[chaiya]

If the new Ninja 250’s seat height is to high for you, look at the older models (2007 and older). IIRC, the seat height is a little lower for those models, and there is a ton of foam in the seat to shave down. Shaving the seat should get you to were you want to be. I’m tad shorter than you and I can tip toe the bike without the seat shaved. It would be better to shave the seat down to get the height you want rather than lowering the bike.

good luck!

[chaiya]

I’m about your size (5′ and 105lbs), and I have a rebel. I could not flatfoot the ninja 250, but I’m about 2 inches shorter than you. The ninja was my first choice when I was looking for a bike, but I wanted a bit more of my foot on the ground. I wasn’t sure at the time how much I could get out of shaving the seat down. Go out to your local dealerships and sit on as many bikes as you can. See what feels comfortable.

Best of luck in your class, and happy shopping!

[chaiya]

I’m 5 foot nothing and the Bonnie was fine for me. You will be fine

[chaiya]

Test ride the bikes before giving up your dream. When I sat on the Bonnie in the dealership before the test ride…it felt a little tall/ heavy,but probably every bike in the world feels tall/heavy after riding around on a rebel …Once I was out on the test ride with the Bonnie…I was in love. The monster was not very comfy for me either… I felt really stretched out to reach the handlebars. It just didn’t feel great being stretched out like that and on my tip toes.

Have a great time at the demo ride!

[chaiya]

I wear a bandana under my helmet. Seems to help cut down on the post helmet frizz, but with thick-ish curly hair…the stuff in the helmet is pretty straight by the time I get to work, and the pony tail is in full fluff mode. I have learned to embrace bad hair days…

[chaiya]

First off, congrats on your new bike!
I had a similar problem when I first got my rebel. It had been sitting for quite a while. I would have to keep the choke on to keep it from dying at stops. It turned out to be a gummed up carb. Putting some carb cleaner in your tank won’t hurt anything…and may help. In my case, the carb was really bad…and needed to be pulled off and cleaned. You should get a repair manual for your bike. Clymer and Haynes are both supposed to be good. It’s handy to have and it will have the all of the specifications/settings for your bike in it. There will instructions for adjusting your idle in there. I have the clymer’s manual for my bike and I have been very happy with it.

haynes
http://www.haynes.com/products/sfID1/8/sfID2/9

clymer
http://www.clymer.com/

If you google around a bit or ebay…you will probably find one cheaper.

Best of Luck!

[chaiya]

Maybe a sidecar would solve your “multiple child” transportation issue ? I would have loved to ride in a sidecar when I was little

Anyway…i can understand getting stuck taking the car on a perfectly good riding day. My husband does not ride …so whenever we go somewhere together…always the car.

[chaiya]

I hate it when my girl is sick (in the shop…or in pieces in my garage
Waiting for parts is horrible… I needed a new carb not that long ago and it was back ordered for what seemed like forever. Every time I saw another person happily riding around …I was very sad. She was in a million pieces in the garage…very depressing to come home to day after day waiting for that damn part.

I’m also fickle… if she stays sick too long I start shopping for her replacement … day dreaming of a new bike helps keep me sane… The last time my bike was in the shop… I went to a demo day at a triumph dealership…got to ride a brand new bike

[chaiya]

I have a Rev’it jacket that I have been very happy with (i think it’s the women’s airforce jacket). It’s a mix of Cordura and mesh panels with leather in high impact areas, CE protection in the shoulders, elbows,and back…so a little bit of everything. It’s well put together and comfortable. I’ve worn it in the low 30’s (with some smart wool underneath) and without the liner in the high 70’s. The waterproof liner seems to works well…although i have only been out in light rain. It’s been a great all around jacket for me. It’s probably not the most common brand, but I had a hard time finding small enough gear. I think it cost me $200 new.

[chaiya]

I think I would be fine on the Bonnie now… just would need to spend some time in a parking lot once I got it. My husband doesn’t ride, doesn’t really love that i ride now, and thought my little rebel was a big bike…
One of my coworkers had a V-strom 1000 and the other one had a KLR 650…. my bike looked like their baby… my bike is bitty

it might take more convincing for the husband before i bring home a new toy… he’s been a good sport about it so far… he just worries about me

[chaiya]

Good to hear from someone with experience on the bike. I rode the SE for the demo. I think I will defiantly get a Bonnie sometime in my future, just not right now I just got the clutch fixed on my rebel and I should probably spend more time practicing with my little bike. After talking it over with a friend (kinda my riding mentor..he helped my pick out/bring home my first bike and has been great helping with all the little hiccups/questions along the way)…anyway…he and the husband are against the Bonnie right now (too big…too heavy…too soon). Both think next year will be a better time… maybe by then I can pick up a used one with FI

[chaiya]

Maybe you can demo the Scrambler and Bonnie.
here is a link a list of upcoming Triumph demo rides
http://www.triumph.co.uk/usa/11197.aspx

The demo I went to was a blast. They took us out on some twisty roads and then on the freeway to get back to the shop. We were out for about 30-40 min. Once you are back, you just sign up for the next bike you want to take out

My head is trying to convince me that I should not forsake my little rebel just yet…I have not been riding for very long, and buying a brand new shiny Bonnie is probably not be the best of ideas… It’s going to require much will power to not run over to the dealership and bring one home…

[chaiya]

Don’t worry about having a sexy bike now. Your first bike won’t be your last. I’m about the same size as you (5ft nothing , 105lbs) and the rebel has been a great 1st bike for me. It holds its value ..so you should be able to sell it for almost as much as you bought it for when you are done with it….so don’t worry about out growing it/ wanting to upgrade. It’s been really fun riding my little “piglet” around

Good luck with whatever bike you decide to get!

[chaiya]

I also change my own oil,spark plugs, air filter, fuel filter, etc… on the bike and my car….although I had to argue with the guy at the motorcycle shop a bit to buy the oil…he felt that there was no way a girl could change the oil on a motorcycle all by herself (grrrrr) Last time I will ever go to that shop….

As for tips, I think having a good repair manual is really useful. I have the Clymer repair manual for my bike.

[chaiya]

If it helps… I bought my 2006 Rebel (used, ~5000 mi) for 2K. So depending on year, 1800 is probably a good price. If you get the rebel, I highly recommend installing an inline fuel filter. It can save you a lot of carb cleaning grief later. All and all I really like my bike.

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