They have a "low" version. I am your height and I could flat foot *easily* on the low version
The seat height is something like 27inches I think with the low seat
I should have figured, now the wife wants to drive.
- Thread starter Chris79761TX
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They have a "low" version. I am your height and I could flat foot *easily* on the low version
The seat height is something like 27inches I think with the low seat
The Buell Blast is tiny Vabs. I mean TINY! Buying a Buell Blast would be worse than buying a Ninja 250 as far as her being happy with it for very long. EXTREMELY underpowered.. Harley single cylinder 500cc..uke:
not suggesting that they buy a blast but its heavy enough to get some real world riding....plus if you drop their bike they dont care...as long as you aren't being abusive and throwing it down
The Buell Blast is tiny Vabs. I mean TINY! Buying a Buell Blast would be worse than buying a Ninja 250 as far as her being happy with it for very long. EXTREMELY underpowered.. Harley single cylinder 500cc..
I don't recall which Buell I sat on, but I absolutely hated it because I could only lean it over and stand on one foot
After that, I didn't bother sitting on 'em anymore...just thought I'd say she may want to sit on one before signing up for this class...Edit: I would assume I sat on the taller ones...here are some specs I found on
Motorcycle Seat Height in Inches Motorcycle Model
25.5 2006 Buell Blast (low profile)
27.5 2006 Buell Blast
28.6 2006 Buell Lightning XB12Scg
30.1 2006 Buell Lightning XB12S
30.5 2006 Buell Firebolt XB9R
30.5 2006 Buell Firebolt XB12R
30.5 2006 Buell Lightning XB12Ss Long
31.4 2006 Buell Lightning CityX XB9SX
33.1 2006 Buell Ulysses XB12X
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not suggesting that they buy a blast but its heavy enough to get some real world riding....plus if you drop their bike they dont care...as long as you aren't being abusive and throwing it down
I understand. I just try to steer people away from Blasts, due to the lack of power, and the resale is a joke...
I don't recall which Buell I sat on, but I absolutely hated it because I could only lean it over and stand on one foot
You must have sat on a Lightning or one of the newer XB series Buells, they are pretty tall. I remember when I test rode the new 1125R I was struggling to get my feet down..
I don't recall which Buell I sat on, but I absolutely hated it because I could only lean it over and stand on one foot
always a good idea to go try sitting on them in a dealer first anyway. If she likes riding you'll want to continue her learning after the class so she doesn't loose any knowledge/skills she gets.
SKnight
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I'm 6'3" and on my 1125R I was on the balls of both feet. One foot was just right though.I understand. I just try to steer people away from Blasts, due to the lack of power, and the resale is a joke...
You must have sat on a Lightning or one of the newer XB series Buells, they are pretty tall. I remember when I test rode the new 1125R I was struggling to get my feet down..
The Blasts were always intended to be a small, light, extremely beginner friendly bike. One thing I'll give HD is the riders edge course. Same curriculum as the MSF course but spread over four days instead of three. To some that can make all the difference.
What you really need to instill in her is that she needs to learn how to ride the bike good enough so that she can ride without thinking about how to do it.
Until that point you're not safe on the street. If she's thinking, ok, shift, clutch, siganl, ect., that's no good.
She needs to be aware without being scared, yet assume everyone on the road is trying to hit her.
You know yourself that you're focus needs to be on your surroundings, not thinking about how to control the bike.
Most women that I've ever seen learning to ride get caught up in the fun of learning and riding itself(not being disrespectful or trying to stereotype). The only thing wrong about that is that their focus isn't on the car 100yards up the road that might open a door, run the light, or swerve into your lane.
Most women tend to learn by the book, as opposed to us, who tend to read instructions as a last resort
Ladies, I know there are plenty of guys out there riding bikes that have no business even sitting on one either.
You know her best. If you think she's aware enough or that you can make her that way she'll be fine on anything that she's comfortable driving.
I also know several small girls around 5' tall. They've all ridden 4 wheelers with manual clutches. None of them like the clutch because their hands tend to be so small, and the repeated clutch pull is difficult and becomes uncomfortable. That becomes more of a control issue on two wheels too.
Just something else to think about and maybe lean towards the Can Am Spyder.
Until that point you're not safe on the street. If she's thinking, ok, shift, clutch, siganl, ect., that's no good.
She needs to be aware without being scared, yet assume everyone on the road is trying to hit her.
You know yourself that you're focus needs to be on your surroundings, not thinking about how to control the bike.
Most women that I've ever seen learning to ride get caught up in the fun of learning and riding itself(not being disrespectful or trying to stereotype). The only thing wrong about that is that their focus isn't on the car 100yards up the road that might open a door, run the light, or swerve into your lane.
Most women tend to learn by the book, as opposed to us, who tend to read instructions as a last resort
Ladies, I know there are plenty of guys out there riding bikes that have no business even sitting on one either.
You know her best. If you think she's aware enough or that you can make her that way she'll be fine on anything that she's comfortable driving.
I also know several small girls around 5' tall. They've all ridden 4 wheelers with manual clutches. None of them like the clutch because their hands tend to be so small, and the repeated clutch pull is difficult and becomes uncomfortable. That becomes more of a control issue on two wheels too.
