I went to my msf class and there was two girls in the class. They wanted to ride but have never been on a bike or rode before. they like my friends zx-6 and my cbr. They asked me what would be a good bike for them to buy. So i am coming to you all for help. one is 5'2"and the other is 5'8". they sat on my cbr and could not touch the ground. they also thought it was kinda heavy. i mention that cbr are light bikes in the 600 range and that they can be lowered. They really want to get bikes because the loved ridding in the class. please let me know what you all think

 

If you ask 50 people that question you will get about 48 different answers. I believe the majority would say go to a large dealership and sit on a bunch of bikes that fit your preference, size, appearance, whether you want a cruiser or sport, many many choices. The best thing you are doing now is the MSF class, hats off to ya. I have a friend in the same situation you are in, he bought a used yamaha 250 virago so he can become comfortable with the whole riding aspect including dealing with traffic, then he wants to get a nicer bike when he's got some miles between the legs, I commend him for that. The 250 is a decent bike, low insurance, comfortable, quite down on the power which is why I probably would not opt for a 250, not alot of power when you really need it but gets the job done. The big liter bikes I can't tell you no but they deserve alot of respect. Grab a handful of throttle with a 1000RR and it will be another world compared to the 250. My first bike was a CBR 600 which was and still is a powerful bike especially for a beginner but I respected the throttle and did not get crazy with it, some don't like to be intimidated by the big bikes but you are the one turning the grip not the bike. If you like the sportbikes I don't know your financial situation but the more cc's usually mean more $$, especially full coverage. You may want to pick up a 2 or 3 year old bike for your first one but if you are going new I would take a look at the Suzuki GS 500 and the SV-650 or the Kawasaki 500 ninja, good luck.

 

I'll concur on that one. Except you'll probably get 50 different answers out of 50 people. However, its really a personal preference and ability. If they think the CBR's are heavy they should probably start with something smaller and lighter. And if your uncomfortable with it to start with, something you cant flat foot just makes it worse. And I should know, I cant flat foot my CBR for the life of me. Damn 5'5 frame with a 30" inseam. The EX500s seem to be popular with alot of people when asked what a new rider should get. I learned on a old suzuki 250 standard. Light, cheap, low to the ground, and very forgiving. But we have quite a few women riders out around town. The couple i know both ride CBR's..interestingly they are both F2's. Its all about comfort, skill, and respect for whatever your riding, especially if it has the power to hurt you at a moments lapse of concentration on the throttle.

 

gtofan you said the same thing as me the suzuki 500 tiny but heavier then my 6 then again how hard is it to hold up a bike straight up granted at a 35 degree angle at a stop you really cant unless you got powerful leg definitely go used smart choice so that way you destroy a 2000 $ bike vs 10,000$ bike see the diff a couple years makes

 

that said, id say f4i

 

A 250 would probably be best for someone that short. I assume they want a sportbike.

 

My first bike was a 2004 Ninja 250. Absolutely not regrets! I am female, 5'8, 125lbs and have road dirt since I was 5 years old. I was told by my MSF instructor, "Your first bike should be a bike you can out grow."
My first objective was not to learn how to ride a bike or was not even to look cool. First, I needed to learn how to coexist with traffic. At 300lbs, the bike was small enough and light enough for learning how to control it. Parking it, straddle walking it, straddle walking in reverse, pushing it in and out of the garage, up hills, etc. I learned things such as not using paper towels to clean it (It made swirlies in the wind screen, lol). I didn’t know any better. I made my newbe mistakes. I learned how to be conservative on the road, I learned that I am invisible to other drivers and that was gonna have to be accepted right up front. I was forced to keep it slow. I learned about "close calls" and what happens when you lock up the back tire. I learned to look both ways even if the light is green and to never trust other drivers. I learned that I have only one chance and one life. I learned a bit about cornering, and I learned that I could just as easily throw myself off this bike by popping the clutch. I learned that I could look really dumb when I mess up. I learned about other riders and riding culture. I met other riders. I learned about their bikes, and then I started to dream. I rode with others. I would have a "cool" bike too someday.
My attitude was, "I rather be a good rider on a dumb bike, than a dumb rider on a cool bike." (I say “dumb� cause everyone looks down on 250’s)
I stayed off the freeway. The Ninja doesn’t have enough power to get up and out of the way when you’re going 60-70 MPH. I didn’t need to be on the freeway anyway. I road 2,000 miles back and forth to work and school in 6 months. I then started to feel the restrictions of the Ninja when I wanted to ride hard and fast and started dragging the center stand in corners. I wanted to jump out in front when the light turned green. I wanted to be "cool".
The time came. Six months after buying the Ninja, I was trying to push it to hard. It was a natural progression. Keeping on riding like I was trying to do was gonna get me in trouble. I needed power. I was ready. I picked a 2005 RR for many reasons, reasons I had time to think about before hand. I rode "The Honda" around the parking lot of the bike shop to get the feel before taking her home for the first time. It was right, it was natural, and it was meant to be. I knew how to ride, I knew how to get her home, and I knew already how to love her and respect her.
I road over 1000 miles in the first month I owned her. She was a dream come true. Now... I feel "cool". Now I have confidence. Now I can ride with the big boys!
The skills that I learned on the Ninja have become second nature. I am now ready to move on to learning new skills and challenges. I love to test the third digit on the speedo, just to make sure it still works. And I’m working on the chicken strips, but only at my own pace. I have the knowledge to do these things as “safely� as I can. Something that I might not have known without the time on the Ninja. She taught me a lot. I recomend the Ninja 250 to everyone (of average size) for their first bike.

Next… is Racing School!

 

I do agree with the machine gun lady up above about starting on a 250 Ninja (heck i started on a silly ol' brakeless Vespa back in the late 80s) but it seems your ladies north of the Crest like the looks of the 600s so it would be hard to convince them of otherwise

Now remember I'm male and obviously ignorant about what women want but speaking from a 3rd person's perspective I'd suggest the laymen or lay-ladies (pun unintended !) drive down to Venice or Redondo Beach and rent a couple of mid-size sportbikes ($75-85/day) from South Bay SportBike Rental 310-937-7920. (I'm not affiliated or nothin !)

Take the rentals around town in stop n go traffic ... maybe a leisurely run along a very scenic Palos Verdes Drive North (not too far from Redondo) or Palos Verdes Drive East (low-speed curves)

Basically see if the bike you want fits you as well as you think it should. At the end of the day if they have the appetite for more then by all means get a 600 ... otherwise stick to whats tried and tested i.e. a 250 ninja

 

Awesome suggestion on the rentals... I thought of that half way through reading Bren's posts.