08-29-2013, 07:26 AM
Smaller bikes are much easier to handle, easier to recover from mistakes (the toe dab maneuver) and tend to cost less to repair if dropped. (there is a reason why they use the bikes they do for the safety courses). Get a bike that is too heavy or cumbersome and she won't like riding. Get a bike that is easy to ride and she may like it and want to move up. If she does, you can flip a used 250cc bike for what you paid for it. Shop around and you can probably even make some $ since a used 250cc with 34000 miles is worth the same as one with 39000 miles and it won't take anywhere near 5000 miles before she will know if she likes it. Plus she is more likely to know what she wants in a bike after having ridden one awhile. So I vote used 250 knowing if she likes it, you may be out a couple of hundred, if not, you may be out a couple of hundred. But what the heck do I know, my wife won't get near my bike.