My first bike was a KZ400. I barely knew how to ride. Even dropped it in the front yard. (Kickstand sunk into the ground. Rookie mistake. Did I mention that I barely knew how to ride?)
I outgrew that bike in fairly short order. Ended up buying an old POS Triumph Bonneville, and then a Honda 750 Custom. (Cruiser style.)
After that I bought a VF1100F - aka V65 Sabre. That was my last bike. I ended up quitting riding about the time that cellphones and SUVs simultaneously became popular. (I always picture a little bitty blonde woman driving a Tahoe, and turning in front of... people.)

One bike that I've always wanted, even to this day, was a Honda CB-1. It was a "naked" 400 cc 4 cylinder. Very small, but also (I would imagine) very light and "tossable".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_CB-1
That's the one thing I missed about the KZ400 when I went to the larger bikes. You could almost think it around bends.

The CB-1 gradually evolved into the "599". aka, the Honda Hornet. The engine is a detuned CBR600F Later versions made 102 HP. It's very similar to the CB-1. I still look at (and lust after) those from time to time.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_CB600F

There was also a 1000F Hornet, but we won't go there.

I know this doesn't help a whole lot, but these are older motorcycles, by now, and may be had fairly cheap.

[This message has been edited by Raydar (edited 03-07-2025).]

I am an avid motorcyclist, I have three Honda Valkyries, two are two wheelers and one is a trike. All of my bikes have the same engine, 1520 cc flat sixes, the two cruisers (2 wheelers) weigh about 800 lbs. (wet). While definitely not starter bikes, if riding with maturity, easily handled but, they can be a handful when you twist the throttle. The trike I bought due to some bad knees.

This I can and will state, there are only two kinds of Bikers, those who have crashed and those who will. I did crash a few years ago and that crash was not in anyway my fault according to witnesses. I don't remember any of it. I got run off the road by a cage (SUV) that passed so close to me that the vehicle fender mirror, door handle, something clipped my handle bars and caused me to crash into a concrete wall at 60 mph. The posted speed limit. I was in a body cast (14 broken bones, 5 of those being ribs broken in my chest and my back, punctured lungs, shattered wrist that now has titanium plates and screws holding it together, brain injury and so on) but, I still love riding. Yes, I was wearing $700 helmet.

My whole point of the above is, regardless of how careful and defensive your daughter rides, she will be in danger of those who simply don't look for motorcycles. I can't tell you how many close calls I've had. This, I guarantee, cage drivers will tailgate her, happens all the time.

My Valkyries are big cruiser bikes, it's hard IMHO to not see them so that makes me believe that most cage drivers just don't give a damn unless the vehicle in their way is big enough to actually present a danger to them. Your daughter would not be interested in a bike like mine.

I've owned and ridden many different motorcycles, you couldn't give me what we call a "SPLAT" bike, the kind your daughter likes but, to each their own.
Regardless, if that's what your daughter wants, whether you buy her one or not, she'll eventually get one on her own or continue to ride someone else's.

Reference size of the engine, sport bikes of 600 cc can still hit 140 mph and above. Regardless of what she tells you about being a safe rider, we all test our own limits eventually and there's not a damn thing a parent can do about it. Much of what I might suggest will depend on where she rides and what kind of traffic she might be encountering. I live relatively close to Memphis, TN, I hate riding in big cities and will ride 50 miles out of my intended route to avoid that traffic if I can.

The weight of the bike is very important, lighter weight bikes are normally easier to handle. Seat height is also very important, she must be able to put both feet firmly on the asphalt when stopped. If she can't, the bike is too tall and eventually, she'll have an incident, this I promise.

I've been riding over 50 years, have taken several safety courses but even now, heavy/speeding traffic gets my complete attention.

They won't let me fly helicopters any longer, something about my ticker, age and other things.
But, I love getting into the wind.

What I will say (as the parent of two adult offspring is, if they have to buy it themselves, they tend to take better care of it.

Here are mine. If you would like to discuss this further, PM me and we can trade phone numbers.



Edited: Oh, BTW. She'll be riding with others, there will always be a "Leader of the Pack" who usually tries to prove just how good and how fast he/she can ride. Get to know the group, invite them to join in different activities. There is no doubt in my mind you'll figure out who is most likely to be in the next incident/accident. Best wishes, I'm just happy my offspring are past this phase. Oh yeah, both ride and both went through my own experience with their mother. They learned a lot in what can happen.

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Rams
Learning most of life's lessons the hard way. .
You are only young once but, you can be immature indefinitely.

[This message has been edited by blackrams (edited 03-11-2025).]