in Clinton?? You know where Montrose is?? It's a little crossroads about 15 miles west of Clinton on hwy 18. I haul compressed hydrogen to a power-plant located there. I missed my turn going south into the plant late one night and had to go to Clinton to turn around,, LOL..

Yep, know exactly where Montrose is. One of my brother-in-laws favorite fishing holes is there. About the MSF course, don't worry, already looking into it on the net and I definitely am planning on taking that course!


Getting By, was checking the Honda Shadows out on the net as well. I thought they looked pretty nice. With my finances, used is the only way I'll be able to make this happen, but hey, gotta start somewhere, eh???

Thanks for all the input folks!

[BillJ]

Originally Posted by GettingBy

Location: Crazytown, NY

I just have one question, GettingBy: Is there any town in New York that isn't "Crazytown"?

Good input, BTW. Glad you're here to give Mishelly some "sisterly support." Us guys (and I'm the worst offender) have been talkin' her to death!

[GettingBy]

Originally Posted by BillJ

I just have one question, GettingBy: Is there any town in New York that isn't "Crazytown"?

Hmmm... good question. I don't think there really is! Doh!

You have be to crazy to live someplace where the big thing to do in the winter is have competitions about who go more snow! Syracuse won this year, by a landslide! I can't remember the exact numbers... but I think it was something like 125 inches!! That's CRAZY!