Well from the description I think she takes it very seriously. On that note I think what Aswin said is right. FZ is easy to handle and light. But, then again why not go for Duke itself? Hire a bike for the learning and when she is confident enuf get the Duke! Why would you buy one for learning purpose? The MDS people might have a used and proven bike for learning.

@bbsrailfan : Just to add to your confusion , I agree with antz.bin, I too would suggest RTR180 ABS if riding posture is not a problem. It is light weight at 139kgs, has decent enough punch to try to keep up with your CBR and moreover that added ABS always helps beginners in Blore, since panic braking is common Also you might not need to upgrade at all if you get this.

Do give a thought whether you want to go for the hassles of first buying a learner bike & then another performance bike, you will have to get into buy/sell dilemma twice!

Also if any of your friends can lend you a 100cc bike for a week or two, that should be enough basic experience of riding. After that she can slowly start practicing on your CBR while you hunt for the right bike

Don't you think RTR could be a bit hard to handle for a beginner? Points about punch and safety with ABS is right on the mark and I totally agree with you on the hassles involved in buying and selling and buying one again.

Small update here...we went to check a friend's Duke 200 yesterday. Now she's gone gaga about the Duke and literally jumping for it...She was ok with the weight of the Duke and yes, she did have to lean the bike a bit to get her foot down firmly, but fells she can manage. (Yes, I know, she's being over enthusiastic about the Duke) I am yet to get her on to a FZ, and going by stats, she should be comfortable on a FZ too..

Thanks viks and Kolte666 for the inputs. Was looking for a used Twister but all of them seem to be priced at 40k+ - I mean, 40k for a used 100cc bike sounds ridiculous. On the other hand, I am getting an offer for a stock '89 RX100 at 8.5K.

Shivanshu: We have a SZ-R in our family and trust me, it's too tall for a 5'3" person...

evyavan, yes bro, the duke is strongly on the radar now. But where can I get a bike on hire for learners? Who/What is MDS? Can you help with some references? Appreciate, thanks.

Adarsh_Bk: Thanks, but personally, I never liked the Apache. Can we expect a price cut on the Duke 200 after the D390 hits the market?

MDS is an abbrv for Motor Driving School. I'm not sure about your place, but in Kerala we have these bike rentals in most places. These MDSs also let you try riding their bikes for a small fee. Costs upwards of Rs. 300 per day. Considering your wife has balance as she rides an Activa it wouldn't take more than 2 days for her to learn it on a geared bike.

Handling could be hard? It was the second best in handling( next to R15) before d200/p200ns came along. That shouldnt be a problem at all. No point in discussing as the TS is not interested

I would say get the D200. No need for learner bike & all. Like I said before, if you can arrange for a temporary 100c bike for her to learn, then there is nothing like it.

Regarding price cut, it is doubtful that they'll do it. It is not like they will focus mainly on D390 & phase out D200 in time. Both will co-exist.

Ok guys, we are through with our plans. Thanks to all those who helped us with your valuable inputs and special thanks to evyavan, Adarsh_BK for saving me a large dollop of cash!
We have eventually found a place that rents out bikes and have planned to book a bike with them...will cost us around 150 per day.

As for the finale...well, It's one among Duke and the FZ. Maybe the right time to decide will be once she learns to shift gears properly and does a solo TR.

Great! I'm.glad that our suggestions helped someone to come to a decision. All the very best wishes to you and your wife on her upcoming new bike and a pillion free touring experience.

Always happy to help That rental bike should be good enough to get the basics right.

I would recommend Duke anyday. FZ is severly underpowered for keeping up with your CBR. You will end up riding slow all the time. But since you said the duke is a tad bit higher (has to lean the bike keep both feet down) I would suggest you to ask Duke owners if the seat height can be slightly reduced by using thinner foam or something, or make her wear some very thick soled shoes like Woodland because sure footing is very important esp in cities when riding in bumper to bumper traffic.

And yes, all the best for your future touring experiences.. I have to say, not everyone is as lucky as you.

Maybe he should buy the FZ and not the duke. She might not just keep up with the CBR but leave him far behind

Imagine having all your friends laughing at you as your wife zips past you on city streets!!!

Well, as I mentioned earlier - that's to be decided on the basis of test rides, once she's capable of riding a geared bike independently, with proper shifting skills
I am more inclined towards the FZ but Male Logic has eternally accepted defeat in front of Female Emotion! Again - 99% of the time, she will be riding with me and won't be using it as a daily commute or for riding alone, so I am ok with both bikes.

Thanks Adarsh, and yes, I shouldn't be boasting, but I know I am one lucky devil

My Wife also rides Activa. And recently she wanted to ride my FZ. I just told her all the basics of gear shift and clutch operation. She rode the FZ like she was riding it for many years. And the top of it she was extremely comfortable in it. Now I am in trouble because she wanted to take my baby to her office for a week. And you know the result. She wants an exchange of her Activa with my FZ. I was some how able to convince her that I will be upgrading my ride then I will give her my FZ. Anyway saved this time. I think FZ is comfortable for ladies. Since I have not rode an duke can't comment on it. Anyway the final choice is your wife's.

Cheers

Mathews

I have experience in teaching one of my friends how to ride. He was a pure-bred gearless rider for 6-7 years (Kinetic Honda >> Activa) and wanted to ride my Gladiator one fine day. Lucky for me, we were on NH4 Tumkur highway, on a Cauvery-protest Karnataka Bandh - you could take a blanket, pillow & mattress and sleep across the road, the roads were that empty! Just the basics, and we were good to go. Within minutes, he was doing 80kph with me as pillion...(with me barking instructions from behind about when to shiftgears). He did ride till Nelamangala, after which, I took charge.

I am sure it won't be so easy this time!

Haha! It's quite the opposite in my case. I began riding geared bikes [Shogun, RX100 and then a splendor] from the beginning and my friend had a real headache with his Kinetic Honda in my hands. He too was barking instructions from behind when I used to manage around corners on that like we do on a bike. He was sweating profusely by the time we reached destination which was just a KM away. He never asked me to ride his Kinetic from then on.

Re: Geared Bike for Wife

So bbsrailfan , did you get a bike ?
A few months back I gave away my Pulsar to a college going cousin, and I currently do not have a two wheeler. Wifey thinks its painful to take the car everywhere, and now we are on the lookout for another bike.
I am not a regular bike user, since I use public transport or one my cars to move around.
All is fine uptill now, but now comes the catch... The missus insists that whatever we get , she will use occassionally too! I was (still am) a bit skeptical as her experience of riding is limited to riding gearless scooters , though she seems pretty confident about being able to learn.
I am now in a dilemma , should I get a scooter, purely for her convenience , or go for a bike ? She is about 90% convinced that a bike would do just fine. I am not sure yet.

Project Usage pattern :

"Us" ,ie,riding two up : Every weekend, only in the city though.
Me alone : 3-4 times a month.
Wife alone : 2-3(?) times a month.

So looking at our usage, it doesnt make sense to go for a new vehicle. So it has to be used. Max cubic capacity for the buck is highly desired.

So what do I do ? Bike or a scooter ?