Duffer
Active Member
Just went through this very thing this year with my wife. In July , she decided being a passenger was just not going to cut it any more. She, like you, had never ridden a motorcycle by herself, but did have experience on snowmobiles and did know how to drive a stick shift, so understood the workings of a clutch and manual trans.
The MSF riders course not only taught her the basics of safety and handling but, was a huge confidence builder.
So with endorsement in hand it was off to the local HD dealer. She was not comfortable with the idea of riding on the street yet so she did not test driver any bikes, but she sat on all of them and got a feel for what fit her. To her, the biggest thing was being able to sit flat- footed and reach the bars and controls comfortably. Like many, she was intimidated by the over all bulk and weight of the Big Twins so we ended up with a 1200 Low Sporty. She then spent the next couple of weekends, and a few days in between, in a large parking lot practicing everything from slow tight turns to high speed quick stops until she was confident in her ability to handle the bike out in traffic.
Once out on the road she learned the truth (for her anyway) about Sportsters. They ride very rough and no matter how fast you go they always want to go faster! She said, “It’s like a motorcycle with ADHD.” LOL
Fortunately, when we bought the bike HD was running a promo were if you traded in the Sporty for a BigTwin with in a year you got back what you paid. So, about one month after buying it, it was bye- bye Sporty and hello Dyna Lowrider. I guess you could say Harley loaned her a bike to learn on (thanks HD). The point of all this rambling, if there is one, is she very quickly got over being intimidated by the size and weight of the bigger bikes and she now says the Dyna is way easier to ride than the Sporty.
In the end, you have to do what is right for you and do it your way.
Good luck and welcome to the family
The MSF riders course not only taught her the basics of safety and handling but, was a huge confidence builder.
So with endorsement in hand it was off to the local HD dealer. She was not comfortable with the idea of riding on the street yet so she did not test driver any bikes, but she sat on all of them and got a feel for what fit her. To her, the biggest thing was being able to sit flat- footed and reach the bars and controls comfortably. Like many, she was intimidated by the over all bulk and weight of the Big Twins so we ended up with a 1200 Low Sporty. She then spent the next couple of weekends, and a few days in between, in a large parking lot practicing everything from slow tight turns to high speed quick stops until she was confident in her ability to handle the bike out in traffic.
Once out on the road she learned the truth (for her anyway) about Sportsters. They ride very rough and no matter how fast you go they always want to go faster! She said, “It’s like a motorcycle with ADHD.” LOL
Fortunately, when we bought the bike HD was running a promo were if you traded in the Sporty for a BigTwin with in a year you got back what you paid. So, about one month after buying it, it was bye- bye Sporty and hello Dyna Lowrider. I guess you could say Harley loaned her a bike to learn on (thanks HD). The point of all this rambling, if there is one, is she very quickly got over being intimidated by the size and weight of the bigger bikes and she now says the Dyna is way easier to ride than the Sporty.
In the end, you have to do what is right for you and do it your way.
Good luck and welcome to the family
