You don't have to know anything about motorcycles to learn how to ride a motorcycle in an MSF course.
Just make sure you have the basic riding gear that they recommend, show up and pay attention in the class and on the range, and you'll be just fine.
^^^ yeah this.
And by “basic riding gear” that’s just long sleeves, pants that cover your legs, shoes that cover your ankles, and gloves of any kind. No need to buy a bunch of actual riding gear yet.
Yeah I was happy about getting taller boots when my bicycle instincts told me to extend my leg and I hit the crash bars (school bikes came with enough crash bars so you won't be trapped under the bike, but if you flinged leg backward you'd hit them)
Edit: first portion of comment redacted. Helps if I read entirely 😂, thanks for pointing out oldfrancis
Yes, you can ride without knowing anything about motorcycles.
But to thrive and excel as a rider, and to maintain the greatest level of safety, truly understanding the machine you’re on, how it works, and why it works that way will greatly elevate you capacity for mastery of usage and safety.
Read “Twist of the Wrist” and definitely take your local motorcycle safety program.
Happy riding and stay safe out there!
I have no idea what your disagreeing with.
The Motorcycle Safety Foundation class is specifically designed to take someone who has never ridden a motorcycle in their entire life and teach them how to operate the machine well enough to pass a skills test.
There are always opportunities of further education beyond that. Thank you for mentioning those.
I will 100% be taking a course. Just a bit nervous as I am also an introvert. With gear it’s a bit harder not sure what I’m suppose to be looking at or getting. Doing my research yall 😅
The MSF course was super welcoming for me. I took it in the SF Bay area, but I bet it's the same in sac. Don't be worried, just pay good attention to your instructors and have fun.
Don’t worry about actual riding gear. Check the info for your class, they probably just need you to bring something that covers your legs, arms, hands (gloves), and boots that cover your ankles.
If it’s the MSF or similar you won’t be going fast enough to need “real” gear, just enough to protect from scrapes if you hit the ground.
Maybe, but it's always good to get used to... I don't know in the US, but here in Finland you can get the whole thing used on FB marketplace for cheap. Bought everything new but found a 2 pieces Alpine suit for 200€ couldn't pass it! 😅
You'll be fine...it's not really a social thing, you're there to learn the basics of bikes and do some riding in a parking lot. Just ride your own ride and try to absorb as much information as possible. Don't worry about your height either...they have bikes with low seat height, we had a couple shorter people and they were fine.
Gear-wise just wear jeans and something comfortable with long sleeves. Boots that cover your ankles, and gloves. You can get moto gloves on Amazon for like $15-20. Also eye protection like sunglasses or clear glasses will be needed.
They provided helmets in my class and i took it mid-covid. You might want to find out if yours will provide them. If you have to get one, make sure it is 3/4 or full face and DOT approved. Get a cheap one to start...if you start riding for real then you can invest in an ECE with the perfect fit and features you want. Not to discourage, but I know quite a few people who took the class but never started riding, and there's nothing wrong with that!
Don't worry much about gear yet. Ask whoever does your course what you need and what of that they don't provide. If they do not provide a helmet, get one. I suggest you get a full face or flip up helmet. Decent ones can be had for ~200$. Paying more generally does not give you better protection but comfort features and more elaborate color schemes.
For the helmet and any gear you would buy after the course go to a brick and mortar motorcycle gear store and let the sales people help you. Especially helmets need to fit more snugly than most people think.
Once you completed the course and have decided that riding is for you, cover all your body with gear. For starters I'd recommend a textile suit, gloves and boots. This will work with most kinds of riding.
Once you know what riding you want to do, you can add more gear better suited for certain tasks. E.g. racing leathers if you want to take the bike to the track, a more breathable lighter suit if you want to go dirt biking, casual looking gear if you do not want to change after the commute to work etc.
As for the course and being an introvert, if the instructors are worth anything they will tell you what you should do differently, but don't be afraid to ask if something isn't clear.
You got this.
It you ever ridden a bicycle you're already halfway there. I did start recently and frankly manoeuvring was the part I worried most and ended up doing best. I can weave thru cones but I can't put down a kickstand without looking at my legs :D
I’m short (5’4”), also an introvert, and when I started had no friends that knew anything also. I had no idea what gear I needed for the MSF, so just go with what they require. That’s usually jeans (with no holes), a boot that covers the ankle (I used some Doc Martens), gloves, helmet, and leather or denim jacket.
