Starter Bikes

[pplassm]

You probably can't find reviews because it's the same bike (650 Savage) that Suzuki has been making for 20 years! Google "650 Savage. You could save a bundle by buying a used one.



BTW, hope you have better luck with your wife than I did. My wife took the course, got her license and a decent bike, but could never get over the additional risk inherent in riding.

[boru4761]

Found this review over at Cruiser magazine.



http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/roa...boulevard_s40/



What caught my eye as I glanced thru the review was this line:



... the Boulevard S40 fills the vast gap between the 250s and the other cruisers in the 500 to 650cc range



Sounds like it might be a nice starter with a little more room to grow.

[chanman_01]

Link to:



http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/roa...boulevard_s40/



Suzuki's 20-year-old, re-badge Savage is a gentle bike, good for around the town and occasional short freeway sprints.



Looked at this bike back in '99 to be my return to riding bike and daily commuter. It is lightweight, has a low-seat (great for my 29" inseams), gets good mileage and itÂ’s low-maintenance (belt-driven). But went with a Honda VLX and spent the extra $900 mainly because it has a "higher" top-end to better cope with the 20 freeway miles I ride (almost) daily.



Around here, 65 mph is considered the minimum speed in the slow lane and if you arenÂ’t going 75+ mph in the other lanes, the cagers craw up your rear. The Savage just didnÂ’t have the acceleration and top-end speed for freeways this area. YMMV.

[seruzawa]

I can't stand the suspense so I'm gonna go ahead and beat the squidlies to the punch.....



What do you wanna buy a cuiser for? Start her on an R1! Perfect brakes make it the safest motorcycle on Earth!



Okay. I feel better now.

[kbuckey]

Got my wife the rider safety course and bought her "whatever she wanted" and it was a Savage. Really a nice little bike. After a couple of years she thought it was "too light" and we went for a Honda Shadow Spirit 750, which she loved. Yeah, I tried to get her into something like an SV650, GS500, etc but she felt much more comfortable with both feet flat on the pavement. Oh, she was 55 when she took the course.

[longride]

You just had to start, didn't ya? Between you and that troublemaker Sarnali, we just can't keep this board from falling apart!

[easyeric601]

A friend bought a used one because it was cheap and enjoyed it, but ended up buying something more powerful almost immediately. If you can find a cheap used one, the new bonnevilles or the moto guzzi nevada 750 (or breva) are somewhat merciful if heavy.

[obandoj]

If you love her get her a 250, if she has good life insurance get her an R1.

[testcase]

If she has good insurance *and* you got a cute girlfriend, get the wife a R1.

[03zx12r]

250 or 500 ninja.