Best Beginner Motorcycle Shopping Tips for Women Riders

So you’ve done the thing. You learned to ride a motorcycle! Welcome to the club. And now it’s time for the fun part (well, all of it is the fun part, honestly), it’s time to make your first big purchase! There’s a sea of choice out there, and the wide variety of motorcycle types and sizes can be intimidating, even downright overwhelming. Where do you begin?

Without a doubt, the No. 1 question I get from women beginner riders is, what bike should I buy? To me, this is like hearing, what pair of jeans should I buy? There are so many factors to consider—body type, personal preference, where you plan to go, what you plan to do, what’s your budget? I can no sooner tell you what motorcycle is best for you, but I can certainly give you factors to consider when making that all-important first purchase.

So maybe the better question would be, “How do I shop for my first motorcycle?” Read on for a list of do’s and don’ts that will hopefully help guide your decision-making process, and also help shut out some of the “noise.”

Choose a bike that makes you excited to ride. Even if it’s simply the color or the style, how comfortable the seat is, or how it sounds. When you find the right bike, something about it will light a spark in you. Above all else, the right bike should excite you and make you want to ride more.

Choose a bike that makes riding easy for you. A light clutch pull, a stable chassis, an easy reach to the ground, torquey low-end power, great wind protection… What is it that makes you most comfortable on the road? Start by learning to identify what features are most appealing to you. If you like a stable ride for the freeway, a heavier bike might be better. If you like a motorcycle with quick, agile steering, go for a smaller bike. Do you like the “attack position” of a sportbike, or do you like a more upright seating position of a standard bike? All this will help guide you in the right direction.

Invest in gear that you are comfortable wearing. Along with providing you the critical protection you need from impact, abrasion, and weather, looking good and feeling good can certainly add to the good-ride vibes. When it comes to finding a good kit, comfort is everything, meaning that it not only fits you well, but that offers ample protection, and you want to wear it every time instead of only partially gearing up. Because rides don’t always go according to plan; you’ve lost track of time, you’re forced to take a detour, or the elements suddenly become harsh. Be ready for it all, and be sure you feel comfortable and confident for whatever comes your way.

Be honest with yourself. Does this motorcycle really match your skill level and the type of riding you plan to do? Will you be comfortable and confident? Is this what you want, or is this what someone else told you to want? Be true to yourself, to your riding skills, and to your throttle-twisting plans.

Consider the ceiling. Your skills are likely to improve, and as they do, you may find yourself ready for a motorcycle with higher performance. Think about how quickly you see your skills advancing, and consider how long it might be before you outgrow this bike. If you have big goals for yourself, find a more versatile bike that can help foster your skill as a beginner and still perform as you gain experience.

Seek beginner rider advice from other riders who learned as adults. People who learned to ride in their youth may not even remember what it’s like to be a beginner. There are great teachers out there from all backgrounds, of course, but I’ve found that people who learned to ride in adulthood have a unique perspective, and can offer valuable advice.

Seek out motorcycle demo rides! You can read reviews all day long, but there’s no substitute for the real thing. Many manufacturers and/or dealerships will host ride days that allow you to sample multiple bikes in one day so get online and look around in your area for motorcycle demo days. There simply is no better way to explore your best fit. Get in the saddle, twist some throttles, and find out what puts the biggest smile on your face.

Don’t let someone else tell you what you’re most comfortable riding. There are a lot of voices out there who want to tell you what you’re feeling instead of listening to you. These are usually always the loudest voices (we all know the type). Tune them out, tune into what you’re feeling. Be honest with yourself, and don’t be afraid to tell the know-it-alls to back off and let you make your own decision.

Don’t believe that you must look for the smallest engine or the shortest seat height. The quick answer to the age-old question “what’s the best beginner bike?” is to name the smallest bike a manufacturer offers. But there is far more to this equation. A motorcycle with a small engine or a short seat height might check the boxes of a “beginner bike” but could be an ill fit for you. A larger, heavier motorcycle with a bigger displacement motor might be exactly what you’re most comfortable on. There are no rules here, so don’t box yourself in, and don’t hesitate to explore new options.

Don’t be afraid if you can’t reach the ground with both feet. Many riders actually can’t! Perhaps you’re more comfortable with both feet on the ground, which is fine, but this isn’t necessarily a determining factor of whether a bike “fits you” or not.

Don’t read a bike by the spec sheet. Do you look at a motorcycle with a 31.5-inch seat height and think, “Well, my inseam is 30 inches, therefore it’s too big for me”? Wrong. Seat height is not often a real-world measurement, and here’s why. By the time a rider is in the seat, the motorcycle’s rear suspension has compressed under the weight of both the bike and of the rider, and the seat is now several inches closer to the ground. The best fitment gauge (and only fitment gauge, in my opinion) is to physically climb on a bike and see how you feel. Just like a pair of jeans, there’s only so much you can tell by looking at them online. Go to a dealership, sit on motorcycles, bounce in the seat, flick levers, push buttons, rock back and forth. Feel it. Smell it. Lick it. Actually, don’t do the last one. But all the rest of it, go for it. Dealers are there to help you find your best fit, and answer all your questions. Get in there and have some fun.

As we said, there are no rules here, and there is no finite definition of a beginner bike, or a bike made just for women (or just for men, for that matter). Make your own rules, create a checklist of features you’re looking for, come up with your own definition of your perfect fit. Once you have an idea of what you’re looking for, we’ll help you shop in that category with oodles of bike tests, comparisons, and shootouts on motorcyclistonline.com.