Heather had always wanted a scooter(we were ska/punk kids). We ended up getting her a GS500. I tried to teach her how to ride it in her parents front yard. That sounds like a safe place to learn because it's soft, but it's so much harder to ride on soft uneven ground. She crashed a few times and wasn't going for it. We put it on hold until the msf course started and she did really well. Trying to teach her was seriously stressful and wasn't practical at all.
After I sold my last bike she parked hers and it sat for years. We moved to the city and she started riding mopeds. After about 8 years from when she said she wanted a scooter, she ended up on a 50cc 2 stroke anyway, and she loves them. I wish I would've just found her a scooter from the start.
Still have the GS500. It's a 91, bought it in 2003 for $1500. Did some work to it, but an R1 tail on it and a newer style tank, and think I'm actually gonna sell it this spring for $1500. Bonus for keeping it in good shape. If I could have, I would've gotten her a ninja 250, I think it's a much easier bike to ride because of the size/weight. The GS is a very forgiving ride, but it's only slightly smaller than some 600s, and it actually weighs a little more than they do, so it's only really big 'beginner' characteristics is it's super light handling, easy to control 40hp, reliable motor, and it's a pretty decent looking bike. Not bad for a beginner but if it's someone short/small I still recommend the 250.
Also, just for the record, we put the R1 tail on it because Heather wanted something that looked a little better, and she always wanted me to make it sound like my bike at the time(Triumph S4), because she didn't realize an inline twin doesn't sound line an inline 4. They weren't deal killers, but definitely make sure she sees and hears her options ahead of time so you get what she wants, otherwise you'll end up with a bike that sits in a shed for 5 years while she's off riding mopeds....(it's not all bad news though, it's gonna be $1500 towards a supermoto for me

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