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Is a Yamaha YZF600r a good bike for a woman?

by Lisa
(Seattle)

I am learning how to ride and looking at purchasing a 2006 Yamaha YZF600r. Can anyone tell me if this is a good bike for a woman? And a beginner? Although I've ridden as a passenger many times and am very comfortable with the turns, etc.

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Feb 19, 2015
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Maybe...maybe not
by: Judy

While riding on the back may give you some insight as to the physics of turning, and (hopefully) a heightened sense of road awareness not found as easily in car drivers, it doesn't fully prepare you to ride.

The best thing to have starting out is a bike that FITS YOU WELL ergonomically. You don't need the stress of being barely on tip toes, for instance, while being at a stop light.

Next, it shouldn't be too powerful nor too heavy. Many women start on Cruiser style bikes because of their low seat height, but their slow speed manuevering due to longer fork rake, heavy weight, etc., negates the flatfoot advantage to a degree.

The YZF is a small step from the it's replacement, the R6; as such it still is a very high performance machine and not really suitable for a beginner. The problem with sport bikes like this is, small mistakes can easily become very magnified. The responsiveness to chassis, braking and throttle input can be almost hair-trigger compared to something much more user friendly, such as a Ninja 250 or 300.

I think the best bike to truly learn on is a street legal bike you can take off road. The best in terms of new rider friendly (due to the lower seat height than most "dual sports") would be the Kawasaki Super Sherpa 250: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kawasaki_Super_Sherpa

If you learn how to ride off road first, you can get the feel of less than optimal road conditions without the added distraction of heavy traffic. I guarantee this will give you increased confidence.

Later, when you've also dipped your foot in the pool of pavement and traffic, having previously become comfortable with the basics of riding, you can start moving up to a more powerful, heavier bike. Good luck!

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