I think it's quite useful for experienced riders to give honest sensible opinions for the newer rider on their choice of bike, particularly teenagers. We have a friend who's sons girlfriend has just passed her test on a 125cc, she is 18. She is tiny, small frame and petite, shorter than me and im 5'2", there is nothing to her. She hasnt had much riding experience having only just done her cbt and course and they have got her to buy a triumph Daytona 600cc which they are having lowered and a restrictor kit fitted. These bikes are physically heavy and in my opinion I wouLd say it is to much for her. Our mate when I got the gixxer actually said to me it's a big bike it's to much for you to start with you should consider a 400cc. It's annoyed me somewhat as whilst I don't doubt her ability to ride I can see her causing herself some harm but through no major fault of her own just inexperience. Just think she should have started out on a 125 for now or even a 400 and learnt her road craft, other thing is both our mate and his son are all about speed and knee down, I actually don't like riding out with them and where possible avoid it as I think they are "stupid" and it's the innocent that can get hurt. I really feel for her as I think their influence is wrong and she is going to come a cropper?
Emm, sounds like you're just the sensible influence this lass needs. Why not suggest she goes out for a ride with you (and maybe even your other half) some time, rather than with her so-called mates who've talked her into buying the Triumph. That way, you'll get a sense of whether she's struggling with the bike or whether she can cope with it, without her feeling she's got something to prove in front of her boyfriend and his mates. When I decided (after 5 years on the 125 I bought to do my test) to get a bigger bike, I went to a local instructor who had a few 400s and took them out for a lesson/test ride with him. Being 5'2 1/2" with short legs, I wanted to be sure I could cope with a bigger bike before committing to buying one (especially having sat on a load of mainstream 600s e.g. Bandit. Hornet, Fazer, SV650 and found them just that bit too tall). I ended up buying a grey import 400 Bandit which suited me fine (though had endless electrical gremlins), which I kept until I got my Monster.
I would say you are right but then she is more likely blinded by the lights a peer pressure is a bitch....But you can be the role model that she needs. Hopefully it`l scare her slightly (the bike) to respect it and not try and keep up with her male riders. We`ve all been young and impressionable
If she can find a good one, a Honda CBR250R MC19 would be perfect. They are a right laugh and still good for 120mph.
Daytona will be too heavy ! Really riles me when people go out balls to the tank with a newbie due to their ego. I get it as well and it just jars me off. Not so funny when they pull her out of a ditch. When you have peers like that there's sod all you can do as usually the person your advising won't listen for fear of looking daft or upsetting them. Just drop her advise if she doesn't choose to follow it at least you spoke up. Grey import 400 ,s are brilliant bikes as often some of the jap bikes are smaller . I really love them!
Yup ........ This is the said girlfriend ........... Gonna struggle methinks ..... Smaller than emm tel!!!!!!
Oh gawd hope this isn't an accident waiting to happen. The SS is a heavy bike for me at my height and I usually asked for help moving her. Though eventually I leant her against my hip What worries me is not riding but stopping or emergencies that could be a top heavy bike. I won't be told mind if someone says I can't do it I will show them
I also hope her riding attire is better than her pic at least she will have better protection if she comes off. I guess emm all you can do is advise her and give her your experiences After that it's up to her
This is why I think that aprilia should look at putting the rrv 450 that Ian Newton developed in to a road going version. It would def fill a viod that is apparent
Holy shit shes tiny...dont they have to be able to touch the floor when doing their test as in feet flat to the floor. 400cc, would be better and more fun for her surely. or maybe a twist and go haha only joking. A 600cc would prob be a bit intimidating for her to begin with and that would only be a negative thing. But hey.......
She's tiny .. Madness putting her on a Daytona A small grey 400 would be perfect or smaller.. If she's goes over. I'm 5ft 1 I'm not tiny by any means I'm like a cart horse but when I owned some old 80s bikes if they went over they went over!!! Also not being rude but buy her some proper kit please before you even buy a bike that's mental what she's going out in Rule 1 look after your own .. If I was a bloke and my Gf turned up to ride in my bike in trainers and stuff like that .... She wouldn't be getting on the bike . Don't want to sound a boring old fart but make sure someone's safe ..
Realistically, a 400 is all the bike you will ever need. A pal of mine is about 5 foot nothing, and she has been running around on a 33hp SV400 Suzuki, which suits her down to the ground. Another mate's ex girlfriend bought a Honda NC24 after passing her test, and I took it out a while ago, and its great! OK, all us guys who both of them ride with occasionally have bigger bikes, but there's no shame in riding something smaller. If I'm honest, I prefer thrashing a small, low powered bike, to holding back a more powerful one. Good advice can be hard to listen to at times... At my flying club, the chief flying instructor and his girlfriend both bought GSXRs (a 750 and a 600) as soon as they passed their tests, and its not surprising that they both sold them about a year later and gave up biking, because neither of them got to grips with their bikes properly. I would have expected better judgement from both of them, and I told them that I thought that they should both get 400s. I learned when a 125 was all you could have, and even after passing my test, I had to keep my old CB100N for a couple of years due to being a skint student, and could only afford something quicker after about 4 years, so I was more than ready for a step up!
I have to ask, is the bike really for her or in fact is it `for her, for him` to have a chic on a 600cc bike. Lets face it, its a nice looking bike and if I was 18 again and that was my first bike Id be the envy of my mates but if my 18 yr misses was riding around with me on that...well that puts me at the top of the `im a right lad me` listings around town. I could be wrong but if she was my GF and she was getting a bike id want her to get a 400cc, from personal experience just like everyone else here, 400cc are great fun and perfect to start off on. I went out and kitted an ex in full leathers boots gloves helmet, out of my pocket and all as good as what I would buy myself cos I wanted to keep her safe as poss on the back of my bike. So the choice of bike and lack of kit just seems to add up to an image thing rather than a desire to ride bikes. We all done it but it only takes that one time to change your out look....just for some they dont get the chance to do it again.
She's likely to be fine if she's got half an ounce of sense about her. The Daytona is a fine-handling bike and no heavier than the 400s, and while it's pretty powerful you have to rev it to the moon in order to find the power, not something she's likely to do for a while yet. As long as it can be lowered enough for her to manhandle it around she shouldn't have any problem with it. The company she keeps while on the bike is a different prospect, though. If her fella's gonna go tearing off into the distance every time she's with him then he's putting her under pressure and in danger. And someone needs to make him aware of that. Just speak to him directly on the subject, that way the message can't be misconstrued. Better to risk upsetting him than regret not saying anything after the event.
Duke, you're an instructor, no?, time to step up and talk to your mate, his son, and that tiny slip of a girl, I have an awful feeling that otherwise this is gonna end badly.
I have .... both son and dad are adamant that this is the way forward ...... good job im ambulance trained too ...as for kit she's got it all now
I know that feeling very well trying to talk sense to youth. My boy thinks I know fook all and he knows best. Mind you sort of reminds me what I was like. God knows how I manage to get away with such few beatings ;-)
