Wife motorbike

[etbadger]

This is also a hunt we are on. Amy is currently on a lowered Ninja 250 (2" down front and back lets her touch tip-toes in riding boots), but something better for dirt roads would be good. The bikes she has tried and fit for that have unfortunately been too far down on power for keeping up on the highway however, even compared to the baby Ninja.

It seems no one builds real bikes for the sub 5' set.

-e

 

[trailsurfer]

Just bought my wife a Ural patrol. She is only 5 feet and 95 pounds, but she can ride the Ural with ease. It is a great option for small people.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

In a similar boat and the TW is looking like a promising winner. I picked up a Kawasaki KE100 for my wifes first bike a couple years ago now. Perfect trainer bike in every aspect but she quickly out grew it. I'll have to have her look at some of the other bikes you've listed as well.

 

[cocco78]

Its not an expo bike, but I just got my wife into bikes and just picked up this Honda XR100r a couple weeks ago for her. She never road a bike in her life so jumping into a real bike would have been pointless at this point. Its an 2003 that was like new, got it for $650. She is also short at 5'1" and I needed to find a bike that wouldn't scare her but still something that she could actually trail ride. On the first day she drove around the yard for most of the afternoon. Day 2 was a slow 40 mile ride. Day 3 and 4 was rest because she was to sore to move... And now she is hooked!

I tell you what, this little thing sure rips around, I can even goose a wheelie out of it pretty easy. It has a super low first gear which is great for rock crawling or rough atv trails. Hopefully after riding this summer she will want to upgrade to a small dual sport, Honda makes a nice 230cc i think or a 200... can't remember but she fit on it nice...

Oh my ride is a 2004 XR250R that I'm going to be doing a ds conversion and some light expo upgrades to this winter.

 

[CoastalDefender]

Looks like Kawa dropped their Sherpa.

Kawasaki KLX 250 S
Suzuki DR200SE
Honda CRF230L

Now it's up to these three.

Kawa- $5k MSRP, Water Cooled, 249cc thumper, 297 lbs, ??? mpg
Zuk- $4200 MSRP, Air Cooled, 199cc thumper, 278 lbs, 105mpg
Honda- $5k MSRP, Air Cooled, 223cc thumper, 267lbs, 93mpg

 

[dirtysouth]

Looks like Kawa dropped their Sherpa.

Kawasaki KLX 250 S
Suzuki DR200SE
Honda CRF230L

Now it's up to these three.

Kawa- $5k MSRP, Water Cooled, 249cc thumper, 297 lbs, ??? mpg
Zuk- $4200 MSRP, Air Cooled, 199cc thumper, 278 lbs, 105mpg
Honda- $5k MSRP, Air Cooled, 223cc thumper, 267lbs, 93mpg

First bike, don't make the mistake of buying a brand new bike, especially a dualsport as it will be laying on it's side for sure. There was a super clean XT225 that just sold on ADV for $1k in Denver. The KLX250s has the same seat height as a Buell Ulysses (35"), so even though the bikes may seem similar, there are still big differences in the bikes.

 

[CoastalDefender]

First bike, don't make the mistake of buying a brand new bike, especially a dualsport as it will be laying on it's side for sure. There was a super clean XT225 that just sold on ADV for $1k in Denver. The KLX250s has the same seat height as a Buell Ulysses (35"), so even though the bikes may seem similar, there are still big differences in the bikes.

Been researching all day, we're down to the DR200SE, and any remaining Sherpas on the showroom floor.


This bike has just expanded it's use a bit. We're going to be using it on our trailer when we camp next year. Grocery getter and campsite runabout. Also, I am going to be using it for quick explorations in the local area that I don't want to take my big DL650 out in. That beast is proving powerful and reliable, but not as nimble as I would like in the more technical trails out here.

 

[dirtysouth]

Been researching all day, we're down to the DR200SE, and any remaining Sherpas on the showroom floor.


This bike has just expanded it's use a bit. We're going to be using it on our trailer when we camp next year. Grocery getter and campsite runabout. Also, I am going to be using it for quick explorations in the local area that I don't want to take my big DL650 out in. That beast is proving powerful and reliable, but not as nimble as I would like in the more technical trails out here.

Great choice. There's always the option of "moving up" if your wife ever decides to. The smaller bikes seem to hold their value more so than the bigger bikes also. In the meantime, here's plenty of reading for you.

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=229927

 

[CoastalDefender]

Great choice. There's always the option of "moving up" if your wife ever decides to. The smaller bikes seem to hold their value more so than the bigger bikes also. In the meantime, here's plenty of reading for you.

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=229927

Thanks for the link!

I sat on one today... OMFG, next to my DL650, it felt like a toy..

That means it will be great for our intended use. I was also able to sit on the Honda 230 and KLX 250... The DR wins for our use.

I'm in the process of dealers doing pricing for me at the moment. :victory:

 

[CoastalDefender]

Got a 2007 Suzuki DR200SE today...

MSF bike, so it was sold to me as New and carry's Suzuki's factory warranty, OTD at more than $1k less than current-year MSRP...

Pics-

 

[HenryJ]

The new Clarke tank arrived for the TW200 today:

The increased range will be nice.

My wife had her first riding lesson last night. So far so good.

 

[CoastalDefender]

Newest version. After a tip over involving a rock and the fuel tank, we come to this...

:bike_rider:

 

[Wander]

I like the OD green!