Best Sport bike for female rider?

Question

I am 5'5" 125lbs. I have two dirt bikes, but would like to buy a sportbike. Are they harder to ride? Should I take lessons and are lessons expensive? Thanks in advance : ) oh and if you happen to know of a dual on/off road bike that is also good looking please let me know.

Answer 1

At your height you can get on just about anything. You might have to have it lowered, but not by a whole lot. And getting one lowered is no big deal.



For a first sport bike, you might be better off with a 600. Just because they're lighter - you won't lack anything in the speed department, trust me.



They aren't harder to ride - they're much easier in fact. The problem is that because they respond so intuitively, you may give it signals you aren't aware of.



With any bike, and with a sport bike in particular, it's always a good idea to ride it around an empty parking lot for as long as necessary to get a feel for it.



I've been riding for 11 years now and just got my first sport bike 3 years ago. Even with my experience, I rode it for the first time in a parking lot - my husband took it there for me. We both agreed it was a good idea. And it was. Because just sitting on one doesn't give you any idea of what it really feels like to ride. When I took off, it felt sooooo weird....now it feels completely natural.



You could certainly start with something larger, but I think a lighter bike makes you feel more confident.



FWIW, I have the 04 ZX6R 636.



Oh yes - I've heard that dirt is the very best experience you can have. But it wouldn't be a bad idea to hone your skills in the MSF course.



And please don't be discouraged by all the negativity. If you want a sport bike, get one! If you were a complete newbie I might agree it's best to start on a cruiser. But you're the best judge of your skill level and of what you will be happy with.



I kept my Magna after getting the 6, because I figured if it didn't work out I'd still have something to fall back on. It's true it took me a while to get used to it, but now I'm selling the Magna because it BORES THE CRAP OUT OF ME. I took it for a ride once, and I seriously was so bored on the way home I felt like calling a cab. And it handled like a camel in comparison.



And yes, I'm sure you realize that sport bikes aren't as comfy as street. But we're not all decrepit old geezers. (Well I am, but whatever). I decided that I'd rather have short FUN rides than long boring ones. And my hubby has had sport bikes since 76 or so, and we've taken longer rides. So what if you have to stop now and then?



lol - ok, rant over.

Answer 2

Okay, to recap:



MSF ~ answered (though it can be as much as $300, depends on if your state subsidizes the course)



street riding is different than dirt... obviously you don't need to learn the basic controls and have some throttle control already, and actually dirt riding will give you a good ability Later on if/when you do trackdays or hit slick spots on the road as you're used to a bike moving around.



What wasn't answered is that height has no issue when it comes to riding, so long as you can reach the pegs while seated on the bike. Confidence in riding is what's important.



Since you asked about a DP and have a dirt background, I'd say you ought to look to the DRZ400SM, will out-handle a sportbike in the twisties, better for in-town riding but worse for longer distance riding (I bet you could do a 600~800 mile day on one, but it most likely wouldn't be fun unless it was all twisty roads). If you want the Look of a sportbike, but more comfort (down the link, not right now), look to the Sport Touring catagory. You can Easily do thousand+ mile days, one after another after another... for as long as you have vacation time to ride, on those bikes. That handle at about a 9.5 to a sportbikes 10 (meaning you won't see a difference if you ride sanely on the street), and are often cheaper to buy and insure.



But if you want a pure streetbike in sportbike fashion, to start with, look to the EX250, EX500, Blast and GS500F (here in the US). Or, if a Bandit 400, Honda CB-1 comes up (or even the Ducati 620, I'd put my wife on one of those with minimal experience and trust that she'd learn to ride and not just hang on/survive), those are good choices too...

Answer 3

A sport bike is a whole different ball game. A "Crotchrocket" can be deadly if you do not know how to ride one in a controlled manner. If you decide to pursue sportbiking, then you must take lessons. Then, look for a nice sport-street bike to start off on such as: Yamaha FZ6, Yamaha YZF600, Honda CB 599, Suzuki Bandit 600.



Also, there are many good dualsoprt bikes out there. Any size from 250-450 would be ideal for you. Avoid the 650's, they are too heavy and not fun.

Some good ones are: Kawasaki KLR, Super Sherpa, Honda XR, and Suzuki DR-Z.



Ride safely and keep it straight-up!

Answer 4

yes they are harder to ride if u dont know what u are doing. these bikes will do what the rider tells it to do instantly even if the action will cause a crash. a rookie has no place on a sport bike. if u value ur life, spend a couple years on the saddle of a cruiser. they're much more forgiving than any sport bike. and another thing.......if u dont live within 30 miles of an area that has extremely twisty roads, getting a sport bike would be like putting an elevator in an outhouse.



a 1200 sportster would be 10x's more forgiving than any sport bike, and they would have more than enough power for those that's never been on the saddle of any street bike. check out the 1200-N nightster. it's the newest 1200 sportster hd makes, and the seat height is only 25" high. perfect for rider's of ur height.

