hi there im looking to buy a beginners bike for a friend it will be her 1st bike

she will take the safety motorcycle course.

DOES ANYONE RECCOMEND THE SUZUKI  GZ 250

The GZ 250 consistently ranks higher than the Honda rebel. It ranks higher with instructors. I have sat on both the Rebel and the GZ, and the GZ feels bigger. Wider front tire, a bit more comfortable riding position (I'm 5' 11"").

The GZ 250 is actually a lot more like our Savage than the Rebel. Power is reportedly better at low and mid-range speeds but the bike (like all 250's) suffers in the 55+MPH zone. Wheel base is the same as the rebel, and the GZ is only a few lbs heavier. The Rebel gets better milage by more than 10%.

Overall, the GZ felt pretty comfy to me. I only took it around the parking lot, but it handled well at low speeds. Seems like a very nice beginner bike.

Here's a link that may be helpful.
http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/beginner-motorcycles-comparison-honda-250-re...

Boogie_with_Stu wrote on 07/24/15 at 22:21:03:

Buncha pictures, no actual article
I had a rebel250, it was a good around town bike and would do highway riding (It was WFO at 70 with me on it, but it'd do that all day)
Honestly, the Sagave and the Rebel are almost of a size / weight, just the savage has more motor (and a few more lbs)
I can't speak on the GZ, never been on one, but I doubt a single is as fast as a twin, most singles in the 250 range I've been on are all in at 60 or so
The TU 250 I like the looks of, as I really prefer Standards to Cruisers, but can't speak to it's performance

If there is anything you can do to get her some dirt bike riding experience
it will help.And since she is so small, definitely start with the bike that won't drag her down if it leans a bit . I dropped or nearly dropped the Zuki several times as I stopped, sand in the road, front brake, going so slowly I was standing over the thing. Or, foot down on loose gravel,

I sat on the v-star 250 and it felt absolutely tiny to me but very heavy. I haven't ridden any of the three. The rebel felt ok...a little small but ok. It's a typical Honda. It might not be the prettiest or the fastest but it just keeps on going. I have never actually seen a GZ or TU in person. The reviews are all good. They all say it is not good for anything but short highway rides but is great around town.

Give some serious thought to the Ninja 250. Like Dave said, it's docile and predictable at the lower revs. It handles great. Great mileage. Dependable, plentiful, cheap. And, it is quite capable on the highway although a little buzzy. I'm 6'1" with a 33" inseam...feels a little crunched up but is still a nice ride.  It's sprung for a light-weight so the suspension tuning should fit her well too. Iron Butt challenges have been done and completed on it.

I have owned both the rebel 250 and the gz 250, both are about the same in size, the rebel was shall I say, problematic with breathing issues for the carb and tended to be sluggish at times.
the GZ 250 I never had a problem with, except that after 55mph, you had better be going downhill to get anymore speed.
After I removed the rebels air filter and just let it breathe it would run 65 all day long (but I wouldn't do that, poor thing was screamin' its guts out), I actually broke the speedo cable at the wheel running it flat out.
The GZ was a bit more comfortable to ride (i'm 5' 10", 170ish lb.) and "looked" like a bigger bike from a distance, but when you sat on it, you realized it wasn't big at all.
I think both bikes would suit her well as a beginner bike.
Just get one in fairly good condition so you can get a good return for you money when she gets a larger CC bike.
LOL, I actually miss both those bikes, I drilled out the exhaust on the GZ and it was slightly peppier, and when I removed the rebels air filter, it ran better.
Its a toss up, but out of the two, I would probably go with the GZ, as I never had a running issue with it.

Of the 4 baby bikes listed, in order, the value for dollar is Ninja, Rebel, V-Star, GZ.

It is almost impossible to kill the baby Kawasaki or the Rebel. The V-Star can be tempermental. The GZ, like all Suzuki cruisers, needs a lot of tlc and tinkering to make it dependable.

In today's market, the Savage, the VLX600, and the V-Star 650 are the beginner cruisers. Of those 3, bang for the buck is VLX for its reliabilty, but, it can't get out of its own way. Nicer frame, nicer tins, more aesthetically "correct" powertrain. That said, I currently have 2 Savages. Much more user friendly in terms of ergonomic modifications. I wouldn't have a 650 V-Star on a dare, an 85cc 2 stroke will hand it its ass.