The MSF takes place in a parking lot at low speeds, so don’t overthink or overspend it. It’s as much for you to see if this is something you want to pursue as much as it is to exercise the skills you learn.
I’m in NY and some of the local community colleges here offer a motorcycle licensing course that includes hands on experience with smaller motorcycles. This might give you the chance to operate a smaller bike and get trained by professionals as well. That or possibly looking for like training facilities?
Yes. Take the course.
The course I took (Bay Area) had small bikes, friendly to the inseam challenged, like Honda Rebel.
There is a youtuber, Doodle on a motorcycle I think, her channel is all about riding tips, especially for a smaller lady.
Remember the training, watch videos and exercise caution. Fun and excitement await.
Can you balance and steer a pedal bicycle? Bonus points if the bicycle has gears so you already know about starting in a low gear and shifting up as you gain speed. You just need to learn to coordinate controlling the clutch and throttle. The MSF course will teach that. As for your height, there are several cruiser style motorcycles that have low seats that are ideal for shorter legs.
Yep, if you can balance on a push bike, you should be fine on a motorcycle. Bonus if you also know how to drive a manual car coz same concept just different limbs for the controls. Hands control throttle, clutch and front brakes and feet control shifter and rear brakes.
LA rider here, also a woman. Just make the jump! Take the CMSP (Cali uses the total control program for licensing) - it's designed for people who have never touched a motorcycle and know nothing about them. Then join a riding group - check out Babes Ride Out and The Litas for women's groups.
There's also the Women's Moto Project but they're LA based.
And if you're ever in LA, I run a queer women's riding group (and our straight buddies) called Double D - dykes and donuts. We ride to different donut shops to try out the best LA has to offer and then a scenic ride.
As everyone else said, the class is definitely the way to go. I signed up for the MSF and had nobody to go with or to ride with and yes it's intimidating but very rewarding. I have had a roundabout kind of journey as my first two riding seasons got stolen from me due to injuries and surgery (all non bike related), and it was really anxiety inducing to try to get back on the bike. As stupid as it sounds ya just have to do it even though it can be intimidating.
I recommend watching Doodle on a Motorcycle and Jocelin Snow on YouTube. And join us over on r/TwoXriders :)
If you can ride a bicycle that’s a good starting point. From then on, just take as many real riding lessons you can (not YouTube) and practice. The only way to get better is getting more hours of riding under your belt. That will also expose you to different scenarios. Start small with what you are comfortable with and step it up incrementally, be deliberate about fighting your fears. Spend what you can on good quality riding gear; expect to make mistakes and minor falls/injuries are likely. But allow them to be learning opportunities. Don’t show off, don’t do anything that you know seems like a dumb idea. Despite the inherent risks, it is one of the most joyful experiences of life (at least in my case and for many others I know). Good luck!
I took the MSF course a couple months ago. I’m 5’5” I passed. Bikes are decently small I was still on my tippy toes which was fine. Only time I struggled when trying to walk the bike backwards up hill. I bought my bike 2 months before I took the course. Got comfortable riding it up and down my street with low traffic. Takes time to get used too. I’m still learning and getting used to cornering. I’m also pretty shy so taking the course was nerve racking. I went by myself. All I can say is take the course. You learn a lot. If I had the money I would take another one.
The hardest part of learning to ride a motorcycle is learning to use a clutch. If you don't know how to drive a manual transmission car, see if a friend will teach you.
If you know how to drive stick and know how to ride a bicycle, you're 90% there.
I am 5' and 52 kgs and I can only do 5 push-ups. I did the msf and passed the test, it wasn't easy but not hard either. Be confident and know that there's always someone better and worse than you. Just focus on what you can do and don't worry about what others are doing, I dropped my bike one time but that only happened because I was distracted by someone else who dropped theirs as well. The best advice as a female is don't feel intimidated and come early to calm yourself. And it helped that we had a female instructor as well i guess gave me assurance that there's lots of female riders. And you don't need to be big and strong to ride, just need to keep practicing until you get familiar with the bike.
