[Jon D.]

Hey folks, I have ridden for several years. Been off the back of a bike for a while now but I am preparing to start riding again. My dilemna is that my wife has never ridden a streeter before and I am not in a position where I can readily replace her motorcycle after six months, as her experience builds. We live in a rural area ( pop. 2300) and a majority of our riding in the beginning would be to some of the closer towns that have a Walmart …60 miles are so….destination cruising. 2 lane state roads are the norm. Here’s the deal, I have chosen the Yamaha FZ6 for myself, and am leaning strongly toward the Suzuki S50 for my wife. She has sat on it, and it fits her very well. We will be taking a motorcycle safety course together. I would appreciate any thoughts and opinions that may help in the choices I am making, My wife is counting on me to get it right. Please keep in mind that my wife is only 5′ tall with a 28″ inseam that has to wrap around a seat and still touch the ground. Thanks for your insight. Jon D.

[Sangria7]

One thing you should remember is even though the S50 is a fairly light bike it is an 800cc bike afterall. Are you sure you want to give her that much power for a first street bike?

The S40 is a 650cc but it is also a light bike and fairly nimble.

These are some seat heights and weights:

Honda Shadow VLX 600cc – 25.6 inches 496 lbs
Honda Rebel 250cc – 26.6 inches @ 329 lbs
Yamaha Virago 250cc – 27 inches @ 302 lbs
Vulcan 500cc – 28.1 inches @ 439 lbs
Suzuki S40 (650cc) – 27.6 inches @ 381 lbs
Suzuki S50 (800cc) – 27.6 inches @ 478 lbs

It is not simply just seat height, but the engine CC’s, and the weight of the bike as well. All these will be factors on fast and well she will learn. Though not impossible to learn on bigger bikes, it is definitely faster and more enjoyable to learn on a smaller displacement bike.

I know a lot of people who started on a 250 and still riding the same bike. It all boils down to what you will use it for and from the sounds of it just crusing from town to town. My first bike was a Rebel and she did fine on freeway doing 70-80mph. I just had to get a bigger bike because I literall commute on mine almost 700 miles a week now and Houston traffic is not forgiving at all.

Just think back when you first riding. It’s not simply if you can fit the bike, its more if the bike can fit your needs and skills. An in my opnion an 800cc is way too much to start on. The MSF course will probably be the decision maker; if she finds the slow tight cornering to be difficult on those 125/250cc bikes then think about how much harder it will be on something larger.

But ultimately its going to be you and your wife’s choice. Just be safe and smart about it.

[Jon D.]

I have been wavering between the S40 vs. S50. We live in Kansas and the winds that we deal with are something else. A breeze is about 15mph and that is pretty much the norm. 20-30+mph winds are not uncommon, so the weight of the bike is a factor. I don’t need her getting blown off the road. Have not looked at the Shadow, does it have foward controls. We sat her on the 750 shadow, but she hated the controls. I also appreiciate your comment on observing her abilities at the MSF course. Hadn’t considered that. Thank you Jon D.

[Sangria7]

Maybe a V Star Classic at 544lbs with 650cc.

Great cruiser but if she didnt like the control on the 750 she probably wont like the Star’s controls as well. I think they are very similiar.

No idea on the VLX controls.

Yea at 20-30mph you need a huge touring LOL anything less is going to be difficult to manage with those kinds of wind. Those are unsafe riding conditions definitely.

[SantaCruzRider]

You mention that your wife hasn’t ridden a streeter, so I wonder if she has lots of dirt experience and might feel comfortable on a dual-sport. If so, there are a number of 250-450cc bikes that might work.
Granted, a number of them sit high, but many also have lowering links and custom seats that can drop the seat several inches. They are also narrow and light, both benefits for smaller, shorter riders. Even with the mods, you’ll still get a new bike for less than an S50 (which is a very cool bike).
Not trying to talk you out of the cruiser, just another view. If you want new, it’s getting harder to find cruisers with standard (not forward) controls.

[Jon D.]

