What is the best motorcycle for women?

I have talked to a great number of motorcycle women and one thing is for sure, all of the biker women that I spoke with agree to disagree on one thing. That one thing is, what is the best motorcycle for women. Women Harley riders will tell you that Harley Davidson is the only way to go. Women that ride a sport bike will tell you a crotch rocket is the answer. While other women riders, say they love their metric cruisers and would not change for the world. Because I have gotten numerous emails asking me what the best motorcycle for a woman is, and with all of the different opinions on what motorcycles women are riding, I though Id do a bit of research of my own and this is what I found.

According to women polled and dealer sales, the top ten motorcycles for women are:

1. Harley Davidson Sportster
2. Honda Shadow
3. Yamaha V-Star
4. Harley Davidson Softail
5. Kawasaki Vulcan
6. Kawasaki Ninja
7. Suzuki Boulevard
8. Honda Rebel
9. Honda CBR600RR
10. Harley Davidson FLSTF Fat Boy

To help you choose the motorcycle that fits you personally I have outlined a little bit about the top ten motorcycles that women are riding.

The number one motorcycle ridden and bought by women is the Harley Davidson Sportster. In 1990, 4% of all Harley-Davidson motorcycles purchased were by women, today women account for nearly 12% of new Harley-Davidson sales in the U.S. Out of the 12% of Harley Davidson’s sold to women, the Sportster is the number one motorcycle.

The Sportster comes in five distinctive models, the most popular Sportster model ridden by women is the low series the XL 1200L and the XL 883L

The XL 1200L offers a recalibrated lower profile suspension and a low 26.3-inch seat height. While the XL883L also offers, low profile ergonomics and has an even lower seat height of just 25.3 inches.

The XL 1200L is by far the more powerful of the two favored Sportster, it houses a rubber-mounted XL Evolution 1200cc engine, chrome staggered shorty dual exhaust, mid mount foot controls and a 4.5-gallon fuel tank for longer riding distance.

Although the XL 883L comes with the smaller rubber-mounted XL 883cc Evolution engine, it has more then enough power to keep up with the pack. The classic 3.3-gallon fuel tank reduces the riding distance a bit although this has not deterred women motorcyclists from making the Sportster XL 883L the most ridden motorcycle by women.

Note: Just a personal note if it’s the Harley Davidson Sportster you choose as your next motorcycle I would recommend spending a little extra and adding a forward control kit. It makes for a more comfortable ride and you save many bruises on your shins.

With Big-bike looks and feel, the second motorcycle for women is the Honda Shadow VT750C2

Women motorcycle riders second choice is the Honda Shadow C2. It amounts to 26% of the total Shadow 750 sales. The Honda Shadow C2 has a 25.7 inches seat height, a classic 45-degree V-twin 745cc liquid-cooled engine loaded with low-end and mid-range power and a five-position spring preload dual shock adjustable suspension. The shaft final-drive system provides smooth and reliable low-maintenance operation. While the handlebar design offers sporty, street-rod feel. The stylish 3.7-gallon fuel tank with the attractive chrome tank-mounted speedometer feature lets you ride all day in style. The stylish Spirit is a great choice for any women riding solo or two-up.

Classic and custom, the third most popular motorcycle for women is the Yamaha V-Star 650.

With a seat height of 27.9 inches, any women riding this motorcycle will have no problem resting flat-footed. The 40-cubic-inch (649cc) air-cooled V-twin engine provides the Yamaha 650 V-Star with enough power to lead the pack. At 49 miles per gallon and a 4.2-gallon fuel tank, you get longer riding time and less stopping to fuel-up.

Nostalgic, from its tombstone taillight to its wide white wall tires, the Harley Davidson Softail Deluxe is number four on the list.

The second most popular Harley Davidson motorcycle sold to women motorcyclists, the Softail Deluxe has one of the lowest seat height of all the motorcycle’s women ride. The seat height of the Softail measures in at only 24.5inches. The rigid mount, 1584cc twin cam 96B balanced engines also makes it one of the most powerful as well. The low-rise pullback handlebar, full-length floorboards with heel/toe shift lever and 6-speed Cruise Drive transmission make riding the Softail Deluxe so enjoyable you will never want to stop, and with the five-gallon Fat Bob fuel tank, it will seem like you never have to.

The crown jewel in Kawasaki’s mid-size cruiser family and the fifth most sought after motorcycle by women riders is the Kawasaki Vulcan.

Although The Kawasaki Vulcan comes in 15 different models and sizes, the size and model motorcycle girls are riding the most, is the Kawasaki Vulcan 500 LTD. The Vulcan 900 Classic holds a close second. The Vulcan 500 LTD is Kawasaki’s answer for any women motorcyclists yearning to ride into the cruiser lifestyle. A low 28.1-inch seat height, four-stroke, DOHC, eight-valve parallel twin 498cc engine and 4.0-gallon fuel tank, makes the Kawasaki Vulcan 500 LTD the perfect motorcycle for the beginner or the seasoned women biker.