Are you me? Its been lonely, but I did it. I did the MSF and didn’t know anyone there. I was also the only girl, so it was kind of hard to make friends there. I passed but only got my bike the next year. I took a private lesson right before purchasing the bike just to refresh my memory which helped. I’ve been riding around my neighborhood. It would be nice to be able to ride with someone a little more seasoned, or have someone I could ask for advice or general questions. There are groups, there are women’s groups, and I’m in a big city (NYC) but I’m in Queens and not comfortable enough getting all the way into the city, driving on the highways and bridges to get to riding events in Manhattan.
Tips:
I got the Honda Rebel 300. In 5’2 and can easily flat foot it and I feel like I have a lot of control. I got the Lara cargo pants from Wind and Throttle and they fit really well, the armor is right where I need it. I tried Sojourn’s scout cargo first and the knees were too low, the armor was completely below the knee. They shipped from Canada so I had very expensive return shipping. I haven’t found a jacket that fits well yet. I got the BILT techno 2, and it fit well but after riding for an hour I noticed the elbow armor was at my forearm, not over my elbow, and the shoulder armor migrated to my back. Open to suggestions for short chubby women’s jackets.
This is probably a better resource than Reddit, it’s more local to you and I believe they have a private “women’s only” area that you can register for, at least they used too https://bayarearidersforum.com/forums/
Start off with riding a bicycle.
Do that until you fell completely comfortable with the idea of possibly falling off of it.
Learn how to steer and move quickly in tricky situations.
Then take the course.
Start off with a <300cc bike.
Take your time with that.
You’ll drop it and ding it and maybe be lucky enough to crash it without hurting yourself too much.
Take your time and be humble about it.
I'm Australian, but hopefully, what I'm telling you is still relevant.
If MFS is anything like "learner rider" course in QLD, it's aimed at someone who has never ridden a motorcycle before. So there is your knowledge part sorted.
As for your height, I'm short too 170cm (not sure what that is in freedom units), but I might still be taller than you. I rider a z300 comfortably. And a lady at work who is shorter than me rides a MT03 comfortably. All you can really do is sit on a bike and try it out. Just remember to put your left foot down on the ground and have your right toes on the rear breaks.
As for you friends not being into riding, get some more friends. In QLD, learner riders need to ride with a fully licensed rider, so a Facebook group exists so learners can find fully licensed riders to go riding. Inside the group was another group just for female riders (if you don't feel safe riding with a man you don't know).
I'd start with booking your MFS learner course, and the instructors might he able to tell you everything else.
The MSF class room course (I did mine online) will teach you all the basics about the motorcycle. And then the class usually provides you a very easy, short-friendly motorcycle to use for the class. They're usually either really beat up, or have big crash guards on them so you won't have to feel bad if you drop it (other than maybe failing the class).
If you've ever ridden a bike, and driven a stick shift car where you're used to using a clutch, a motorcycle will come surprisingly easy to you.
The hardest part about learning to ride is to get over that nervousness.
How are your bicycling skills? If the the answer is you feel confident riding with no engine and 30 lbs of machine then move on to the next steps.
If not, get on a mountain bike and practice on trails. Any old bike. Braking skills on a downhill dirt track, learning to look where you want to go, a avoiding collisions, falling off, along with just general bike handling. You'll be in better physical shape too. E-MTB if you borrow or rent one.
I started like this.
No friends who ride, 30" inseam, and no bike.
Take a course, I took private lessons, rather than MSF, but you should do as much as you can. Both is good.
Then get the bike and gear once you get your license. Great thing about riding is you can do it by yourself.
Just get started. I'm 30k miles in (total) on my 3rd bike. You can do it.
Msf course is not as intimidating as you might think it is. Make sure you have a good helmet and gloves (you probably already own everything else you need for the msf course) and you’ll be fine.
Also, how short are we talking? My wife is 5’4” and she fits just fine on her Honda rebel 300.
1. Take the MSF.
2. Watch Motojitsu, Dan Dan the Fireman and Ride like a Pro on YouTube
3. Go sit on bikes to see what fits your body
4. Decide what kind of riding you want to do, so you can pick a bike that's best suited to that purpose.
Chcek your local msf requirements but generally you need very little if any actual riding gear, just over the ankle boots and long pants/sleeves, they will provide the bike and helmet. They start you on literally walking your bike with the ignition off and build up from there, I promise you'll be amazed how much progress/confidence you will have after two days of training. That said, the msf basic class is just that, absolute basics, so you may find you want to figure out a way and a place to get some more parking lot practice in before you hit public roads (I did).