Took your advice and checked the reviews on this sight for the dual sports. Seat height is an issue but more than that, other than a 400 Suzuki no one recommended them for highway riding. We do live in a rural area and will be doing some easy cruising. 55-65mph riding for an hour or two a trip. Will surf around the web for other options, but I do value the info here and take it into consideration first. thanks for the option. Ride safe and God bless. Jon D.

[Jon D.]

Hey Folks, It just dawned on me , I have an ’81 xs 400 Yamaha sitting out in the garage. I think with some carb boots,tires,and rebuilt carbs, I could make it street worthy again. Like I said, I can’t turn around in 6 mos. and buy the wife another bike. I think I could however ,fix up this Yamaha for her to build on and have the S50 waiting in the wings. Jon D.

[Sangria7]

That may be a vialbe option!

[Jon D.]

Thanks. I really appreciate your opinions. Ride safe and God bless.

[Matt]

I’ve ridden the VLX, and personally, I like it. It is by no means a fast bike, I’d use the terms “laid back” and “smooth” to describe almost everything about it. Very good things in a cruiser imo.

The bike is very easy to hold up, but I find takes some effort in low speed cornering. It does weight 500 pounds, and thus takes soem extra skill when leaned over (you have to use the throttle to bring it upright smoothly after a corner).
My mother moved up to it after a year on the Rebel, so that helped immensley. As a first bike, I think the question would be, how well does someone handle the low speed MSF stuff on a Rebel. If they have no problem with it, the VLX is a fine first bike. If they find low speed, in particular leaning the bike over at low speeds to be troublesome, I’d recommend a lighter bike (the S40 comes to mind).

With 30 pounds of torque, the VLX will handle any single-rider cruises without issue (again, smooth and laid back, not a speed demon). I’ve even met a guy who rode across the states on one and loved it.

The old Suzuki is certainly a good idea. Definitely cheaper, but again, I’d wait until after the MSF to make any final calls. My dad has a Suzuki GS450, and despite a low seat height, it has a fairly high center of gravity, which my Mom finds very hard to deal with. You might want to have your wife sit on it and do the lean test (you hold the handlebars from the front, and she leans the bike as far as she’s comfortable with). They’ll give her an idea of how heavy the bike is and if she’d be comfortable with its center of gravity before you invest the money fixing it up.

[Clay Dowling]

The Yamaha is probably a good idea. A friend of mine did exactly that (same bike and everything) when he wanted to get back into riding. Once he established it as a good fit for his business (he travels to customer sites all day), then he bought a new 250 (because it’s all city traffic).

Another option might be a third generation Magna. It’s what I started on, and what I still ride. She’ll probably drop it at least once-I certainly did-trying to do something at low speed she’s not ready for. But they can be had for about $3k, they have very even response to the throttle, and they have the reliability you expect from a more recent metric bike. Also, the seat is low enough that even a short person can ride it. My daughter is diminutive of stature, and she can flat-foot two feet on my bike.

She won’t have trouble keeping up with you either, unless you really decide to open up the throttle. The Magna engine is plenty zippy in experienced hands.

[Jon D.]

Thanks for option, … are you talking about a V45 Magna?…Looks like a V65 in your pic. Jon D.

[Jon D.]

I was speaking with a buddy of mine and he remembers those old bikes being TOP Heavy. My XS 1100 was the same way. He now rides a 1500 VTX and says it is easier to handle than his old 400. I do appreciate your tie in… Another thing I need to consider. Ride safe and God bless. Jon D.

[Clay Dowling]

I was thinking more of the ’94-’03 models, which is the third generation. They’re mechanically very sound and new enough that there are still a lot of them around.

The v45 is the first generation. You can definitely get them on the cheap, but they’re old enough that you might run into mechanical issues, and they’re a lot harder to find.

Look out for the super magnas, the 1100cc model. There aren’t a lot of those out there, and I’m sure the price tag will tip you off that you’re looking at one, but those are definitely more bike than a new rider should have. The 750 is already pushing the upper bounds.

[Sangria7]

Man those sure are purty!!!

[Author]

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