So I mention that if I have to cross the bridge between the Eastside and Seattle that I would consider riding a motorcycle so I could take advantage of the carpool lanes. My husband just laughed. My boss looked at me and asked with one eyebrow raised, “You?”. What the hell? Why is everyone laughing?
I’m a woman, 125lbs.
I can’t “handle” a bike, they say…What does that mean? I am freakishly strong. I have very good balance…
I was told I’m not aggressive enough a driver. Um, hello, I grew up in NYC, I know aggressive.
“Just not you” they say. OK, I am a princess. I know that. But I am also extremely strong willed and having more than one man tell me that this is a bad idea and dismissing! me is only making me more adament…Help~!
All I want is to be able to use a carpool lane. I’m not going cross-country.
Please tell me why I should/shouldn’t get a bike.
Recommend me bikes. Tell me what I need to know.
Get a bike you can handle. A sportster (AKA Girl’s harley) should do the trick. Practice and get used to it around the neighborhood and around town not during rush hour. Remember, the other drivers don’t see you and they don’t really regard you as a viable vehicle on the road especially during rush hour.
The rule is, if you can’t pick it up, you can’t ride it.
You outweigh me, and I can pick up most bikes. (I’d say all, but that would be guessing.)I’m sure if you head down to Burt’s House O’ Bikes for a lesson, you’ll find that you can easily ride anything they’ve got.
Good luck and remember this: motorcycles are COMPLETELY INVISIBLE to people driving cars and trucks.
I have to admit I never understood that . If a motorcycle needs picking up, something untoward has happened - asking for a hand in an emergency never struck me as something to be ashamed of. Enrolling a helping hand might be easier on you (and quite possibly the bike) than trying to shift 4-500 pounds yourself. (Don’t get me wrong, I’m firmly for people having the ability to safely get their ride back up to vertical if needed - I just never saw it as an ironclad rule.)
That was a hijack, sorry: sj2, of course you can get and ride a motorcycle. As for you not being able to “handle” a bike, well, bollocks. It’s a matter of skill, not of brute force.
Going by your weight you’re probably not very tall, and sadly motorcycles with low seat height can be hard to find, depending on what sort of style you’re looking for. Generally speaking, cruisers (Harley-style bikes) have the lowest seats.
This link: http://www.motorcycle-madness.com/stories/2000/firstbike/story5.htm lists 12 bikes of different genres in the 250-600 cc range and with a seatheight of less than 30 inches. Standard advice - as given to me when I started - is to buy 2ndhand Japanese for a first bike, build skills and appreciation of what you 're really looking for in a bike, then upgrade.
I’ll respectfully disagree with MajorTom’s recommendation of a Sportster as a first bike - I found it to be heavy, unresponsive and frankly, uninspiring. Then again, I’m more into the sportstouring side of things. (Currently, I’m riding a Honda Interceptor 2002. Great bike, but probably not one to start out on.)
Oh, and by all means take the MSF course, buy & wear proper protective gear and be damn careful. It’s as fun as it is dangerous…
My wife is smaller than you, 4’ 11", around 115, and she rides an 883 Hugger (Sportster) and does quite well with it. It’s her first bike, and not really one that I’d recommend for a beginner, but I got a good deal on it, and she looks damn good on it. Definitely take the riders course, the one she took really taught her a lot. And be safe.
My ex-g/f was (and probably still is) 5’1" and 100 pounds. She rode a Yamaha Seca II. The only complaint she had was that to hold it upright when stopped she had to use her tip-toes. She could have gotten a custom seat. (Or she could lean it a little and support it on one foot.)
(Currently, I’m riding a Honda Interceptor 2002. Great bike, but probably not one to start out on.)