Answer 5

Im a clean rider.. I took the riders protection classes ( I notably advise) i offered a Honda CBR six hundred and that i like it.. before everything i theory it would be too plenty means.. Then i became debating that it wasn't gonna be sufficient means So i needed a 750 or some thing.. in any case. i offered the 600cc and it has each and each of the means i prefer.. i've got had it for 2 years now and prefer it. Its comfortable, i'm approximately 5'5 and that i've got lots of room to touch the floor. Its additionally great gentle (purely in case you drop it).. If i'd are turning out to be some thing with decrease than 600cc's i'd be wanting to sell it via now. It has great shift factors for begginners, so its no longer so jerky or rapid to the place that is going to scare the worried novices. yet.... It nevertheless has the upward thrust up and circulate, It reacts great, so suitable coping with and overall performance. additionally, i like the pull once you upward thrust up interior the means band. It definetly holds its very own.. My suggestion is get the 600cc Honda CBR !!! i like it !!! this is a great novices motorbike !!!

Answer 6

Its funny to me how all the motorcycle "experts" say that a sport bike will get a new rider killed, last time I looked I was still alive and Ive been riding them for years, but what do i know.



If you want a sportbike get one and dont buy a cruiser, if you dont want a cruiser then your not going to be happy on one. As far as taking lessons the MSF is about as best as your going to get, theyll have a bike for you to ride and everything so if you spill it you dont have to pay for it and from what I understand its a very informative course.



As far as sportbikes to start on Id say DO NOT get a GSXR, CBR, ZXR, or R6. These are all race bikes hence the R in all of the names. The suzuki GS500 is nice looking but its big and bulky and just really not that nice compared to the Kawasaki Ninja 500 or 250. If you want something a bit bigger you can go with a Ninja 650, they came out in 06 so I haven't heard from anyone who has one or you can go with the SV650S, thats the sportbike I started on, haven't crashed, ridden 20,000 plus miles on and rode down to Ft.Morgan, Al which is about five hours from me and was just as comfortable as I have ever been on a cruiser. As long as you learn to ride the correct way and do not put all your wait on the handle bars sportbikes are comfortable, just leaned forward instead of back.



I have nothing against cruisers. Ive ridden them and would like to have one but I can only have one bike and Id rather have a sportbike. As long as your mature in your riding, respect the bike, and lookout for the cagers youll be ok.



As far as good looking dual sports go, honestly Ive never liked them however the Suzuki VStrom doesn't look to bad, but it does have a fairly high seat height I think.



Hope this helps you out, ride safe.

Answer 7

I'll second most of what Brian said. There's no reason to hamstring your learning by getting a cruiser. Get any of the "sport" bikes he mentioned. Any of the bikes Brian mentioned will be great for you - you're already used to a upright seating position from your dirt riding experience. After your experience in the dirt the forward controls of a cruiser would feel pretty awkward for you.



The bikes Brian mentioned all have great handling, are light weight, and have brakes that actually work.



Where I have to disagree with Brian is on the DRZ400SM. It is a great bike but at 5'5" it might be a little tall for you. Go to a Suzuki dealer and sit on one and see how you feel about it.

Answer 8

Why do VF29 Sandman, Forktail Devil and Ghost RIder always post at the same time? And why do they always agree with each other?



Dirt bikes are better off road than sport bikes. Sport bikes are better on road than dirt bikes.



Buy the EX or GS 500.

Answer 9

Go with a 250 600 cc smaller but still fast Eng. The sport bike is way better than a dirt bike and looks a lot cooler.

Answer 10

i will 2nd what sandman has said. sport bikes are for twisty roads. they are not designed to go long distance comfortably, and in the hands of a rookie, anything over 500cc's will get u killed. 1 twist of the throttle at the wrong time on a sport bike will put u down very hard.

for ur height, i would highly suggest the xl1200n nightster from harley. only 25" seat height. look at the specs here: http://www.harley-davidson.com/wcm/Content/Pages/2007_Motorcycles/2007_Motorcycles.jsp?locale=en_US&swfsection=model&swffamily=sp&swfmodel=xl1200n&swfgallery=dom_video_01



just click on the sportsters, and then the nightster. a sportster will be alot more forgiving than any sport bike.

Answer 11

give a complete noob to street bikes a sport bike, and have the undertaker standing by. street and dirt are 2 completely different styles. what u can get away with on the dirt, u wont get away with on the street. take the msf course first, then get a cruiser. sport bikes can be expensive to insure, and they definately are expensive to repair all that plastic after spillin all that rice on the ground. msf course is $25 for 3 days.

Answer 12

well there a little faster, try a honda 350 perfect for first timers