Looking to buy an older beginner bike for the wife!

[silascopathic_imp]

Hey friends!

I have signed my wife up for the motorcycle training class (she wants her own woohoo!!)

I want to get her a beginner bike that she won't outgrow instantly. I'm thinking like a 500 or a 750. I would love to find a nice CB or CX for her. I want to keep it retro style. No crotch rockets or cruisers. craigslist is a bust and dealerships wont sell bikes that old.

I am thinking a bike from the 80's in good shape.

Do anyone you know a resource that either has what I am looking for or can help me locate what I am looking for?


Thanks!

[CIP57_imp]

Try cycletrader.com it gives you the option to look for a certain model and years of bikes. Its a good starting point.

[HikerToo_imp]

Before I was married , I had a girl friend who went from riding as a passenger, to getting her own, I missed her on the back :-)

[rboe]

Any of the 250's (Suzuki TU-250, CBR-250 etc.) are excellent beginner bikes.

[Jim21680_imp]

If you must have a bike from the 80s, I would think any of the old UJM's would be good...but is going that far back really necessary? Finding the right bike from that age might be tricky (most are probably barely road-worthy beaters, or something much nicer that's had some level of restoration done to it, which could make it just too darn nice or expensive to use as a first bike).

I bet you can find an early naked SV-650 around somewhere...perhaps a 2003-up fuel-injected version. They're really great bikes, easy to manage, but nothing she'll ever get bored with. If that's not your thing, maybe a Honda Nighthawk, etc.

[Buffalohead_imp]

Any of the 250's (Suzuki TU-250, CBR-250 etc.) are excellent beginner bikes.

I have a Suzuki TU250X. It's a great bike. It would be perfect for a beginner.

[silascopathic_imp]

great thoughts thus far everyone! thanks so far I am thinking

883 sporty
SV650
Suzuki TU250X ( but I'm afraid she will out grow it quickly )

[Jim21680_imp]

Good stuff, but sorry to misread your original question....you're looking for ideas on where to buy a bike, not choosing the right bike.

Well, you already know about the main resources; ebay, craigslist, and cycletrader. The only other things I could suggest is to ask the motorcycle school she'll be attending. If she likes what she rode there, they often sell the trainer bikes every few years (usually for dirt cheap). Contrary to what you might think, most of these bikes have led pretty easy lives - they'll have spent most of it in a parking lot.

Also, if you can decide on the specific kind of bike you want, find the forum that those folks use, and post an inquiry about any bikes for sale (and search for a "for sale" thread while you're at it). You're almost guaranteed to find something, eventually.

Anyway, good luck with it. I've always thought that shopping for a motorcycle is almost as much fun as riding one. There's just sooooo many choices out there!

[silascopathic_imp]

good thoughts about the forum idea! i think i will try that too

[rboe]

With luck she will out grow the bike, but I think that is the idea. You start out small so you are not intimidated by the bike. There is so much else going on, trying to handle a bike that is too big for the early stages of learning may just turn the learner off the the whole thing.

We used to start out with 125's then move up through 360's, 450's etc. Usually peaked out at 750's. Seems counter productive to start out with 750's or bigger. Some folks CAN start out with a big bike but I think they are the exception.