Need advice on new bike for low height

[sanjuro]

Lean it over. And practice it both ways so you won't fall on the right/left side.

 

[R6Elmo]

for new bikes the GSXR line up is the shortest and with what seems to be the most narrow seats. I'm 5'6 on a good day so I'm sure my legs are shorter than you. get used to leaning the bike over to flat one foot, or tippy toeing..it' snot that bad once you get used to it. I wouldn't sacrifice i truly want because of seat height. Once you get used to it you open up your choices significantly.

 

[EjGlows]

I share with you:

[youtube]kRFyw57o_Ic[/youtube]

This guy is 5' 5" and rides a BMW GS/A (which most folks at 6' 2" can't flat foot!)

Well done!

There is no solution other than learning the skills to maneuver a bike while only on one foot...or getting off the bike and moving it around. I'm 5'2" and rarely discount any bike as a possibility with the proper suspension settings. Hell, full sag on most bikes will allow me to get the balls of my feet down...errrr....at least one foot

 

[mototireguy]

Curious to see what this shorty rider does in stop-n-go traffic.

I share with you:

[youtube]kRFyw57o_Ic[/youtube]

This guy is 5' 5" and rides a BMW GS/A (which most folks at 6' 2" can't flat foot!)

 

[stan23]

He's got other videos where he shows himself stopped and he's got like his big toe on the ground and that's about it.

 

[ahnh666]

does he ride standing the whole time?..or, it just looks like that because he legs are too short?

He's got other videos where he shows himself stopped and he's got like his big toe on the ground and that's about it.

 

[REDPINE]

Gixxer 600

What you are hearing is true. Before I bought my 07 FZ1, I had an 04 FZ6. I am five five and I do the one foot down in stop and go traffic. but before buying both of these bikes I tried em all and the Suzuki Gixxers have the stock ready to ride height and narrow seat for the vertically challenged. I felt very comfortable on that bike but liked the overall ride of the FZ. Both of these bikes are manageable and still fast and comfortable. the FZ6R has about 20 less hp than the FZ6 and if that all you want it's a cool bike. Also a friend has an SV650 and that bike is a great all around bike with comfortable seat height too.

Good Luck!!

 

[Roadstergal]

I am 5'8"

Tall f*cker.

I want to move to a bike that is faster

Do you want a sprotbile? Or do you want a bike that does everything your current one does - upright, comfy, low-maintenace, good on the street - but better and more modern? If the latter, I'd look at the FZ6 non-R and the Ninja 650. The Ninja 650 is an upright faired standard with a fuel-injected parallel twin, just like your 500F, while the FZ6 is a fuel-injected half-faired I-4 standard.

What type of riding are you doing, and what type of riding are you anticipating doing?


(As mentioned, flatfooting is overrated. Practice riding your current bike with only your left foot down at stops until you're comfortable and confident riding that way. It's all about confidence, so build it on the bike you're already comfortable on, and then you can take it to bigger bikes.)

 

[ThumperX]

I'm sorry





























really, if you need to flatfoot actually touch the ground with some part of both feet at the same time you are truly limiting your opportunities.

 

[iehawk]

OP might be newer to riding.

Eventually, you'll realize that you don't need to flatfoot on either side. One foot (or both) with the ball of the foot planted is good. One side pretty much just stabilizing the bike. Eventually, you'll get used to even with only one foot on the ground, not necessarily flat foot.

I've ridden the R1200 GSA, it is one intimidating bike; and at stop I usually only have one foot (not flat) on the ground. Just have to get used to it.

Back to the topic... sportbikes with lower seats... aren't the liter bikes usually lower than the 600s? arty

 

[kurth83]

Technically, to be legal you must be able to touch the ground with both feet.

How much of each foot is unspecified. So tip-toes is probably fine.

 

[davidji]

Curious to see what this shorty rider does in stop-n-go traffic.

