Want to buy a (girl) bike

Dinxminx

Hey,

I've been thinking of getting a bike (not a scooter) for a while now and needed some help;

I'm a 20 year old girl, 5 ft 1" and was wondering how much I should be spending on a bike (I know nothing about bikes really so one that goes from A to B and looks nice sounds good!!) was also wondering if there are more girly bikes out there (so that I don't look like a complete tool hauling my tiny self onto a hulking beast of a bike).

And then just general advice would be welcome for a first-timer!

Idleater

A Honda CG125 would be perfect.

They are light, nimble, cheap to buy, cheap to run, cheap to insure and have a low seat height.

You can pick them up second hand too.

L.

Garibaldi

Well, there is a fair amount of choice out there. Have you any idea of the type of bike you like the look of? CG125 is a grand bike, but it's not going to set the world on fire in any department.

I was tempted to just suggest this, but thought better of it. I'm too predictable.

Slaanesh

Either that or a YBR 125, in the same league as the honda.

Dinxminx

Okay DON'T laugh..... But I really like bikes that look like this: http://www.honda.co.uk/motorcycles/DispatcherServlet?hidActionDetail=viewproductdetail&hidAction=Lookup&hidProductID=81&hidSelectedProductCode=CBR125R&hidProductName=CBR125R&hidMSGID=11&hidMSGCode=CC125&hidMSGName=125+CC&hidBannerPath=%2FmcStatic%2Fen%2Fpicture%2Fproduct%2FCBR125R%2Fprd_main_Banner.jpg&hidHomePath=%2Fjsp%2FmsgCC125Home.jsp

and this :http://www.honda.co.uk/motorcycles/DispatcherServlet?hidActionDetail=viewproductdetail&hidAction=Lookup&hidProductID=37&hidSelectedProductCode=VFR800_ABS&hidProductName=VFR800+ABS&hidMSGID=7&hidMSGCode=SPORTSTOURERS&hidMSGName=Sports+Tourers&hidBannerPath=%2FmcStatic%2Fen%2Fpicture%2Fproduct%2FVFR800_ABS%2Fprd_main_Banner.jpg&hidHomePath=%2Fjsp%2FmsgSPORTSTOURERSHome.jsp#focusHere

The sporty ones. Is it a stupid question to ask if anyone makes slightly less muscular, smaller ones of them? Like same shape and same style just not so HUGE?

Dinxminx

And Garibaldi, you know the minute I buy myself the bike it is gonna get Flower Powered in the biggest way, so it'll wind up looking exactly like that one, except bigger! :b

Dinxminx

And what's this? (I found it on Carzone.ie and it's weirdly cheap)

http://www.usedcars.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=485393

See? I LIKE that one - chunky and cute!

tk123

My advise would be to go along to a bike shop and try some different bikes for size - I'm the same height as you btw. I was thinking of getting something sporty myself last year but most of the bikes were way to big and the bike I had at the time was slighlty too big so I wasn't so confident on it. I ended up getting a marauder 250 and I love it to bits!!

Idleater

Dinxminx wrote:

And what's this? (I found it on Carzone.ie and it's weirdly cheap)

http://www.usedcars.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=485393

See? I LIKE that one - chunky and cute!

Ok.

The bikes you are picking out are the mini sports bikes.

They are quite powerful (and are caught by the <= .16kw/kg licence restriction).

They are very desirable, very expensive to insure, and very costly to maintain.

If you like cute bubbly bikes, one of THESE should sort wheat from chaff.


Nah, seriously, for a first bike I would recommend something not covered in plastic fairing. You know you are going to drop it at least once...

L.

peasant

You're not into choppers?

Otherwise I would have recommended THIS

Suzuki LS650 (single cylinder 650 cc)
Fairly light (180 kg), very stable but still nimble enough, easy to control, sounds lovely (if you're into "putt-putt" instead of "shrieeeek" ) only 34 bhp, but with nice oomph from low revs ...an ideal beginners bike with low seating height.

I have one myself, even though it is actually too small for me (6 ft) somehow I can't let it go (hoping to restore and do it up one of these days)

The Doktor

My advice would be similar to Tk123. If you are in Dublin, go into Bikeworld. Bring no money, and sign nothin!
Try a few bikes for size. Try all types of bikes and see what suits you. Make a note of the bikes that you can sit on and what you like and afford. Then ring around insurance companies and get some quote for the bikes you like.
This will narrow you down to what you can get pretty quickly.

No bikes are more girly than others (unless your talking about Aprilla spice girls scooters:D ) I know of girls who drive goldwings or R1s and they can manage them fine.

When you see what you can afford, start goin lookin for the bike you want. Wait till you get the right one. It will come up!

I would advise staying with the Jap bike. Certainly for your first bike. The likes of the Aprilla can cost a fair bit to run (properly).

Garibaldi

If you love the sporty-looking bikes, then get one. There's not much point in buying something you don't really like, just because it's that bit more affordable. Just don't get into biking thinking that it's going to be cheap. (and now for the broken record bit...) You should pay for the very best in safety gear and get a few lessons.