The Vulcan 900 Classic comes with a liquid and air-cooled 903cc V-twin SOHC Engine, dual slash-cut mufflers and a shaft driven drive train. The low 26.8-inch seat height allows women riders to easily plant both feet on the ground at stops. However, why stop? The Kawasaki Vulcan has a fuel capacity of 5.3 gallons so you can go longer in-between fill-ups.

If speed is what you need the number six motorcycle for women, The Kawasaki Ninja is for you biker girl.

Although the Kawasaki offers the Ninja in eight models ranging from the Ninja 250R all the way up to the Ninja ZX-14, the Ninja motorcycle women choose to ride most is the Ninja 500R. Followed closely by the Ninja 250R.

A sensible sport bike, the Kawasaki Ninja 500R is ready to rip, yet remains friendly enough for beginners to feel confident in its manners. The Ninja 500R’s 498cc liquid-cooled, parallel twin-cylinder four-stroke engine is powerful enough to rip up the road, while its lightweight and compact design UNI-TRAK rear suspension system allows it to handle like a dream. The Ninja 500Rs aerodynamic half-fairing provides wind protection for the rider and shares the same sporty styling of its bigger siblings. This Ninjas seat height is 30.5 inches and has a fuel capacity of 4.8 gallons.

I would like to point our that the Kawasaki Ninja 500Rs little sister, the Ninja 250R is the second best selling sportbike in the country, of all sportbikes sold in the U.S

With the soul of a classic cruiser, the seventh most sought after motorcycle for women is the Suzuki Boulevard C50.

Cruising the boulevard or running down the highway, the Suzuki Boulevards fuel-injected, liquid-cooled, 819cc V-Twin (50cubic inch) 45-degree V-twin engine performs.
The Boulevard C50 has a comfortable seat height of 27.6 inches, wide handlebars and forward-mounted floorboards and foot controls. The five-speed transmission, shaft driven Boulevard C50 comes with a custom-styled exhaust designed for a deep rumbling sound and tuned low rpm power. At 49 MPG, the 4.3-gallon fuel tank will take any women biker any place she wants to go for pennies.

The perfect entry-level street bike, the eight motorcycle chosen by women that ride motorcycles is, the Honda Rebel.

Economical and easy to maintain the Honda rebel comes with a smooth and quite twin-cylinder 234cc SOHC four-stroke engine. The easy-shifting five-speed transmission, low seat height of only 26.6 inches and pullback handlebar makes the Honda Rebel easy to learn on and enjoyable to ride. Although the 2.6-gallon teardrop fuel tank means shorter travel distance, over all the Honda Rebel is the best choice for any women wanting to join the ranks of women that ride.

Motorcycle women choose a winner on the racetrack as the ninth motorcycle for women, the Honda CBR600RR.

Raising performance standards to new heights, the middleweight Honda CBR600RR is a winner on the track and on the street. If you are a motorcycle girl with the need to win in style, the Honda CBR600RR is your ride. The high-revving liquid-cooled DOHC 16-valve 599cc four-stroke inline four-cylinder engine redlines at 15,000 rpm, while the smooth-shifting close-ratio six-speed transmission delivers all the power you will ever need to the rear tire. Although the seat height is 32.3 inches, it should not be a problem for the taller women. The Honda CBR600RR has a 4.8-gallon fuel capacity and weighs in at only 410 pounds.

The tenth motorcycle women want to ride is one of the most recognizable motorcycles on the road, the Harley Davidson Fat Boy

After 18 years this icon, the Harley Davidson FLSTF Fat Boy defines Harley-Davidson for many women. Laced leather and bullet studs trim the two-up seat and five-gallon Fat Bob fuel tank with laced bullet tank strap you will be the envy of all you riding buddies. The Harley Davidson Fat Boy comes with a rigid-mount, 1584cc Twin Cam 96B balanced engine, full-length floorboards with heel/toe shift lever and a 6-speed Cruise Drive transmission. With a laden seat height of 25.4 inches, 200 mm rear, tire and the chrome Over/Under Shotgun exhaust you will be rumbling down the in HOG heaven. This Softail is truly the one and only Fat Boy.

It is not up to me to tell you what motorcycle is the right bike for you. There are as many bikes to choose from, as there are women to ride them. One thing is for certain, more women are becoming biker women and are riding motorcycles then ever before. The motorcycle industry is taking notice. With lower profiles and lower seat heights, any women can find a motorcycle that is just right for them.