- This topic has 5 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 14 years, 8 months ago by Amoryl.
Hello — Newbie — 5’11 woman
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June 30, 2009 at 2:02 am #3096Cat012Participant
Hello everyone,
I’m Cat, pleased to join this site.
I’m looking to purchase my first motorcycle and will be using it for commuting to work (15 miles) as well as weekend trips. I do have a vehicle for backup purposes.
First a little background: I’m new to riding but I’m a pretty confident, responsible person who has driven a lot of off road recreation vehicles (snow mobiles, ATV’s, etc.) However, I do realize riding a motorcycle on highways and in the city is different so I understand there will be a learning curve. I should also add that I’m 5″11 and capable of handling a larger bike.
I’ve always liked the Honda Goldwing, love the look of comfort and would love to do some touring in the future. Not to mention, I could have a passenger occasionally but doesn’t have to be an absolute. I’m just not sure if I would be buying too big for starting out. Purchasing a used bike is a must at least the first time around..
Is there another motorcycle that anyone would suggest purchasing with what I’m interested in?
Look forward to your replies.
Cat
June 30, 2009 at 2:18 am #20329zeppelinfromledParticipantFirst off, welcome to the site. I’m sure you’ll find lots of good tips here – I certainly did (and do).
I don’t have any experience with a Gold Wing, but I suspect that it’s probably too big to start out. We’re talking about a bike that weights almost 1,000 lbs and whose engine is almost 2 liters. I realize that you’re not a tiny person, but I’m just over 6 feet and almost 250 pounds, but I think that a Gold Wing would have been too big for me to start with. Plus (according to the Honda website) new Gold Wings start out around $22,000, which would have excluded even a used one from my considerations anyway. Personally, when I see a Gold Wing, I always cynically think “why not just take a car,” but I still see the appeal. I prefer a smaller bike, and you can always add luggage. For me, part of the appeal of touring on a motorcycle is that you can’t bring all of your stuff with you like you can in a car.
That being said, everyone is different and my opinion is far from the divine word. Talk to people, and try sitting on one. You might decide for yourself that it’s too big, or you might decide to go ahead and get one.
It sounds like the main things you want are comfort, the potential for a passenger, and the ability to tour. Most any bike will have the last two to varying degrees, and comfort is a personal choice. I would advise you to go to a dealership that sells multiple styles of bikes, and just explain your situation. They should let you sit on however many bikes you want, and you can get an idea of what you find to be the most comfortable. And keep in mind that comfort extends to being comfortable controlling it, not just sitting on it.
June 30, 2009 at 2:47 am #20331MunchParticipantGoldwing is definitely too big for a starting run. They range from lower 1100cc’s and go up. The bikes are so heavy that most have an electric reverse which is needed to get the bike out of a parking spot. If I remember correctly most of them are inline 4’s also. Good touring bikes but nothing to learn the streets on.
Giving your experience… I would venture to say a Vulcan 900 in an Lt version would be a good start. Haevy for most beginners but as long as you are honest with your abilities you should be fine. A shadow 750 with bags and accessories would be a good start also, other could include:
Yamaha Vstar Silverado or Vstar 950 Tourer
Suzuki Boulevard C50
and anything of that range. Reasons I say the specific models is so that you can also get used to the added bulk and weight variations of loaded cargo space. The changes are minimal but if you load off balance it can and will make a difference.
Now these are just in the cruiser/ touring types.
Sport tourers will have to chime in with their recommendations.advisory: By no means would I recommend these bikes for someone fresh out of MSF and never been on a bike. These models are heavy and can be difficult to maneuver in low speed tight turns without ample parking lot practice time and dedication.
July 1, 2009 at 8:25 pm #20365WeaponZeroParticipantjust because youre 5’11” doesnt mean you should start looking at those kinds of bikes for your first. bikes like full dresser tourers and goldwings are very bad choices for anyone just starting out. i think that before you worry about things like stuffing a complete set of saddlebags full and going away for a weekend you should learn the fundamentals. if youre leaning toward the cruiser side of things then a solid choice for you may be the yamaha V-Star 650, and throw some saddlebags and a windshield on it later. other good choices are the honda shadow series (the 750cc ones).
as far as sporty tourers go, theres hard bags available for the suzuki DL650 v-strom and kawasaki versys that allow you to pack enough in there for a weekend trip easy. hell, yesterday i saw a guy pulling up to a hotel on a DL650 with hard bags, a top box, and a tank bag. all that together holds a lot of stuff and it is most certainly a capable sport touring rig.
July 1, 2009 at 9:21 pm #20367SantaCruzRiderParticipantAwesome bike, but it’s massively heavy and not at all conducive to learning. It’s really a purpose-built bike, and that purpose is touring. If I was retired and planning to take some multi-week trips or weeklong trips with a passenger, the Goldwing would be on my short list. But if my goal was a 15 mile commute and a weekend trip here or there, it’s overkill and cumbersome (IMO).
I ride a Concours (1000cc sport tourer). It’s significantly smaller than the Goldwing, but still feels like overkill on my daily commute (90+ miles RT).
Assuming you like the standard ergo (Goldwing), I’d suggest looking at the Suzuki 500, maybe the SV650 or WeeStrom, the Ninja 500, maybe the Ninja 650 or sisterbike Versys. Many of these are typically better as 2nd bikes, but they are also considered to be manageable to more mature riders with off-road experience. All will also offer comfort for commutes and weekend rides, as well as the ability to carry the occasional passenger (although you really should put that out of your mind until you have many months of riding under your butt).
And FYI: height is no advantage on a Goldwing. The seat height is no challenge for most. Folks are not typically dropping their bikes because they are too short or too weak, it’s because they don’t know what the hell they are doing and/or are way over their heads in terms of ability.
July 7, 2009 at 6:08 pm #20432AmorylParticipant$22grand for a motorcycle that weighs almost as much as a civic and gets less MPG’s than one… they’re great for eating the highway, but if you’re doing a quick commute to and from work they’re not going to help you out much. maybe on the weekend trips it’ll be better, once you finally learn to control that beast of a bike. liter sports bikes are like a rocket strapped to unicycle wheels, goldwings are like elephants and all you’ve got is a little stick to direct them with. I’ve seen those expert elephant handlers turn one of them on a dime just swishing around their ears…but it takes a LONG time to develop that skill. I’ve seen people on goldwings turn on a di…er…quar…er…maybe a buck fifty….once they’ve had it for a long time. but most of those’ve been riding forever and worked their way up from other bikes.
elwood started on a sportster 883, and if I recall he’s over 6′ and he had a fair amount of trouble with that. won’t say it CAN’T be done, but the chances of either getting spooked and quitting riding altogether or it being a much longer, slower, and more painful and unenjoyable learning curve is certainly much higher on such a large bike as your first bike.
if you get a 650, you’ll have plenty of money left over for some nice hard cases, a windshield, and heck you could even have a custom made aftermarket seat hand made, and still come out cheaper than a goldwing.
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