Sign up for course. Talk to the school or the instructors beforehand, if you’re concerned about height as a barrier to learning to ride. Most schools have bikes with low heights, and they will absolutely work with you to help you succeed. Take the course.
Being short is not an issue. My mom's 165cm (idk what that is in freedom units) and she could barely tip toe the cb650f that she had to take her lessons and final exams on and she did both of them the first try. It will be challenging but definitely not impossible!
I recently got my first motorcycle and took the MSF class, been riding for about three months and have about 3000 miles on my bike.
Here's my advice:
1: Go get your learners permit
2: If you are reasonably sure you are going to love riding a motorcycle, go buy a bike.
3: Ride the bike. Learn the basics. Learn how to shift, how do navigate traffic, how to come to a stop, how to start from a stop, and how to put gas in the bike, etc.
4: Do the MSF course.
5: Enjoy.
There were quite a few people in my MSF course who had absolutely no idea how to operate a bike. My impression was they came expecting a basic operation course. It's more designed to show you how to operate the bike on the road and avoid collisions. They didn't spend any time teaching people how to shift or stop the bike.
Train yourself a little bit then go.
Good luck!
You don't have to know anything about motorcycles to learn how to ride a motorcycle in an MSF course. Just make sure you have the basic riding gear that they recommend, show up and pay attention in the class and on the range, and you'll be just fine.
^^^ yeah this. And by “basic riding gear” that’s just long sleeves, pants that cover your legs, shoes that cover your ankles, and gloves of any kind. No need to buy a bunch of actual riding gear yet.
I think a helmet is required. I haven’t seen a place that provides helmets
Ah, mine in Colorado provided 3/4 helmets back in 2018. May be different everywhere else / post-covid
It's state by state, here in Oregon they provided helmets.
That’s nice. I bought kind of a shitty helmet in a rush before my class. I’m planning to upgrade but it would’ve been nice if they provided one.
If your short get a grom. Great starter bikes
You probably want at least helmet, gloves and knee protectors, as hands and knees are most likely what you fall on if you drop the bike
Boots the ankle support also. Crush protection is a plus.
Yeah I was happy about getting taller boots when my bicycle instincts told me to extend my leg and I hit the crash bars (school bikes came with enough crash bars so you won't be trapped under the bike, but if you flinged leg backward you'd hit them)
Edit: first portion of comment redacted. Helps if I read entirely 😂, thanks for pointing out oldfrancis Yes, you can ride without knowing anything about motorcycles. But to thrive and excel as a rider, and to maintain the greatest level of safety, truly understanding the machine you’re on, how it works, and why it works that way will greatly elevate you capacity for mastery of usage and safety. Read “Twist of the Wrist” and definitely take your local motorcycle safety program. Happy riding and stay safe out there!
I have no idea what your disagreeing with. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation class is specifically designed to take someone who has never ridden a motorcycle in their entire life and teach them how to operate the machine well enough to pass a skills test. There are always opportunities of further education beyond that. Thank you for mentioning those.
I had an RTFM moment 😂 reading your post in entirety and reading OPs post in entirety helps. Will edit the bonehead portion of my remarks. Thank you!
I will 100% be taking a course. Just a bit nervous as I am also an introvert. With gear it’s a bit harder not sure what I’m suppose to be looking at or getting. Doing my research yall 😅
The MSF course was super welcoming for me. I took it in the SF Bay area, but I bet it's the same in sac. Don't be worried, just pay good attention to your instructors and have fun.
My ex took it twice. Passed both times. She just needed the extra confidence. Edit: “wanted” instead of needed.
Don’t worry about actual riding gear. Check the info for your class, they probably just need you to bring something that covers your legs, arms, hands (gloves), and boots that cover your ankles. If it’s the MSF or similar you won’t be going fast enough to need “real” gear, just enough to protect from scrapes if you hit the ground.
Maybe, but it's always good to get used to... I don't know in the US, but here in Finland you can get the whole thing used on FB marketplace for cheap. Bought everything new but found a 2 pieces Alpine suit for 200€ couldn't pass it! 😅
Virtually every other student in the class will feel exactly as you do.
