View Full Version : What first "big" bike would you buy for your girlfriend?
My Girlfriend has ridden for a year now every day on her CG125. In october she tuns 24 and will do her DAS. She cannot wait to get a bigger bike, and I am going to buy her a bike for her birthday as a surprise.
I have watched her for the last year learning really fast on her 125, and I would really like to get her something light and nimble so she continues to learn really fast. I moved from a 250 to my SV and I really think it took over a year to adjust to the size and power of the bike before I started getting really confident with it. And I only rode a 125 for my lessons and test.
It would really be just for the winter/spring as she has her eyes set on a Monster 600 in the not too distant future. So I'm really looking to get her a good 'stepping stone'. But at the same time I know a bit about SVs now, I have a shed full of spare parts, and a nice curvy can be found in my budget. Budget is around but ideally less than £1000. She is a strong athletic girl, with very good road sense so far so i think she could deal with it.
What are your thoughts? I will consider any bike but enduro/supermoto bikes might not be ideal due to seat height.
Here are some I have considered:
IL4 400 SS, in particular CBR400 NC29 but they are a bit long in the tooth and the ones in budget look ropey
Blandit 600 Bottom of the list, its just its cheap.
Blandit 400 Benefit, its smaller and lighter i guess but parts harder to find maybe as i think they are all grey imports
A Curvy. It could make sense as I have a stack of spare parts including upgraded forks, freshly rebuilt front calipers with new pads and engine parts in the shed.
A GS500/CB500 but I have never really liked them(or ridden them), and I would like get her a slightly 'cooler' bike if I can.
Oooh this is nice
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1991-Honda-XLR250-XR250-enduro-bike-four-stroke-thumper-fully-road-legal-/321150704601?pt=UK_Motorcycles&hash=item4ac612dbd9
well its an SV forum so i would suggest the SV.
as long as your other half is confident on it that's all that matters, the SV is narrow, light and has a fair bit of torque. the only thing she might not like is the 'snatchy' throttle but this will teach her better throttle control in the long run.
better that she can flat foot first to get used to bigger bikes and the difference in the weight so a lower seat hight might be better rather than a moto.
bikes only go as fast as their riders let them.
good luck :-)
Rather than the Monster M600 how about a naked Curvy. E bay classified prices seem a little high at the moment because its the middle of the summer but buying in October would be different.
Buy the bike she wants though.
This could be cheap:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SUZUKI-SV650-2000-W-reg-GREY-/290941097350?pt=UK_Motorcycles&hash=item43bd70d586
squirrel_hunter
06-07-13, 01:04 PM
I would recommend the CBR400 either the NC29 or the NC23. You can find them in that price range, yes there may be a few that have some dodgy paint work on them but they are very reliable and capable bikes. Find one with good tyres and a chain and preferably with a replaced exhaust system as the originals do rot through. Then do a brake refresh and fork oil refresh, then set the rear suspension up. Fresh engine oil and coolant, plus plugs and air filter should see you with a very good bike at the end of a days work.
It is a very different bike to ride from a 125, but its the right move. I think going to a 600 and above is a little to much to move into at that step. The CBR has great brakes and good handling. They are also low and light sporty but not an all out sports bike. Ride that around for a bit then when she is ready move to the 600+.
That's basically what I did, but with a couple of restrictions and derestriction's over the years.
I would recommend the CBR400 either the NC29 or the NC23. You can find them in that price range, yes there may be a few that have some dodgy paint work on them but they are very reliable and capable bikes. Find one with good tyres and a chain and preferably with a replaced exhaust system as the originals do rot through. Then do a brake refresh and fork oil refresh, then set the rear suspension up. Fresh engine oil and coolant, plus plugs and air filter should see you with a very good bike at the end of a days work.
It is a very different bike to ride from a 125, but its the right move. I think going to a 600 and above is a little to much to move into at that step. The CBR has great brakes and good handling. They are also low and light sporty but not an all out sports bike. Ride that around for a bit then when she is ready move to the 600+.
