what is the best motorcycle to learn to drive for a woman?

Take a motorcycle training course check with the DMV. It is run by the Motorcycle Safety Council.

you are talking about 2 bikes here , your learning bike should be a honda rebel 250 cc ,very light and agile which makes your slow speed test a breese and won’t give you any restrictions ,and then you sell that bike for darn near what you paid for it cuz everyone is looking for one and put that money into a cruiser like a shadow 650 or something along that line still being low to the ground ,and remember look into the distance not at your front tire when going around the cones ,good luck hope to see you on the road soon

I agree about the MC training course. Many of these courses provide the cycles for the class so you can learn to ride before you make an expensive choice. Also the basic rider class caters to those who have never driven a motorcycle. As far as what to buy and ride, depends alot on individual factors. Your body size and shape will play a big roll. A bigger person can handle a larger bike. Also you will need to put your feet comfortably on the ground while stopped. Go to a good dealership and sit on a few bikes to see what you are comfortable on.

Also don’t let people push you toward any one brand of cycle. There a good and bad about them all. You being able to ride the bike is more importaint than the name on the tank.

I started a few years ago on a Suzuki 650 Savage, but I’ve been an avid bicycle rider – both road and mountain, for many years which I think really helped. I agree that something like a Honda 250 Rebel makes a great learning bike. It’s light and easy to handle. I also think when you’re ready to move up, that you should try a variety of makes and models. I currently have a Harley Super Glide Custom, a Suzuki SV650 S (it’s one heck of an easy, fun to ride bike) and a BMW R800S. They’re all different and they’re all fun. If you’re going to want to go on long rides, you’ll definitely want a bigger bike. Usually anything less than 650 is too small and if you’re thinking Harley, stay away from the Sportster for long trips.

If you can get both feet on the(not just toes, entire foot) ground, knees maybe bent a little bit, then you have a good bike to learn on, don’t worry about the make.

You’re asking two different questions here. To learn in, you need a somewhat small bike, easy to handle and easy to pickup if you drop it, like a Honda Rebel. For the distance, you will need a much bigger bike.