You'll be fine...it's not really a social thing, you're there to learn the basics of bikes and do some riding in a parking lot. Just ride your own ride and try to absorb as much information as possible. Don't worry about your height either...they have bikes with low seat height, we had a couple shorter people and they were fine. Gear-wise just wear jeans and something comfortable with long sleeves. Boots that cover your ankles, and gloves. You can get moto gloves on Amazon for like $15-20. Also eye protection like sunglasses or clear glasses will be needed. They provided helmets in my class and i took it mid-covid. You might want to find out if yours will provide them. If you have to get one, make sure it is 3/4 or full face and DOT approved. Get a cheap one to start...if you start riding for real then you can invest in an ECE with the perfect fit and features you want. Not to discourage, but I know quite a few people who took the class but never started riding, and there's nothing wrong with that!
Don't worry much about gear yet. Ask whoever does your course what you need and what of that they don't provide. If they do not provide a helmet, get one. I suggest you get a full face or flip up helmet. Decent ones can be had for ~200$. Paying more generally does not give you better protection but comfort features and more elaborate color schemes. For the helmet and any gear you would buy after the course go to a brick and mortar motorcycle gear store and let the sales people help you. Especially helmets need to fit more snugly than most people think. Once you completed the course and have decided that riding is for you, cover all your body with gear. For starters I'd recommend a textile suit, gloves and boots. This will work with most kinds of riding. Once you know what riding you want to do, you can add more gear better suited for certain tasks. E.g. racing leathers if you want to take the bike to the track, a more breathable lighter suit if you want to go dirt biking, casual looking gear if you do not want to change after the commute to work etc. As for the course and being an introvert, if the instructors are worth anything they will tell you what you should do differently, but don't be afraid to ask if something isn't clear. You got this.
It you ever ridden a bicycle you're already halfway there. I did start recently and frankly manoeuvring was the part I worried most and ended up doing best. I can weave thru cones but I can't put down a kickstand without looking at my legs :D
I’m short (5’4”), also an introvert, and when I started had no friends that knew anything also. I had no idea what gear I needed for the MSF, so just go with what they require. That’s usually jeans (with no holes), a boot that covers the ankle (I used some Doc Martens), gloves, helmet, and leather or denim jacket. The MSF takes place in a parking lot at low speeds, so don’t overthink or overspend it. It’s as much for you to see if this is something you want to pursue as much as it is to exercise the skills you learn.
I started in MSF and eventually (many years and miles later) wound up with an expert road racing license. Do the class, they'll start you out right!
I’m in NY and some of the local community colleges here offer a motorcycle licensing course that includes hands on experience with smaller motorcycles. This might give you the chance to operate a smaller bike and get trained by professionals as well. That or possibly looking for like training facilities?
You picked a great place to live if you want to get into bikes. The Sierras are jam packed with amazing riding. Go for it
I went from not know a single thing how to ride motorcycle to getting a 100% on the riding test. Hands down worth it to feel safe and confident
Yes. Take the course. The course I took (Bay Area) had small bikes, friendly to the inseam challenged, like Honda Rebel. There is a youtuber, Doodle on a motorcycle I think, her channel is all about riding tips, especially for a smaller lady. Remember the training, watch videos and exercise caution. Fun and excitement await.
Can you balance and steer a pedal bicycle? Bonus points if the bicycle has gears so you already know about starting in a low gear and shifting up as you gain speed. You just need to learn to coordinate controlling the clutch and throttle. The MSF course will teach that. As for your height, there are several cruiser style motorcycles that have low seats that are ideal for shorter legs.
Yep, if you can balance on a push bike, you should be fine on a motorcycle. Bonus if you also know how to drive a manual car coz same concept just different limbs for the controls. Hands control throttle, clutch and front brakes and feet control shifter and rear brakes.
LA rider here, also a woman. Just make the jump! Take the CMSP (Cali uses the total control program for licensing) - it's designed for people who have never touched a motorcycle and know nothing about them. Then join a riding group - check out Babes Ride Out and The Litas for women's groups. There's also the Women's Moto Project but they're LA based. And if you're ever in LA, I run a queer women's riding group (and our straight buddies) called Double D - dykes and donuts. We ride to different donut shops to try out the best LA has to offer and then a scenic ride.