That's basically what I did, but with a couple of restrictions and derestriction's over the years.
When I decided to buy her a bike, within a couple of days it was settled, it would be a CBR400. But then i got to looking at other options and got more and more unsure on what to get.
I think the CBR400 is the best bike if I can find a good one. She wants something sporty and this is the only one so far that ticks all boxes. I was just put off by the age of them.... It needs to be reliable, she will use it all winter every day to go to work. We don't own a car.
Rather than the Monster M600 how about a naked Curvy. E bay classified prices seem a little high at the moment because its the middle of the summer but buying in October would be different.
Buy the bike she wants though.
This could be cheap:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SUZUKI-SV650-2000-W-reg-GREY-/290941097350?pt=UK_Motorcycles&hash=item43bd70d586
I saw that the other day and thought if that stays cheap it would make a killing if you break it with all the N parts.
Unfortunately she seems to be in the Monster club and not the SV family, but she has never ridden either so that may change her mind. She has ridden a Gladius for Mod 1 training and thoroughly enjoyed it.
And if she did get an SV well the next step would probably be a bigger/better monster.
well its an SV forum so i would suggest the SV.
as long as your other half is confident on it that's all that matters, the SV is narrow, light and has a fair bit of torque. the only thing she might not like is the 'snatchy' throttle but this will teach her better throttle control in the long run.
better that she can flat foot first to get used to bigger bikes and the difference in the weight so a lower seat hight might be better rather than a moto.
bikes only go as fast as their riders let them.
good luck :-)
I don't think its a bad choice, I'm just not sure its the best one.
TheRuffellator
06-07-13, 02:37 PM
The Jap 400's are cracking bikes, obviously you know I had an nc25, ridden the CBR400 and RVF400. They're really light and quite quick for what they are. But not too quick or too much power for a learner.
Unfortunately she seems to be in the Monster club and not the SV family, but she has never ridden either so that may change her mind. She has ridden a Gladius for Mod 1 training and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Ok, then buy her a Monster M600. They only produce 53hp so hardly earth shattering, but it's her bike not yours so do buy what she fancies, girls are fickle like that they want to have a say in things not be ruled. That Emily Pankhurst has a lot to answer for.
Pete
I'd discount the bandit on weight having owned one.
The 400s are tricky. Good bikes but the youngest of them are now 10 years old and many are more like 25. That's a lot of potential for bad bits of history and ham-fisted owners. Choose carefully and you'll get a gem, grab the first you see and you may be un-picking bodges for ages.
Jambo
Sent from my thingie
Phoenix22
06-07-13, 03:35 PM
I would say the naked SV. My GF passed last year. We got her a ZRX400 but she couldn't get on with it, just too revvy. Replaced that with the SV & she loves it. Same insurance too. In a lot of respects I rekon a bigger bike is actually easier to ride.
if she is going to be riding all winter then get a naked SV and some engine bars. i would then tell her it's for getting used to a bigger bike and not permanent.
better dropping something with no plastic than smashing up something with then having to turn it into a street fighter. if she is scared to drop it she will make mistakes to try and rescue a situation rather than just dropping it. it's amazing the damage you can do to yourself even just trying to stop a bike falling over.
squirrel_hunter
06-07-13, 08:08 PM
Or a CB-1 with engine bars?
The CB-1 is the naked CBR400. Bit rarer then your average CBR400 and having never ridden one I can't be sure but I understand it is very similar to the CBR400, just slightly less sporty.
yorkie_chris
06-07-13, 09:02 PM
The monster 600 were called the wheezing wop for a reason. The electrics are also terrible and the parts not available.
The 400s will be a pain in the tits to find parts for and are more suited for a young lad to ride who's all p*ss and vinegar and will not hesitate about the clockwise end of the rev counter. Fun for that though.
Get an SV.
Cheap to buy, easy to fix, you've got the parts and experience, easy and cheap to insure, decent enough all rounder.
