AntonLargiader
Active member
Hi Bill!
I give a big NO vote to Airheads. Heavy, slow, tall, obsolete brakes. She doesn't need to learn to work on her bike; she needs to learn to ride it. You want a simple, light, reliable, fun and easy-to-ride bike that she can grow out of (that might take longer than you think). A bike that she needs to grow into is a recipe for failure and I have seen that over and over.
For most people I encounter in that position, a BMW is not the best option. Some kind of 500~650 twin with ABS, that she can stand comfortably over, with bars that are not too far forward is IMO great.
The main thing is that while she is in the beginning stages of learning, you don't want bike management (weight, height, etc) to be a distraction. She can learn to manage a heavier, taller bike once she has some muscle memory about traffic and intersections.
I give a big NO vote to Airheads. Heavy, slow, tall, obsolete brakes. She doesn't need to learn to work on her bike; she needs to learn to ride it. You want a simple, light, reliable, fun and easy-to-ride bike that she can grow out of (that might take longer than you think). A bike that she needs to grow into is a recipe for failure and I have seen that over and over.
For most people I encounter in that position, a BMW is not the best option. Some kind of 500~650 twin with ABS, that she can stand comfortably over, with bars that are not too far forward is IMO great.
The main thing is that while she is in the beginning stages of learning, you don't want bike management (weight, height, etc) to be a distraction. She can learn to manage a heavier, taller bike once she has some muscle memory about traffic and intersections.