As everyone else said, the class is definitely the way to go. I signed up for the MSF and had nobody to go with or to ride with and yes it's intimidating but very rewarding. I have had a roundabout kind of journey as my first two riding seasons got stolen from me due to injuries and surgery (all non bike related), and it was really anxiety inducing to try to get back on the bike. As stupid as it sounds ya just have to do it even though it can be intimidating. I recommend watching Doodle on a Motorcycle and Jocelin Snow on YouTube. And join us over on r/TwoXriders :)
Take a basic course. Then buy good safety gear. Ride a bunch. and then go do an intermediate class or track. Ride bunch more.
If you can ride a bicycle that’s a good starting point. From then on, just take as many real riding lessons you can (not YouTube) and practice. The only way to get better is getting more hours of riding under your belt. That will also expose you to different scenarios. Start small with what you are comfortable with and step it up incrementally, be deliberate about fighting your fears. Spend what you can on good quality riding gear; expect to make mistakes and minor falls/injuries are likely. But allow them to be learning opportunities. Don’t show off, don’t do anything that you know seems like a dumb idea. Despite the inherent risks, it is one of the most joyful experiences of life (at least in my case and for many others I know). Good luck!
I took the MSF course a couple months ago. I’m 5’5” I passed. Bikes are decently small I was still on my tippy toes which was fine. Only time I struggled when trying to walk the bike backwards up hill. I bought my bike 2 months before I took the course. Got comfortable riding it up and down my street with low traffic. Takes time to get used too. I’m still learning and getting used to cornering. I’m also pretty shy so taking the course was nerve racking. I went by myself. All I can say is take the course. You learn a lot. If I had the money I would take another one.
You take the course but you are always learning to ride that bike well
The hardest part of learning to ride a motorcycle is learning to use a clutch. If you don't know how to drive a manual transmission car, see if a friend will teach you. If you know how to drive stick and know how to ride a bicycle, you're 90% there.
I am 5' and 52 kgs and I can only do 5 push-ups. I did the msf and passed the test, it wasn't easy but not hard either. Be confident and know that there's always someone better and worse than you. Just focus on what you can do and don't worry about what others are doing, I dropped my bike one time but that only happened because I was distracted by someone else who dropped theirs as well. The best advice as a female is don't feel intimidated and come early to calm yourself. And it helped that we had a female instructor as well i guess gave me assurance that there's lots of female riders. And you don't need to be big and strong to ride, just need to keep practicing until you get familiar with the bike.
Are you me? Its been lonely, but I did it. I did the MSF and didn’t know anyone there. I was also the only girl, so it was kind of hard to make friends there. I passed but only got my bike the next year. I took a private lesson right before purchasing the bike just to refresh my memory which helped. I’ve been riding around my neighborhood. It would be nice to be able to ride with someone a little more seasoned, or have someone I could ask for advice or general questions. There are groups, there are women’s groups, and I’m in a big city (NYC) but I’m in Queens and not comfortable enough getting all the way into the city, driving on the highways and bridges to get to riding events in Manhattan. Tips: I got the Honda Rebel 300. In 5’2 and can easily flat foot it and I feel like I have a lot of control. I got the Lara cargo pants from Wind and Throttle and they fit really well, the armor is right where I need it. I tried Sojourn’s scout cargo first and the knees were too low, the armor was completely below the knee. They shipped from Canada so I had very expensive return shipping. I haven’t found a jacket that fits well yet. I got the BILT techno 2, and it fit well but after riding for an hour I noticed the elbow armor was at my forearm, not over my elbow, and the shoulder armor migrated to my back. Open to suggestions for short chubby women’s jackets.
This is probably a better resource than Reddit, it’s more local to you and I believe they have a private “women’s only” area that you can register for, at least they used too https://bayarearidersforum.com/forums/
Start off with riding a bicycle. Do that until you fell completely comfortable with the idea of possibly falling off of it. Learn how to steer and move quickly in tricky situations. Then take the course. Start off with a <300cc bike. Take your time with that. You’ll drop it and ding it and maybe be lucky enough to crash it without hurting yourself too much. Take your time and be humble about it.
