Newbie rider newbie KB

[naughty]

Hey Kiwibikers Ive recently taken up riding again and joined up as a KiwiBiker. I first got my leg over a bike (CB250RS :scooter: piece of shit) when I was 18 before I had a cage license. Did my leaners and restricted but didnt learn much about technique and consequently slid down the road. Brought a cage to keep my mum happy but regretted it ever since.

Two months ago my flatmate let me ride his 250 Hornet which I immediately fell in love with.:love: Fortunately it was for sale so it was a done deal, much to my mothers disgust.:nono: Got my full license last Monday, on the road again! :first: Since then I have joined the KB site and have met some really cool people and learnt heaps about how to ride and had great fun in the process. You fullas know who you are. Love our weekend rides over to the Oko and Thursdays good night for chillin out with a few beams. :ride: :ride: Had a wicked weekend up north with a fellow KB chik but on the way home my new chain parted company. Managed to keep the bike upright so minimal damage done. Pheew! Some random people stopped to help us and thanx to them and my KB mates got the bike fixed and back home. Cheers guys, you rock!:rockon:

I to have a problem though. I have short legs and I know Im not alone. Maybe someone can offer some advice to the short legged to avoid those shameful situations. If I put my foot in a hole or stop on sloping ground I have dropped my bike a few times. The result? Bent brake levers, scraped engine and lots of swearing :rofl: then "shit I feel like a dick.":shit: Aside from getting the seat lowered and watching where I stop can anyone offer any advice to keep my bike on its wheels?

I love my little Hornet, great bike to learn on, goes like stink (for a 250) and it is often mistaken for a 600 which of course I dont deny, who would? Even though I have a lot to learn and need to get heaps of experience under my belt but I am looking at upgrading at some stage maybe to a CBR 600.

Have a good night KBs cant make it to the pub tonight Im sick.:sick:

[crashe]

Welcome to KB

Yep, you have answered your own question re short legs and looking where you stop. That is all you can do...

If you can normally reach the ground flat footed when the bike is on level ground.... then in this situation as you pull up, judge the lay of the ground.... is it sloping to the left then tilt the bike to the right as you pull up to stop and plant the right foot down NOT the left foot. Cos there is no way your left foot will ever reach the ground.

But should you have to get off at that point, I would suggest finding another parking spot cos all bikes lean to the left on the side stand and therefore the bike will be on a hell of a lean.... so find another parking spot....

But if say you are pulling up to a intersection etc..... and the lay of the land is sloping left... then plant your right foot on the ground and the bike will/may be tilted slightly to the right... but you should be able to hold it upright and be ready to take off... in that situation leave it in 1st gear.

Hope that helps.

[moT]

go to a track day next well worth it

[naughty]

Unfortunately I can only get the ball of my foot down on the ground on a flat surface. When I look for a new bike I hope I can get one a bit lower than my current bike. Your advice is all good, just a matter of getting into the habit of quick thinking when you stop eh. Cheers Crashe.

[naughty]

Your shittin me arent you im a newbie! I have to get serious experience before I do that

[crashe]

Unfortunately I can only get the ball of my foot down on the ground on a flat surface. When I look for a new bike I hope I can get one a bit lower than my current bike. Your advice is all good, just a matter of getting into the habit of quick thinking when you stop eh. Cheers Crashe.

Can you get the bike lowered any more?
Ask one of the KB riders that you hang out with in your area.
Or pop into a bike shop and ask them if it can be lowered any more.


Otherwise get the soles of your riding boots built up even half a inch will help heaps.


Or maybe buy a cruiser then you will have no troubles reaching the ground.

[naughty]

I can get my seat lowered but Id rather learn not to do it if I can otherwise I will be doing it to every bike I own. It is a new rider thing isnt it? Not a bad idea about the boots though, have to look into that

[naughty]

No cruiser - me like sport bike!

[crashe]

I can get my seat lowered but Id rather learn not to do it if I can otherwise I will be doing it to every bike I own. It is a new rider thing isnt it? Not a bad idea about the boots though, have to look into that

Cos you are shortish...... no matter what bike you buy you probably will have to lower the bike...... unless its a cruiser..... but you cant be swayed over to the good side and buy one :rofl:

But you may be lucky and find another bike that you can fit.... but in this situation you just may have to get it lowered... until you get used to it... and then raise it back up a little at a time..

BTW just how tall are you (in feet an inches)

[naughty]

Im actually not that short just got tidler legs and long back. Im 5"7 and taller than my mate but we have same length legs. Damn you mum!

