I recently bought a 2019 R3 and I love it. One of the reasons I chose the R3 was the relatively low seat height - I was hoping my wife could also use it to learn and take her licence (we currently live in Switzerland, so she has 4 months to practice, take 12 hours of compulsory training, then do the test). The problem is that she is very small - a shade under 5 feet (151 cm), weighing in at 86 pounds (39 kg). She can touch the ground with the toes of either foot, but not both feet at the same time.
She's had some experience riding much lighter bikes and scooters, but the size of the R3 is intimidating for her. After her first few rides, she's totally comfortable out on the road, but has dropped it twice while trying to turn it (on foot) on hills. She's fine and I couldn't care less about the damage, but she's naturally getting a bit discouraged at seeing snapped footpegs and clutch levers bouncing across the road.
My question is whether I am being completely unrealistic to think she can ride this bike. I think that with the right techniques and plenty of practice it should eventually be possible. And I want her to push herself, so in the future we can rent bikes abroad (where we're unlikely to have the option of a smaller bike).
So, is there any hope? Or should I forget it and buy her a little scooter?
She's had some experience riding much lighter bikes and scooters, but the size of the R3 is intimidating for her. After her first few rides, she's totally comfortable out on the road, but has dropped it twice while trying to turn it (on foot) on hills. She's fine and I couldn't care less about the damage, but she's naturally getting a bit discouraged at seeing snapped footpegs and clutch levers bouncing across the road.
My question is whether I am being completely unrealistic to think she can ride this bike. I think that with the right techniques and plenty of practice it should eventually be possible. And I want her to push herself, so in the future we can rent bikes abroad (where we're unlikely to have the option of a smaller bike).
So, is there any hope? Or should I forget it and buy her a little scooter?