I think you're OK once you're off the stand. As long as you haven't filtered too close to lean a bit when stopped. Not sure until I try I guess.

I don't have long legs but I've been OK with every bike I've sat on or ridden including some that people with my inseam or longer have lowered. Until I sat on a Big Red Pig. Couldn't lift it off the side stand while on the seat. I guess I could learn that technique in the video if I had to.

 

[GearChic]

Hmm.

Hi All,

I currently own a gs500F which is a perfect height for me. I am 5'8" and I tried sitting on my friends cbr600rr and I was shocked at the seat height difference. I could only keep one foot flat on the floor with the other hardly tip toeing the floor. I want to move to a bike that is faster, but is there any that will fit my height well? I was looking at r6, cbr600, and buell xb9. Is there any other bikes like these which might have lower seat heights. I know I can lower the suspension and seat height a little, but I was hoping for something that might be lower stock.

Thanks

If I can comfortably ride all of those bikes with a 28" inseam, then surely there must be something out there for you!

 

[ThumperX]

Technically, to be legal you must be able to touch the ground with both feet.

How much of each foot is unspecified. So tip-toes is probably fine.

Anyone?

 

[Oh My Sack!]

You can change the dog bones on just about any bike to lower the ass-end. In order to maintain proper steering geometry, you should do the same to the fork at an equal amount. It's a pretty common thing on many Sport/Tour bikes. It will reduce your clearance a bit but it would likely be negligible.

My FJR had Kouba lowering links (dogbones) when I bought it. I rode the bike like that for 2 years before I just recently returned the suspension back to it's OEM ride height. If I hit a speed bump relatively fast, it would bottom on the center stand. Other than that, it was fine.

 

[Maygoddess]

I have a 2009 Gixxer 600. I am female 5'5" and my inseam I believe is just about 30". The seat height is 31.9 on this year. When it was stock, I could touch both sides with ball of my feet. I am sorry..I am NOT in the school of comfort when I can just learn to lean it to one side to touch. Had enough drops on that bike because the weight would shift to one side and my one leg could not hold it and blam..tipped. One even street surface...fine..but when I come to a dip in the road..parking lot or whatever..different story. I tried different boots with wedge heels of all types.

Once the suspension was adjusted to my weight..that helped to "lower" it a bit as I sat on it. I didn't want to resort to lowering link..so I shaved the seat down 1" and that helped ALOT! That one inch made worlds of difference to the point I could tripod my legs out further which leads to great stability and I have caught many possible drops because my legs were more firmly planted down. Less "inseam challenged" folks don't "get it" when I talk about being able to tripod out. I sweated taking that bike out of the garage every time as I expected to drop it.
I have taken that bike on the track 5x now and have had no issues with it. I can use my practically flat Sidi track boots with no problem. For street riding, I love the Daytona Daystars (called Ladystars if yer feet are smaller than a size 10)..they have built in heel lift..love them.

But this is me and my limited experience and what works for ME! Noone will convince me to personally just try and learn to side saddle it or lean it over to touch one side..didn't work for me and my confidence level..now i LOVE the bike and stopped dropping that poor bike!!


good luck with whatever you choose!!

 

[kurth83]

Anyone?

CA vehicle code:
"27801. A person shall not drive a two-wheel motorcycle that is
equipped with either of the following:
(a) A seat so positioned that the driver, when sitting astride the
seat, cannot reach the ground with his or her feet."

"feet" plural is pretty clear.

This comes up every once in a while here on BARF.

I have never known this code to be enforced, but figured y'all should at least know about it.

 

[ThumperX]

It's been debated in the LEO forum and some are of the school that either foot of a pair of feet is how the code in interpreted.

 

[VicoC]

Get a gxsr is probably the best or you can go really high and upgrade to a busa is actually low.

 

[msincredible]

"Feet" isn't the same as "both feet at the same time". On my XCountry, I can touch one toe, or the other toe.