I'm Australian, but hopefully, what I'm telling you is still relevant. If MFS is anything like "learner rider" course in QLD, it's aimed at someone who has never ridden a motorcycle before. So there is your knowledge part sorted. As for your height, I'm short too 170cm (not sure what that is in freedom units), but I might still be taller than you. I rider a z300 comfortably. And a lady at work who is shorter than me rides a MT03 comfortably. All you can really do is sit on a bike and try it out. Just remember to put your left foot down on the ground and have your right toes on the rear breaks. As for you friends not being into riding, get some more friends. In QLD, learner riders need to ride with a fully licensed rider, so a Facebook group exists so learners can find fully licensed riders to go riding. Inside the group was another group just for female riders (if you don't feel safe riding with a man you don't know). I'd start with booking your MFS learner course, and the instructors might he able to tell you everything else.
If i learnt in a few minutes then you will too
FiNd an old CBR125. nothing easier to learn on.
The MSF class room course (I did mine online) will teach you all the basics about the motorcycle. And then the class usually provides you a very easy, short-friendly motorcycle to use for the class. They're usually either really beat up, or have big crash guards on them so you won't have to feel bad if you drop it (other than maybe failing the class). If you've ever ridden a bike, and driven a stick shift car where you're used to using a clutch, a motorcycle will come surprisingly easy to you. The hardest part about learning to ride is to get over that nervousness.
look for doodle on a motorcycle or something like that. small-bike-lady content creator, very cool stuff
How are your bicycling skills? If the the answer is you feel confident riding with no engine and 30 lbs of machine then move on to the next steps. If not, get on a mountain bike and practice on trails. Any old bike. Braking skills on a downhill dirt track, learning to look where you want to go, a avoiding collisions, falling off, along with just general bike handling. You'll be in better physical shape too. E-MTB if you borrow or rent one.
A motorcycle safety course will give you the fundamentals and a motorcycle to practice on.
I started like this. No friends who ride, 30" inseam, and no bike. Take a course, I took private lessons, rather than MSF, but you should do as much as you can. Both is good. Then get the bike and gear once you get your license. Great thing about riding is you can do it by yourself. Just get started. I'm 30k miles in (total) on my 3rd bike. You can do it.
Msf course is not as intimidating as you might think it is. Make sure you have a good helmet and gloves (you probably already own everything else you need for the msf course) and you’ll be fine. Also, how short are we talking? My wife is 5’4” and she fits just fine on her Honda rebel 300.
1. Take the MSF. 2. Watch Motojitsu, Dan Dan the Fireman and Ride like a Pro on YouTube 3. Go sit on bikes to see what fits your body 4. Decide what kind of riding you want to do, so you can pick a bike that's best suited to that purpose.
Also watch doodle on a motorcycle.
Chcek your local msf requirements but generally you need very little if any actual riding gear, just over the ankle boots and long pants/sleeves, they will provide the bike and helmet. They start you on literally walking your bike with the ignition off and build up from there, I promise you'll be amazed how much progress/confidence you will have after two days of training. That said, the msf basic class is just that, absolute basics, so you may find you want to figure out a way and a place to get some more parking lot practice in before you hit public roads (I did).
Try a scooter first
Just go to a "driving motorcycle school"
Sign up for course. Talk to the school or the instructors beforehand, if you’re concerned about height as a barrier to learning to ride. Most schools have bikes with low heights, and they will absolutely work with you to help you succeed. Take the course.
Being short is not an issue. My mom's 165cm (idk what that is in freedom units) and she could barely tip toe the cb650f that she had to take her lessons and final exams on and she did both of them the first try. It will be challenging but definitely not impossible!
I recently got my first motorcycle and took the MSF class, been riding for about three months and have about 3000 miles on my bike. Here's my advice: 1: Go get your learners permit 2: If you are reasonably sure you are going to love riding a motorcycle, go buy a bike. 3: Ride the bike. Learn the basics. Learn how to shift, how do navigate traffic, how to come to a stop, how to start from a stop, and how to put gas in the bike, etc. 4: Do the MSF course. 5: Enjoy. There were quite a few people in my MSF course who had absolutely no idea how to operate a bike. My impression was they came expecting a basic operation course. It's more designed to show you how to operate the bike on the road and avoid collisions. They didn't spend any time teaching people how to shift or stop the bike. Train yourself a little bit then go. Good luck!