I don't see the alternatives do anything better than an SV, but quite a few things worse.
andrewsmith
06-07-13, 09:19 PM
Or a CB-1 with engine bars?
The CB-1 is the naked CBR400. Bit rarer then your average CBR400 and having never ridden one I can't be sure but I understand it is very similar to the CBR400, just slightly less sporty.
The superfour was a NC21 in a twin shock chassis, really good bikes TBH, they went out of the european market in 2003/4 with a V-TEC motor (expect about a £2k price tag). Friend had one, naked position crippled her.
TBH discount the 400's due to age, unless your a good mechanic (or have a very good tame one)
I'd say a SV with the bungs or the bars on.
A little bit lighter CB500. TBH look for bikes that are light and cheap to repair, as it will be dropped at some point
Another vote for an SV here. It was my first bike full stop, not just first big bike.
Cant fault it.
It drops well (should such an incident occur, of course we hope it wont!), cheap to fix, run and insure.
I've learnt such a lot on mine and it's never let me down.
Get her an SV.
Another plus for the SV is she rode a Gladius in training and really liked it and gelled with it. Her only complaint was it was too low after her CG but the bike had been lowered for shorter learners. She was best in the class according to her with the others wobbling around on their 125s.
The SV is the better bike for me. I'll be servicing whatever we get and any needed repairs so it makes sense to have two of the same bikes. Just to be able to swap parts to trace problems would be useful.
I looked at the CB-1 but it just seems too rare.
Thanks for all the input :)
squirrel_hunter
06-07-13, 11:32 PM
The 400s will be a pain in the tits to find parts for and are more suited for a young lad to ride who's all p*ss and vinegar and will not hesitate about the clockwise end of the rev counter. Fun for that though.
I've never had problems getting parts for my NC23. The only 400 that are a problem are the rarer ones which the CBR is not. The other problem is that for some of these bikes parts are no longer supported due to age so brand new panels and a few other big bits aren't going to happen though I think the VFR suffers from this more. And just think first gen SV's will start to have this at some point...
dizzyblonde
07-07-13, 07:11 AM
Get what she wants, not what you think she should have.
It's a bit rubbish to think a female might prefer a 'stepping stone' to a bigger bike and that a 600 or 650 may be too much. Never assume it will get dropped either, occassionally us ladies use our braincells and rarely do anything men assume we will do.
I said many moons ago, I'd be happy with a 500, jumped on an SV, then bought one.
I've never needed a stepping stone bike.
Has she expressed she'd prefer this option? If so, fair enough, if not....... Ask her what she wants.
The Older Monsters are going to take some dedicated looking after.
And running it through a winter with salt,rain etc.:|
The newer ones are better a hoot to ride thats true:-)
Get what she wants, not what you think she should have.
It's a bit rubbish to think a female might prefer a 'stepping stone' to a bigger bike and that a 600 or 650 may be too much. Never assume it will get dropped either, occassionally us ladies use our braincells and rarely do anything men assume we will do.
I said many moons ago, I'd be happy with a 500, jumped on an SV, then bought one.
I've never needed a stepping stone bike.
Has she expressed she'd prefer this option? If so, fair enough, if not....... Ask her what she wants.
This is the second post in this vein....
I am not trying to dictate to her or steer her in really any direction or anything. She is her own person.
ON THE OTHER HAND: If my dad had bought me a bike i didn't quite want as a SURPRISE, to use for the winter before I went out and bought the shiny bike I have my eyes set on (and could put my unwanted present towards it) I would have been the happiest kid around.
I'm looking at it like that. This bike is to learn some shizz and get some skilz.
I wanted a stepping stone bike, I didn't get one. I have spoken to her about this a lot and I'm sure she is happy to go either way.
And about dropping it... Well what-ever. Some guys never drop their first big bikes, the majority do, some girls never drop their first bike bikes, the majority do. Just because shes a girl doesn't make it any different.
