What kind of motorcycle should I purchase? I'm looking for a street bike, not a cruiser.?

I'm also 5'5" and weigh 128lbs. I am very new to riding like you and female. I wanted a bike that was light and low to the ground and I highly recommend the Kawasaki Ninja 250 as a beginner bike. Both my feet are firmly planted flat on the ground with this bike and it's pretty light and easy for me to maneuver. Get used one so if you drop it it won't so painful.

For someone your size, seat height should make a big difference on what bike you select. You should be able to place both feet flat on the ground when stopped.

If the seat is too high you may need to lean the bike over to one side while stopped. It would be very easy to lose your balance and drop the bike. This could be dangerous in traffic. Or at the very least embarrassing. This could also be a problem when taking your motorcycle license road test.

If you do a little research you will quickly discover that most Sport Bikes will have the highest seat height of any street bike. This is to give them the required ground clearance so you can lean them far into a turn.

Yes, they make lowering kits for some of these bikes. However they mess up the steering and suspension geometry reducing the handling characteristics of the bike. Also, the reduced ground clearance can cause you to drag in a sharp turn and you will most likely go down. So you got to ask yourself this question. What would be the point of having a Sport Bike that handles like crap?

Your best bet is to some of your local motorcycle dealers. Sit on some bikes. Keep an open mind and try all types including Cruisers, Sport Bikes, and Standard bikes. Eliminate bikes where you can not put both feet flat on the ground. Standing on tip toes doesn't count. Of the ones you don't eliminate evaluate how well the rest of the bike feels. Things like the seating position, handlebar position, and foot peg position.

Just because you go to a dealer doesn't mean you must buy something new. You can use this knowledge to find what bike fits you best and you could look for a similar used bike.

By the way. The Cruiser style bikes that you are so against will have the lowest seat heights and will most likely fit you best. A cruiser will also have the lowest center of gravity. Balance, not weight is more important when holding up a bike. Something also to be considered by a small person.

Weight will make little difference to you unless you select a little 125 CC dirt bike or a small scooter. A 650 CC Sport Bike like the Ninja 650R is going to weigh about 500 pounds, give or take a little. A similar size Cruiser may weigh about 600 pounds give or take a little. By the way, a Yamaha Star V-Star 650 Cruiser weighs only 50 pounds more than the Ninja 650R. Lets face it, you won't be able to pick up either of them if they fall over.

One last thing to consider. Don't get hung up on any particular make of bike. Any of the Japanese makes are good bikes. So are the major European brands. I expect some bashing on this but the American makes are also good. Just stay away from the off brand bikes.

I'd recommend a Ninja 250 or 500. Both are easy to ride and give awesome handling. If you want to do some freeway riding (which you probably will eventually) go with the 500. With these bikes, you can pick up a very good one for under 3 K. I bought a 2005 EX500R for only $2300 and the guy included a jacket, gloves, and helmet! It really depends where you live too. I live near L.A., so there are loads of bikers around always selling and buying, makes it easier to find a good bike. Definitely buy used for your first bike too, cause you'll probably drop it. Any sports bike under 600 cc is much less insurance as well, so it's a win win all around.

Also, go to http://www.ex-500.com/ its the forum for the ninja 500 with lots of resources full of nice people willing to help you out even if you don't have a ninja.

If you do get a ninja 500 and go to the forum, I'm under the same name as here (conan of cimmeria) so say hi!

Good luck and ride safe and ALWAYS gear up.

Your problem, and this comes up alot on this site, is that you are too short for the bike you want. three are a couple ways to fix this, change the bike you want, (sport bikes are overrated but nice toys), or shave the seat of the bike you end up getting. The former is the best choice, wheras the latter will make the bike even more uncomfortable than it already is. Your best, and only bet is either the buell blast, or the suzuki sv650, and a tall pair of boots. Both of these bikes are good for beginners and are relatively short for sport bikes. I am hoping you will change your mind about cruisers, because they truely are the better bike. Trust me, I am a convert from a kawi zx6r to harleys to Victory's. My vic has unreal styling, the power of the zx6r and the comfort of the harley. It is really hard to beat! Also, Victory doesnt make a bike with over a 27" seat height which means it is an excellent for short riders. Good luck with your search!

If you're a cruiser guy, the Honda Shadow 750. If you're into sport bikes a Kawasaki Ninja 250r isn't too big and overpowering.

Do yourself a favor and nix the streetbike idea. Since you've never ridden there are plenty of smaller cruisers that you can flatfoot with no problem. If you absolutely can't live without a streetbike then you might want to look at a Kawasaki Ninja 250. You won't be able to flatfoot it but you may be able to get a lowering kit, I'm not sure. If you buy a larger cc displacement bike and you can't control it then be sure and have a will made out.

Being new to riding a cruiser is probably your best choice, & you can take that to the bank. -and here's why: they have a low center of gravity, these bikes are designed so you can step flat-footed, they generally are balanced much better, have predictable power and are much easier to control.

The reality is a sportbike is the WORST choice you can possibly make for a beginner's bike. If you think you can walk up and hop on a cbr 600 and ride pro motogp you have another thing coming. these bikes are designed to produce power and speed thats WAY WAY outside your skill & knowledge level. period. Thats not to say you can never ride well but you gotta crawl before you can walk. get it?

pssst,... a cruiser IS a street bike. And everyone knows riding a bike is just about attention and turning heads right? -NOT!!!!

there are allot of categories of motorcycles out there,but here are the 4 main ones,cruiser,standard,sport,off road.since you have already said you don't prefer a cruiser,or off road bike then we'll exclude that from the category.now,we have standard,and sport.let me shed some light on the difference between the two,standard motorcycles are in between (sort of speak) of the sport,and cruiser.standards are an up right riding position motorcycles,while the sport motorcycles are more race oriented,and your in more of a crouch racing position.there are allot of standards out there that have great power to them,but most are no where near as powerful as the sport bikes.given the details you have given me about your size and experience with motorcycles,there are allot of great motorcycles out there for beginners,here are just a few to start with.

p.s honda is one of my favorites,but they don't make very many beginner bikes other than the 250cc rebel which is a cruiser oriented bike.

the kawasaki ninja 250r is a great for beginners who prefer sport biking

the suzuki sv650 is a good standard for a beginner,now there's a between the sv650,and the sv650s.the sv650s is more sportier than the sv650 model.

the yamaha fz600 is another great standard for a beginner,or intermidiate rider.

There are lots of great bikes out there in the 500 to 600 CC range, that is the size I would look for.

Dont limit yourself to one brand, there are lots of good ones. Stick with the known names though, dont buy one of those newer Chinese made knock-offs, repairs and parts are a nightmare.

Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha, Suzuki all make bikes you would be happy with .

i think for your height and weight (and since you want a sport bike) you should get any of the following that are 600cc or smaller engine; kawasaki ninja, honda cbr, suzuki gsx, yamaha R series, buell blast.. any of these will be good for you BUT you may need to adjust the rear suspension (these bikes sit pretty high), if you change your mind, cruiser bikes sit low and are easier to handle for your height/weight... cruiser bikes are also more comfortable to ride / just sit back and ride.. hope this helps.