Mrs. Marauder - oh boy.

[pgman]

I need some suggestions. I just bought the Marauder three weeks ago and I have been riding it slowly and on short trips to get some experiecnce. I only do this during off-peak hours and mostly on back roads that have little traffic anyway (they also give me some curves to practice). So far, I am doing okay. I am going to take the MSF course next week and I want my wife to do it with me (she wants to ride, and not always on the back seat). The trouble is, I am worried the Marauder is just too big for her. It fits me perfectly, and I think I could ride it forever without really needing anything more (I know, they all say that at first). The misses, however, is tiny - 5' 1" and a lightweight. At this point, she has ridden the Marauder on a closed street and at speeds less than 25 MPH only. She has a LOT of trouble handling it when stopped and when turning at real slow speeds (which is difficult anyway). Her feet can touch the ground when she sits in the saddle, but just - there is no bend in her knees at all. The last time I took the bike down to this street for her, it almost fell over on her while she was practicing.

When we first bought this bike (before it was registered or insured and before we had permits), we rode it only in our yard. While this was very difficult, it gave us both some perspective on how to handle low-speed maneuvers and uneven surfaces. It also gave us (and the bike) a relatively soft place to land if things went sour. During this time, Mrs. Marauder dumped it several times with no physical damage to her or the bike. The trouble is, this most recent little hiccup was on concrete and now she is afraid, even though she caught it before it went horizontal on her. I am not going to coax her to ride this bike if she really doesn't want to, but I am not sure what to do.

I really want her to be able to enjoy riding (safely), and I would love to have a riding partner, so my first thought is to go and get her a Rebel or something similar. I don't want to do this, though - only to have her realize in three months that she wants to move back up. Don't get me wrong - I would go and buy her her own bike right now if I thought this would really solve the problem. Is there anything I can suggest to her to help her strain less against the Marauder's heft? I keep telling her to make sure she keeps the bike up straight (so the suspension holds it up), but I think THAT may be the problem. I am beginning to wonder if her legs just aren't long enough. For me, it is not so bad, but I am taller and stronger.

Maybe we will know better once we have taken the MSF course (which, in our area, is taught on Rebels). If she takes to the MSF bikes, that may be the deciding factor. For now, I think the Marauder is just a little too heavy (if not too tall) for my better half.

Any suggestions?

[BlaznBlu]

I just wanted to say it's great to see you going about things the right way: MSF class, used bikes, plenty of practice, and providing very good info for others to help you.

Also, the Maurader/M50 is an excellent bike. Very forgiving and sounds great for you.

I'm sure you will be getting alot of good responses soon, with plenty of recommendations for the Mrs.

[Scribbles]

If you are thinking of getting her a bike, and she does well in the MSF classes, you might think about a used Intruder or S50. It has the same enging displacement as the Marauder/M50, but with a slightly lower seat and is 100lbs lighter. You can also look at the S40, which is lighter still, and has a smaller engine.

Lancer (hubby) and I looked at dozens of bikes and scooters before choosing our rides. I am 5' 6.5" tall, and have a 32" inseam. I was not comfortable on the C50, as I felt it was a bit too wide and heavy for me for a first bike. I looked at the S40, and liked it, and the S50 felt really good to sit on. I chose the S50 for its lighter weight, and handling. I would have been happy with either lighter bike. At 6' 3.5", with a 30" inseam, the C50 fit him perfectly.

Honda makes a bike that has a 750cc engine that is similar to the S50, and so does Kawasaki. Triumph even has a lighter-weight, smaller engine bike now, for those who want/need one with a lower seat and lighter weight.

Take her to a dealership, let her sit on several bikes, and she can see which one seems to fit her the best. She must be comfortable with her choice, or she will not want to ride too much by herself. Have her straddle the bike, and move it side-to-side a bit (guarding it from the back so she does not drop it!). This will give her a good understanding of a bike's weight at a stop, and how it feels to control it when straddling it at a stop. Once she finds a bike that is comfortable for her, you can then look for a used one for her (if that is what you want to do).