If you met her you would see she gets her own way anyway :p
dizzyblonde
07-07-13, 10:13 AM
Oh, don't get me wrong, understand where you are coming from...
I got bought an srx600 as a surprise present when I passed my DAS....I learnt to ride one beforehand
Most dumbass thing my ex bought me without consultation..... He never thought about having to jump off the top board of a swimming pool to kickstart the thing :lol:... He always started it for me when I was learning
So I bought his SV off him instead.
As all women....they get their own way ;)
squirrel_hunter
07-07-13, 11:05 AM
It's a bit rubbish to think a female might prefer a 'stepping stone' to a bigger bike and that a 600 or 650 may be too much.
I should also clarify here that I don't think female riders need a stepping stone from a 125 to a 600. I think all riders do. Its all about learning different things on different bikes.
Biker Biggles
07-07-13, 11:21 AM
I wouldnt buy her a bike as a suprise.Get her involved in the decision or it wont work.We all know she needs an SV650,but she needs to make that choice herself.
I wouldnt buy her a bike as a suprise.Get her involved in the decision or it wont work.We all know she needs an SV650,but she needs to make that choice herself.
I know what you mean but fortunately she is at a stage where she just wants anything more powerful than her CG125. And as it would be just for a few months its not so much of a problem. She will ride it anyway and learn and change it when she can for a more long term bike.
I have just spent 6 months riding a bike I hate that has been lent to me while my SV is out of action. Its actually a 125, but I have learned so much anyway.
I'm going to try and take her to see bikes with the cover of 'you need to see different bikes and sit on them to see what you might like to buy' and at the same time kick tyres and see whats on the market.
Any wild cards? Something a bit different you might recommend?
At the moment I'm leaning towards a good CBR400 and if there are none then an SV.
Ive got a cb500 restricted and its a pretty good bike tbf. Plenty to be had for 800+...and im seling mine in august/september time... ;)
_Stretchie_
08-07-13, 12:09 PM
I think you should just go window shopping with her and find out what she would like.
GruntyGiggles was looking at a 400cc when she passed (due to physical size and weight of them) so I bought her a CBR400RR (Cos I liked em :) ) Fantastic bike but within a month we were looking around at 600's and got her a 600 Ninja G2 I think.
It was much taller and wider than the CBR but she could get her toes down and hold the bike upright and she was much happier on that than on the CBR.
missyburd
08-07-13, 06:36 PM
I would say the naked SV. Replaced that with the SV & she loves it. Same insurance too. In a lot of respects I rekon a bigger bike is actually easier to ride.
+1. I had my 125 for a year, loved it but was more than ready for something more by the time I came to do my test. Got a curvy S which then got converted to a nekkid then immediately had a 2 month stint away from my new purchase (torture!)...Came back and had 3 weeks to become acquainted with the SV before taking it up to Scotland on the motorway for the first time. And it was amazing. I had that time all to myself to learn about my new bike, best thing I could have done and I've been back a few times on it since.
Asking which first big bike to get for someone is always going to get a biased viewpoint on here but I'm just telling ya how I did it and it worked for me. It's a weird concept getting a bike bought as a surprise but as you say Serdna, I'm sure she'd be over the moon enough to at least try it out and see how she gels with whatever you end up as your choice for her :)
if she is going to be riding all winter then get a naked SV and some decent crash bungs. i would then tell her it's for getting used to a bigger bike and not permanent.
Edited. Then she won't be afraid to drop it because the Motosliders are fantastic at what they're designed for. This coming from someone with much experience of dropping in different and annoying situations :lol:
better dropping something with no plastic than smashing up something with then having to turn it into a street fighter. if she is scared to drop it she will make mistakes to try and rescue a situation rather than just dropping it. it's amazing the damage you can do to yourself even just trying to stop a bike falling over.
Exactly the thought that when through my head, see previous quote :)
Serdna, how tall is your lass, is she likely to struggle with the height of an SV?
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