Just something else to think about and maybe lean towards the Can Am Spyder.
speedy21mb
Registered
I was the same way when my husband started riding. He started on a Harley his dad gave him which was nice and slow and had a very comfy seat for me on the back. I didn't mind it so much then. But then he wanted a Busa and I was dead set against it. A few months of arguing and a deal made (which was not followed through with, but that's a story for another day) and I agreed to let him buy the Busa. He got comfortable on it and talked me into riding on the back with him. I fell in love! I immediatly wanted to ride my own bike. So I took the course they give on base (I'm military) and got motorcycle on my license. I came home from work one day and they was a pretty little '09Ninja 250 wrapped up in blue ribbon sitting in the driveway! I was super excited. It was a great little learning bike (I'm 5'6, but I'm sure someone 5'2 could handle it). I rode it for about a year before taking over the Busa! 
SKnight
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Angela wanted me to teach her and I refused. However I did put mine up on the rear stand and let her get a feel for the controls, what they did, how it jerks putting it in gear, etc. That was the extent of my involvement before hand.I'll second the "don't let the husband teach you" route...my ex did the same and it was frustrating for both of us. It wasn't until I took the MSF class that I truly felt like I could learn on my own, and of course tons of seat time after that...
Her biggest problem is personal confidence. She's a great rider, has a very good sense of threat priority and assessment. We had a left turner split right between us, I guess he saw me but not her. She used the press press swerve the MSF teaches and shot right around his rear bumper like a pro. I nearly had a heart attack.
She just isn't convinced she can do this on her own. She'll follow me until the sun sets but won't ride to work seven miles away. She's going to retake the MSF this spring and I'm going to make her ride a lot this summer.
Any of the ladies here have suggestions for getting her confidence up? Besides blind miles that is? I took to riding like walking so I've never experienced thus don't understand what's going on in her head.
I hate to say it because it's not the answer most new riders want to hear, but the ONLY thing that will get her confidence up is SEAT TIME. I found that the rides I'd make that worried me the most were the ones where I returned realizing I'd just learned more about what my bike can do and what I'm capable of handling. It's the tiny things that would get in my mind - crossing over multiple lanes of traffic to get to our destination if we go *that* way, or having to stop on an incline, hold in the brake, clutch, not roll back or drop the bike on the hill when the light turns green. I can't tell you how many trips weighed heavy on my mind when I just started to ride, but I'd learn more with each trip. Once I started taking day long trips, experiencing every possible thing you can imagine, I realized just how comfy I was getting with the bike and that THAT is the only thing that helped gain confidence. Years later, I know I can take my bike anywhere...
I never could understand how most men just take to it, don't seem to have the learning curve. THAT was frustrating for me, as a woman, but I chalked it up to them having *some* prior experience (dirtbikes, mopeds, whatever) while I'd had NONE. I think that weighed on my mind when I first started riding more than anything else. Why do I struggle and he doesn't? I never figured that part out
Time riding is the best thing for her...seat time is the only thing that will help gain that confidence. It's the only way riders learn the dangers, how to avoid them, and start feeling comfy with the ride... :2cents:
SKnight
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Might be as simple as she doesn't have enough miles yet, she's comfortable doing those things following me but if I tell her to lead she vapor locks. We'll take care of that this summer.
Odd how things pop in your head. I think I may have stumbled on something, we were on a group ride and a buddy in front of me BLEW his entry into a corner, locked the rear and slid right into the front bumper of a truck. Everyone was fine, they walked away, even rode the bike a couple of miles to a gas station to park it until I could go get the crash truck. We went by as the crash was happening. Didn't seem to really dampen her spirit but she did talk about it a lot. That was about three years ago now, I may have to query her and see if that's weighing on the old mind.
Odd how things pop in your head. I think I may have stumbled on something, we were on a group ride and a buddy in front of me BLEW his entry into a corner, locked the rear and slid right into the front bumper of a truck. Everyone was fine, they walked away, even rode the bike a couple of miles to a gas station to park it until I could go get the crash truck. We went by as the crash was happening. Didn't seem to really dampen her spirit but she did talk about it a lot. That was about three years ago now, I may have to query her and see if that's weighing on the old mind.
I can tell you each and every time something happened to someone else or me on a ride, and how it bothered me. I know the first time I had to lock up on my brakes HARD because a cager in front of me didn't signal before braking hard and turning. I could see the 6-7 ft black mark my rear tire left for weeks and it ran through my mind every time I passed over it on my way to work. I recall the first time I stalled the Busa and how I freaked out a bit, not sure how to get it going again in that instant. Don't worry, I know now, but these are all things we have to learn, and you don't usually learn until you HAVE to LOL
I do think guys can shake most things off, but it's just our nature to worry about stuff more...just be patient with her because if she feels more stressed by you, it only makes it harder to feel at ease with riding.
SKnight
Registered
I do my best to be patient as possible with her, in fact I think she wants me to push her more. I take a "The horse will drink more if they walk to the water on their own instead of being led." approach to teaching. I can push you to learn something but if I show and then guide where necessary you'll learn more, it's worked great in other areas I've instructed in.
I don't know. One very good thing, I hooked back up with an old female friend that rides. I think her riding with another woman around will go miles.
I don't know. One very good thing, I hooked back up with an old female friend that rides. I think her riding with another woman around will go miles.
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