Help with 06 S50 choice

[rodknee]

After riding on the back ov my VRod all summer, my DW informed me she wants her own bike! I want to find the best bike that fits her small frame (5'4" - #120). She sat on an S50 at our local dealer and it seems to fit but maybe a little to heavy? I think she could quickly grow into it as her skills improve but concerned with safety.

Questions:
Is this a good bike to begin on?
Is it easy to handle? (my VRod is bad at crawl speeds)
Do they hold up well?

This would be our first Suzzi - Are they built well?
Have any of you have good or bad incedents?

thanks in advance, LJ

[RampageRider]

My wife was in the same boat from the sound of it, she decided to ride the Rebel 250 instead of the S50, for a year or two and then move up to a larger bike. Does she have any riding experiance to start on the S50, or does she need to take a class etc.......... just some question to ask your self.

[Scott58]

I have both the Rebel and the S50. i recommend the Rebel. The S50 is about 130 lbs heavier and alot more powerful. The rebel will also be more forgiving in about every situation. The Rebel can do just about everything the S50 can do except go fast and carry more weight. It's also more econonical. She'll get more confidence quicker on the rebel. The S50 is a great 2nd bike after the Rebel.

[Kehau D.]

I'm a half foot shorter than your wife and and just a few pounds heavier than your wife and I ride an '05 S50. I've been riding since April and it is my first bike, having never ridden before Spring of last year when I took the BRC. It was a bit of a heavy bike for me in the beginning and I did build up to it but it didn't take long or much for me as I'm a pretty athletic build to begin with. I don't know about your wife but if she's of small frame, perhaps you might want to start her out on something smaller and lighter, perhaps the S40 or even, as someone suggested, the 250 Rebel. Honda has an even smaller bike, the 125 Eliminator. The S50 handles real well for me however, I do wish it weighed more whenever hubby and I get out on the highway. Hubby's Honda PC800 accelerates faster than me in the lower gears but at the higher gears, his bikes lags whereas mine has very nice pickup. I really go to know my bike better when I used it to take the ERC this past summer. As for holding up well, I feel that as long as you keep up with the scheduled maintenance, pretty much any bike will last you for as long as you need it to...at least that's how it's always been with the bikes in hubby's family. Good luck!

Aloha,
Kehau

[S83]

Look at an S40.

[DrBob]

The S50 is a good bike, super reliable. It has been in production for nearly 20 years with few changes (the most notable being the name change from Intruder 800) and I put 132,000 on my 96 with no problems. My current Intruder 800 racked up 40,000+ miles in the first 12 months, needing only tires and oil changes.

They are more faster and more powerful than most 1100 and even many 1300, 1400, and 1500cc bikes, so an S50 can be a handful if you don't know how to ride. I am with the other guys: get her a used 250 Rebel or 600 VLX to learn on for $500-1500. Let her ride for 3-12 months, then sell the little bike to the next beginner and get her the S50. As long as you resist the urge to spend money on accessories for the beginner bike you should be able to get your money back on it. Heck, there is a 250 Rebal that has been going around my riding club for a couple years now: a guy will buy it for his wife to learn on for $800, and three months later he sells it to the next guy's wife for the same $800. I bet 6 woman have learned to ride on that bike, and other than the tag it didn't cost their husbands a dime.

[MagnumForce]

Originally Posted by Kehau D.

Honda has an even smaller bike, the 125 Eliminator.

The 125 Eliminator is a Kawasaki bike.

Nevertheless, if your wife has no prior riding experience, I echo previous suggestions for the Honda Rebel and the MSF BRC. Buy used, put in as many miles as possible within one year, then sell it or trade up for the bike she wants. I must stress again that it is not months or years, but miles that measure the amount of experience one has in riding. Good luck and may your wife enjoy every minute and every mile of her riding experience.

[jkulysses]

If I remember right the S40 doesn't weigh much more than the Rebel and will take longer to grow out of it so if she has any riding experiance at all then I would go for the S40.

[intimid8er]

rodknee....my wife was in the same boat as yours, only the transformation happened faster. I ended up getting her an S40. She wavered back and forth between the S50 or used Intruders, and then settled on the S40 (AKA Savage). It's a great bike for a beginner. Nice and light. Maneuverable. Plenty of torque. It can hang with the bigger bikes. She gets a ton of compliments from those that obviously don't know about bikes, and those that do......still complement her. More often than not, they are surprised that there are good looking bikes out there that don't say Harley Davidson on the side.

On the plus side...of the S40 equation....it's a cool bike too just play around on in the neighborhood. Want to practice tight turning skills? Get on that thing for a technique refresher, then get on your bigger heavier bike. You'll find it a piece of cake.

[Scribbles]

I have an S50, and wavered a lot between it and the S40. Both are good bikes. However, your wife is the one who needs to feel comfortable with it. Make sure she sits on all the bikes you are considering before you purchase. If she is not comfortable with the weight of a bike, there are others to try.

I am happy with my S50, but others may not be. Take the advice of all here--have her take lessons or an MSF course. Hubby and I took both, and are glad we did.

Susan

[Spiff]

I'll also add my vote to those who say check out the S40. Judging by your wife's size, it might be a better fit than the S50.

But, have fun trying them all on for size!

[Brent11]

Then there is alwways a Yammi 650 V-Star Custom OR Classic..Nice Ride

[blackie1491]

A used, smaller bike may fit her to start and be a cheap investment in safety.
Having her comfortable and able to build up confidence is very important.

[rodknee]

Thanks for all you input and suggestions.
The S50 is the only cruizer bike under 500 lbs with enough power to ride on the interstate at 80 MPH. We have decided to get an S50 and have her train on the bike that since she should be riding it for a long time.
We will do a little home training (driveway and parking lot) to get ready for the BRC available in March.
By the summer I hope she will be able to ride with our group safely.
I think the key is to build on small skills as she feels comfortable and not let any one push her (even me!).

We will be checking in for further advice and encouragement.
Thanks again, Lyle and Annette

[intimid8er]

Salem?? Salem where? NY??? Mass.???

[Kehau D.]

Originally Posted by rodknee

We will be checking in for further advice and encouragement.
Thanks again, Lyle and Annette

I took the Basic MSF course and I used one of their bikes, a little Yamaha 250. All the bikes they had to offer were 250s, which was great for me to start on since I had never operated a bike before in my life. When I took the Experienced course though, you had to provide your own bike and that was absolutely perfect. It really made me realize what me and my bike could do in a controlled setting. I strongly suggest Annette do that to get a feel of the bike and both her and its capabilities.

Good luck and have fun learning it. I absolutely love my S50!!

Aloha,
Kehau

[MagnumForce]

Originally Posted by intimid8er

Salem?? Salem where? NY??? Mass.???

Maybe Oregon?

Please let us know how the wife is doing on the S50. Good luck.

[rodknee]

Salem Utah
Land of many uncrowded 2 lane highways.
Love to show any of you around.
Thanks again for your help!