Good luck, and congrats on your new hobby (others around here would call it an obsession!)

[HAMMERPETE]

Personally I am beginning to think that any training before MSF is and could be harmful.
In the event of a low speed collision things could get out of hand quickly.
The fact that she wants to ride and take the MSF course..major thumbs up.
Just take her bike shopping. There are a quite few bikes out that can have the ride height adjusted.

[pgman]

I should add that we did go to the Honda shop before we found this Marauder on the used market. I think this is what is bothering her more than anything. She sat on the Rebel and it did fit her, but she liked the look and sound of the cruisers much more, though. When she sat on the Honda Shadow (I think it was the 750), it seemed too big and heavy. She couldn't even get the Vulcans off their stands and there are no Suzuki dealers near us so we didn't look at any of those (our Marauder was a private owner). I think she may be realizing that she under-estimated the bulk of a "near full-size" cruiser. My gut feeling is that there is a second bike in this family's near future, but I am just not sure yet. As I said, the MSF course will be very telling.

[GregR1]

we have a member here named Kay. she's shorter than your wife (around 4'10"), and yet is able to ride sportbikes which have a HIGHER seat height than cruisers. add to that the fact that she's done a few track schools as well, and your wife can easily draw inspiration from Kay - and probably a TON of advice, too!

[sunny]

i definitely recommend getting a smaller bike for the mrs to start with. buying used means that when she is ready to move up, you won't take such a hit due to depreciation.

confidence comes with practice. and in my opinion the msf course should come first because you could be creating bad habits that will be hard to break. being afraid of your ride is not a good thing.

[Time4me2ride]

+1

My daughter took the MSF course and now rides an Intruder 800 (S50) with confidence, she is 5' 3".

[Easy Rider]

I think you both have the right instincts; you just need to follow them!

You can have the best looking and sounding bike in the world but if you don't honestly ENJOY RIDING, then it really is worthless !!!

She needs a bike she wil feel comfortable with to start out on. First impressions and experiences are all important. Good or bad, the first feeling you have will likely stick with you to some degree forever.

Hope she isn't "ruined" already. I think she will find the Rebels MUCH more comfortable.

I too am vertically challanged (OK....short). After riding for 40 some years, on various sizes and styles of bikes, and not being as strong and nimble as I once was, I recently got a Suzuki GZ250 (similar to the Rebel) and can say that I really enjoy the ride (again). When it gets to the point that it's not fun, then it's time to hang it up.

[kay]

Did somebody call?

Hi, I'm the shortie of this forum.
As Greg has said, I am VERY challenged in terms of height but foretunately I am enjoying my rides as anybody else here.

I agree with what everybody else has already said.
Save her dream bike until she finds it comfortable. Start with smaller, lighter motorcycles.
Once she is comfy with the maneuvers, stepping up to bigger bikes won't be a hassle. But if she develops a fear (and I hope its not too late) you can in fact negate her opportunity to find enjoyment in riding.....maybe forever.

I started with a rented 125cc bike. Tiny and light. And this was in a riding school so basically I spent the initial 6 mo. riding in schools only. I stepped up from 125 to 400 and then 700. By this time, the bike was HUGE for me but I was able to ride it because I knew how to handle bikes in general.

Now I also ride SS bikes which have, as Greg said, very high seats. I can barely reach the ground with one toe. The other foot is barely reaching the foot brakes when I have to stop. If I sit in the middle of the seat, both my feet are dangling in the air. LOL

But I have never dropped this bike and I manage to ride it without fear. Once it starts to roll, there is NO fear of dropping the bike.

But I don't want to give the false impression that it is easy to ride even if you have height problems and hardly any reach. It needs practice and also stepping up as you grow more comfortable with it.

I have another female friend who did the opposite. She stuck to her dream bike and tried to ride it. Now she gave up on bikes altogether. She could not overcome her fear and she finally dropped it on her leg and broke her leg bone. Now she sold off her bike and declared that never will she ride again.

This is too sad, esp. since she had the height. She was a tall woman and yet she gave up.

