There nice bikes and would be a great starter bike very reliable. I had one once upon a time it sits low and comfortable to ride. Getting a smaller bike is not always the best idea it can sour people as they suck in the wind and traffic.and this bike is very predictable.
The Magna only weighs 72 lbs less than a VMax. For a beginning rider, tipping-over is almost a guaranteed incident. Long bone fractures, broken ankles and feet and/or much bruising could result. Not only would such an incident mean financial hardship and possible permanent damage, it would quickly end any enthusiasm to 'get back-on the horse' post-recovery.
Yes, buy it if you can afford it. Keep it for when she's ready to graduate to it. I still say a ~ 400 lb. bike is going to be much more friendly to a neophyte rider, both for ease of control, and in the event a tip-over occurs.
I also believe anyone who wants to ride on the street should ride off-road first, as they learn a lot more about traction and effective braking in low-traction situations. Falling-off is a lot less painful in the dirt, speeds are much-lower, and the bike doesn't take the same beating as it would after low-siding, or (I hope not!) a high-side. Turning and braking in the dirt is easily-equated to rain-slicked pavement riding, and the 'muscle-memory' is more-quickly developed in the dirt, so the new rider will have a better potential of doing the correct thing instead of locking-up the brakes, keeping them locked (assume no ABS here) and riding straight-off the curved road, or dumping it because of oily pavement, anti-freeze, whatever upsets the equilibrium.
I don't know if 'Top Gear' or anyone else ever did it, but I bet trying to educate two new riders, and one gets off-road training, and then transitions to road riding, vs. the one who is 'pavement-only,' the off-road experienced rider would perform better in an evaluation of skills like braking, rapid lane changes, and overall confidence behind the bars, or a 'follow-behind' to judge the operator's small and large mistakes.