Also, there's no guarantee that you actually *will* drop the bike (I didn't drop mine. I rode it off the road because I wasn't looking, but I didn't drop it ). And hell, even if you did, there are little things called mushrooms that bolt on to the frame of the bike that will save your plastics (assuming your surname isn't Gibernau - oh yes, I went there).

kowloon

You should see your first bike as something to learn on and nothing else.
Ignore your inner speed demon when selecting this bike.
Id suggest buying a 2nd hand bike as your first, something small to learn on, then you can trade it in or sell it a few months down the road without much depreciation for something shinier.
Lessons are a good idea, or even get someone you know to be a safe rider to show you the ropes.
Buy motorcycle roadcraft.
Buy all the safety gear before you budget for the bike.
Never buy cheap waterproofs or gloves, false economy.
expect to be shafted by the insurance companies, whichever you go for, sportier looking bikes usually command sportier insurance premiums.
Dont go on any advice given to you by the staff in bike shops unless theyre trying to persuade you to buy something cheaper, even then its worth questioning their motives.
And finally, dont worry about what other riders are thinking, the people buying the fancy bikes as a first ride are usually the ones who have a bad tank slapper and sell the thing before its even run in.


Get your bike sprayed pink

Wossack

Dinxminx wrote:

Okay DON'T laugh..... But I really like bikes that look like this: http://www.honda.co.uk/motorcycles/DispatcherServlet?hidActionDetail=viewproductdetail&hidAction=Lookup&hidProductID=81&hidSelectedProductCode=CBR125R&hidProductName=CBR125R&hidMSGID=11&hidMSGCode=CC125&hidMSGName=125+CC&hidBannerPath=%2FmcStatic%2Fen%2Fpicture%2Fproduct%2FCBR125R%2Fprd_main_Banner.jpg&hidHomePath=%2Fjsp%2FmsgCC125Home.jsp

and this :http://www.honda.co.uk/motorcycles/DispatcherServlet?hidActionDetail=viewproductdetail&hidAction=Lookup&hidProductID=37&hidSelectedProductCode=VFR800_ABS&hidProductName=VFR800+ABS&hidMSGID=7&hidMSGCode=SPORTSTOURERS&hidMSGName=Sports+Tourers&hidBannerPath=%2FmcStatic%2Fen%2Fpicture%2Fproduct%2FVFR800_ABS%2Fprd_main_Banner.jpg&hidHomePath=%2Fjsp%2FmsgSPORTSTOURERSHome.jsp#focusHere

The sporty ones. Is it a stupid question to ask if anyone makes slightly less muscular, smaller ones of them? Like same shape and same style just not so HUGE?

You'll be happy to hear that the cbr125r is really small - Id get yourself along to bikeworld off the long mile road and see one first hand. As someone mentioned about the high powered nature of the 125 sports bikes... this ones a 4 stroke (aprillia rs125, group 7 with Aon, honda cbr125r, group 3 )

The rs50 is nice and cheap to insure too, think its even group 2 (very underpowered though)

coyote6

Whattabouta' Honda Bros 400?

sutty

Theres no such thing as a "girly" bike. The only thing girls have to worry about, in most cases anyway. Are seat hight, weight, handlebar width. Other than that, once you sit on the bike and it is comfortable. It will be grand. Also dont judge the weight by just picking it off the centre stand. You cant always tell that way.
My g/f (AKA: Oldyellar) Just got a CBR250. It was the bike she wanted all along and she went for nothing less. The first time she sat on one. She thought it be to heavy. The other week she got to drive it for the first time. She thought it was perfect. She was also grining from ear to ear. So trust me, go for what you want. You'll like it a lot more. But as others are saying. Get some lessons. For the first one, take out one of the school bikes. Make the first lot of mistakes on that. Then go for your second set of lessons on your bike. (Also do it before you buy the bike, best to get a feel if its for you or not, before you spend money on a bike)

Get someone you know who knows about bikes, to go bike shopping with you. They can at least point out the bargains that will be worth your time and money.

Also dont worry about the whole cold thing. You can get heated undergarments/gloves that will plug into the bike to keep you toasty and warm

Dinxminx

Are the Aprillias any good? Kind of caught between one of them and a Honda... Which are more expensive to run?

The Doktor

Id say dont touch an Aprillia, specially for your first bike. The honda will be more reliable and cheaper to run.

Dinxminx

Okay think I've pretty much decided on a Honda just one more question - what do you guys think of the Yamaha TDM? Too butch? Too expensive?

God, is it really obvious I know nothing whatsoever about bikes??

The Doktor

TDM 900..???
too big for the licence... unless ye restrict it. Nice bike...
Now I would be of the type who doesnt believe that you need to learn on a 125 or 250. But a 900... Id say too big..(even restricted)

tk123

Have you done any lessons yet? Go and do some first - it might give you a better idea of what would suit you size/stance wise..