So the sure way for your betterhalf? Let her step up. This is the surest and the safest way to ride. And with 5'1", she WILL be able to ride. No worries about that.

Hope you both end up riding as much as I do.
Just remember that the best thing you can do for her, is to find ways to remove her fear. As long as she is afraid of bikes, she can make more mistakes than not. And also encourage her that so long as she take steps to learn how to maneuver, she will definitely be able to ride.

Good luck!!!!

[pgman]

Thank you all for your words of encouragement - and for the words of caution. Neither are falling on deaf ears. I am scheduled for the MSF course - probably for this week, but definitely for next (they weren't sure if they could get me in this week). My wife is planning to take it after we decide what bike she needs to have.

On that note, today my wife sat on a Suzuki Savage that just happened to be at the local Honda shop. The bike was a total disaster - someone had really abused and neglected it. I don't think I've ever seen a bike this bad (that was still on the road) - and it was a 2002 model! Of course, I would never touch it because I could never trust it. However, she was thrilled with the way it fit her - way better than the Rebel (which is what we went to look at). The battery box on the Rebel sticks out further and forces her legs apart too much, but she immediately felt comfortable on the Savage. She was rocking it side to side with both feet firmly planted on the ground and a healthy bend in her knees. She felt like it was the right height, the right weight and she didn't strain to push it ahead or backwards (as she does with the Marauder). She even let it tip WAY over and then stopped it and pushed it right back up again (again, not something she can do with the Marauder).

So, I think this may be a possible solution - I just don't know about the bike. I was shocked to learn that it was 650cc with only one lung, but it was sort of neat to me (not that my wife cared). Anyway, I am going to ask on the Suzuki page, but is this a decent bike?

[GregR1]

ya, 650cc "thumpers" (single cylinders) are quite common and good for beginners. they show up on dual-sport bikes (street legal dirt bikes), and... the suzuki S40!!! yup, a new bike. find one, and get her to sit on it and see if it's still great for her.

[palanon]

Yup, just ask Sunny, she loved her Savage. May he rest in peace.

[robertc729]

I recently bought my wife an S40, she is completely comfortable on it.

[Barbarian]

I'd wager that once you and your wife get rolling through the class, you'll have a much easier time. I love the look of cruisers, but at slow speeds they are a real %%%%% to handle because of the armchair positioning.

Before I bought my current ride I looked at the Savage/ S40 (same bike with a new name) and some others. It's light, decent price brand new (about $1k less than my Bandit, IIRC) and comfortable. I only had two beefs: my head was closer to the pavement than I like, and I didn't like the instrument panel.

[sunny]

Originally Posted by palanon

Yup, just ask Sunny, she loved her Savage. May he rest in peace.

he may be in pieces on my table, but he ain't dead yet...

[pgman]

Well, I have gone to look at a couple Savages - one was with the wife and one was on my lunch break today. I think I am just going to keep looking for the right deal because this model really does just fit her perfectly. It is almost as if it was made for her. THAT comfort level is what will keep her riding safely, I think. I rode one of the Savages and I must say I prefer the heavier feel of the Marauder, but that is why they make different sized bikes. The Savage does have gobs of low-end grunt - even if it does sound a bit like a lawn tractor with the stock exhaust. It is a much more interesting bike than the Rebel, in my opinion.

[Trapper]

Originally Posted by palanon

Yup, just ask Sunny, she loved her Savage. May he rest in peace.

Originally Posted by sunny

he may be in pieces on my table, but he ain't dead yet...

Ok then, may he rest in pieces.

[pgman]

Well, I found a Savage and the woman is absolutely thrilled with it. Right now it sits (I just got insurance on it today) but next week she is off to MSF class (I am taking it this week). That really is a good class! I am certain that I will someday be very glad I went through it. Tomorrow is the final exam (the riding part) and then its off to the DMV if I pass. Wish me luck!

[Scribbles]

Congrats on finding the right ride for your wife! You two will have a lot of fun riding together. Lancer (hubby) and I ride together every chance we get!