What would you recommend for a learners/starter bike for the wife. She has her learners and wants a cruiser. 

Yamaha vstar seem pretty popular come in 400 & 650 I think. Lady that we ride with sometimes has. 650 Classic. Think they come with screen and saddlebags. Looks a bit like a mini Heritage. (sorry Heritage owners! Lol)
Seems to go ok and shes clocked up a few k's with no dramas.

If bike weight is an issue then I would look at a Virago, it is light, easy to handle, abundant, and pretty much bullet proof.

My wife got her license last year and she rides a Honda Shadow VT400. Not over powered (will sit at 100kph easy) and a full size frame (exactly the same as the 750) which means, to her at least, upgrading won't be a major culture shock. There are times when I get a bit jealous though; people will stop and talk about her bike and completely ignore mine.

I suppose the most important factor is, as it is to all of us, that she is comfortable on the bike; she has to ride it. Good luck.

The Honda VT400 and the V-Star 650 are both good choices, I'm not a fan of the 250 cruisers but there are several of them available.

In my opinion cruisers are supposed to have at least some torque and the 250 cruisers seem to buzz along and rely on revs.

http://www.huntermotorcycles.com.au/

Philthy

i had a honda vt400 as my first cruiser (started on honda vt250)

and it is light enough and easy to handle without the huge power and it looks like a big boy from the untrained eyes (not us harley riders)

 

 

Buy her a new Breakout dv8, just think of ALL the possibilities.

what ever you go with make sure you ride it first and get it on the highway to see how it feels at speed. Last thing she needs is a bike that feels weak and skitish

650 Yamaha V-star , plenty around .

Deffinately leaning towards the V-star 650 as the reasons GT1200 has mentioned.

here is a thought that may come from left field

What does your wife want?
Does size does she want?
manufacture?

it's is easy to pick a bike for the wife but is your style hers?
it will get expensive if you get her something she wont ride.

I have spent around $55,000 trying to get the right bike and now she is changing her mind on whether she wants to get her license at all.

Mate, when I read the title of this thread I thought you were considering swapping the bike for the wife? Hahaha, Got me thinking!! haha!