Question:
I have knee replacements in both legs. Are there any motorcycles I could ride and Im a beginner too?
I‘m only 5 with short legs. I also have a fused left wrist so it doesn‘t bend. I‘ve always wanted to learn to ride a motorcycle. My family either has dirt bikes or Harley‘s but I have an old bicycle with the brakes on the pedals. Should I just not even think about it at this point with all my injuriesgt;
Answer:
You said you are 5 inches. 5 feet would be written as 5' 5 feet is really small to be riding a motorcycle. I would not recommend that you get a manual bike. If you choose to, I would recommend a Kawasaki Ninja 250R for somebody your height, and since you are a beginner. They are ABSOLUTELY EXCELLENT to begin on. They should be a little shorter than most, and are about $3,000 brand new. Go to any motorcycle dealer and talk with one of the sales guys, and he will let you sit on different motorcycles, and if it is a bigger dealer, they will probably have 250R's there. At one of the dealers around here, they have 250R's in the ladies section(since they are chick bikes!) Once I had my chain lock up while I was going around a corner, and it was like the bike froze in place, like it hit a concrete wall and completely stopped. It threw me to the ground, and my knees crashed into the pavement. I thought I was OK, but now I wonder if I have permanent knee problems as a result of it? Overall, I probably wouldn't recommend riding for you. If you are married, maybe talk your guy into learning to ride (if he doesn't) of if you aren't, almost every guy that rides wouldn't mind taking a little thing like you around. besides, you are so much easier to maneuver with due to your size (in reference to carrying a passenger on the motorcycle)
I've been riding motorcycles since 1998. Lately I've been looking into motorcycles with sidecars. I saw one at a motorcycle convention in Houston called a Ural. It's relatively cheap, especially for one with a sidecar (from $9,000-$11,000). Because it's a 3-wheeler, it's a lot easier to ride when it comes to getting over the fear of not having your feet on the ground (it doesn't fall over at a complete stop), and you'll definitely not need to put down your feet and damage your knees. I did find, though, that it's a lot different of a ride than a regular 2-wheel motorcycle (I felt like I was learning how to ride all over again). The shifting is the same (except with a reverse lever catch, which works independently from the regular shifter, so you'll still learn how to shift). The problem is in the physics of riding with a big hunk of metal dragging on your right side. You're also not leaning into turns, and the right turns will make you really nervous (the sidecar starts picking up off the ground). It probably rides more like an atv than a motorcycle. Also, there's a Ukranian company called Dnepr which makes the same kind of motorcycles, but haven't had as much Quality Control as the Urals have had. They're also about 1/2 the price (I've gotten $5500 quotes for a fully assembled and shipped unit). Problem is, as a beginner, you're probably less prone to want to WORK on the motorcycle, so I'd suggest the Ural. The motorcycle/sidecar unit will help you keep from stretching out your knees and blowing them out. They turn heads, too! Otherwise, try a light cruiser, like a Honda Shadow. They sit lower (so you can put your feet down comfortably). Stay away from sport bikes, not only because they sit higher, but also because some of your body weight will lie directly on your wrists. Hope that helped!
My husband just recovered from a motorcycle accident that damaged his knee's. He installed forward controls, so his legs would be stretched out on his new Harley 1200 custom low, and he adjusted the handle bars cause he's only 5'6. I'm not sure how to handle the wrist thing, as I'm a beginner myself. But I'm sure there's some way to have it modified.
You said you are 5 inches. 5 feet would be written as 5' 5 feet is really small to be riding a motorcycle. I would not recommend that you get a manual bike. If you choose to, I would recommend a Kawasaki Ninja 250R for somebody your height, and since you are a beginner. They are ABSOLUTELY EXCELLENT to begin on. They should be a little shorter than most, and are about $3,000 brand new. Go to any motorcycle dealer and talk with one of the sales guys, and he will let you sit on different motorcycles, and if it is a bigger dealer, they will probably have 250R's there. At one of the dealers around here, they have 250R's in the ladies section(since they are chick bikes!) Once I had my chain lock up while I was going around a corner, and it was like the bike froze in place, like it hit a concrete wall and completely stopped. It threw me to the ground, and my knees crashed into the pavement. I thought I was OK, but now I wonder if I have permanent knee problems as a result of it? Overall, I probably wouldn't recommend riding for you. If you are married, maybe talk your guy into learning to ride (if he doesn't) of if you aren't, almost every guy that rides wouldn't mind taking a little thing like you around. besides, you are so much easier to maneuver with due to your size (in reference to carrying a passenger on the motorcycle)
I've been riding motorcycles since 1998. Lately I've been looking into motorcycles with sidecars. I saw one at a motorcycle convention in Houston called a Ural. It's relatively cheap, especially for one with a sidecar (from $9,000-$11,000). Because it's a 3-wheeler, it's a lot easier to ride when it comes to getting over the fear of not having your feet on the ground (it doesn't fall over at a complete stop), and you'll definitely not need to put down your feet and damage your knees. I did find, though, that it's a lot different of a ride than a regular 2-wheel motorcycle (I felt like I was learning how to ride all over again). The shifting is the same (except with a reverse lever catch, which works independently from the regular shifter, so you'll still learn how to shift). The problem is in the physics of riding with a big hunk of metal dragging on your right side. You're also not leaning into turns, and the right turns will make you really nervous (the sidecar starts picking up off the ground). It probably rides more like an atv than a motorcycle. Also, there's a Ukranian company called Dnepr which makes the same kind of motorcycles, but haven't had as much Quality Control as the Urals have had. They're also about 1/2 the price (I've gotten $5500 quotes for a fully assembled and shipped unit). Problem is, as a beginner, you're probably less prone to want to WORK on the motorcycle, so I'd suggest the Ural. The motorcycle/sidecar unit will help you keep from stretching out your knees and blowing them out. They turn heads, too! Otherwise, try a light cruiser, like a Honda Shadow. They sit lower (so you can put your feet down comfortably). Stay away from sport bikes, not only because they sit higher, but also because some of your body weight will lie directly on your wrists. Hope that helped!
My husband just recovered from a motorcycle accident that damaged his knee's. He installed forward controls, so his legs would be stretched out on his new Harley 1200 custom low, and he adjusted the handle bars cause he's only 5'6. I'm not sure how to handle the wrist thing, as I'm a beginner myself. But I'm sure there's some way to have it modified.