[naughty]

& I definitely cant be swayed to the other side, sorry

[crashe]

Im actually not that short just got tidler legs and long back. Im 5"7 and taller than my mate but we have same length legs. Damn you mum!

Awwwww its not your mummy's fault....:dodge:
Yep if you have short legs it is that much harder to find a bike that you can reach the ground on.
Hell I am 4 foot 12inches tall..... so I find it much harder than you ever will.
Just as well I love cruiser bikes.


& I definitely cant be swayed to the other side, sorry

Thats ok I understand....... just like you could never get me to buy a sportbike.

[Biff]

Or maybe buy a cruiser then you will have no troubles reaching the ground.

Stop it girl, you're trying to convert people again. You can't - It's like convincing a straight guy or girl that they're gay. You either like it or you don't. Or if you're undecided you ride a Ducati.



Welcome dude.

[jafar]

& I definitely cant be swayed to the other side, sorry

How do you know unless you try one? :scooter:
Trainer wheels might help :dodge:

[naughty]

[QUOTE=crashe;1068578]Awwwww its not your mummy's fault....:dodge:
Yep if you have short legs it is that much harder to find a bike that you can reach the ground on.
Hell I am 4 foot 12inches tall..... so I find it much harder than you ever will.
Just as well I love cruiser bikes.

Are you serious? No wonder you ride cruisers. Thats not an insult thats like, you poor bugger you cant ride sport bikes. I bet you would if you could.

[naughty]

Yep if you have short legs it is that much harder to find a bike that you can reach the ground on.
Hell I am 4 foot 12inches tall..... so I find it much harder than you ever will.
Just as well I love cruiser bikes.

Are you serious? No wonder you ride cruisers. Thats not an insult thats like, you poor bugger you cant ride sport bikes. I bet you would if you could.

Yes it is my mummys fault shes responsible for the short legs

[naughty]

:Offtopic: Hey how do you get the quote in the border? Tried the quote tab

[crashe]

Thats ok I understand....... just like you could never get me to buy a sportbike.


Stop it girl, you're trying to convert people again. You can't - It's like convincing a straight guy or girl that they're gay. You either like it or you don't. Or if you're undecided you ride a Ducati.
Welcome dude.

Awwwwww mate you missed my above post....... :dodge:


Are you serious? No wonder you ride cruisers. Thats not an insult thats like, you poor bugger you cant ride sport bikes. I bet you would if you could.

Yep deadly serious about my height..... and I didnt eat all my greens as a kid :rofl:
But I did smoke at a young age.... and stopped early so maybe thats why aye... :rofl:

Nope I saw the movie "Easy Rider" years ago and that was it for me....
Just love cruisers.

Only sportbike that I could reach the ground on was Indy's CBR250cc bike before he raised it back up... I could reach the handgrips comfy as well..
But in all honestly, I love the cruisers....

I was joking about you riding a cruiser.... cos you know if you like them or not.

I have sat on many sportbikes..... and have either one leg dangling away or both legs.... sat on McJim's ducati yesterday...... legs swinging in the breeze.

[crashe]

:Offtopic: Hey how do you get the quote in the border? Tried the quote tab

Hit the quote button.......

just make sure that you dont accidently back space off the words etc.

You need this at the beginning [ QUOTE=kb name] and after the quote you need [/QUOTE ]

please note that I have put a space in after the first [ and inbetween the kb and name and then before the last] so that you can see what is required.

[naughty]

Stop it girl, you're trying to convert people again. You can't - It's like convincing a straight guy or girl that they're gay. You either like it or you don't. Or if you're undecided you ride a Ducati.



Welcome dude.


Sorry dude didnt see ya there. Id rather ride a ducati than a cruiser in fact Id rather ride a ducati than my bike so stop bashn them eh

[naughty]

Hit the quote button.......

just make sure that you dont accidently back space off the words etc.

You need this at the beginning [ QUOTE=kb name] and after the quote you need [/QUOTE ]

please note that I have put a space in after the first [ and inbetween the kb and name and then before the last] so that you can see what is required.

It showed the brackets and shit before but got it now thanx.

[naughty]

Awwwwww mate you missed my above post....... :dodge:



Yep deadly serious about my height..... and I didnt eat all my greens as a kid :rofl:
But I did smoke at a young age.... and stopped early so maybe thats why aye... :rofl:

Nope I saw the movie "Easy Rider" years ago and that was it for me....
Just love cruisers.

Only sportbike that I could reach the ground on was Indy's CBR250cc bike before he raised it back up... I could reach the handgrips comfy as well..
But in all honestly, I love the cruisers....

I was joking about you riding a cruiser.... cos you know if you like them or not.

I have sat on many sportbikes..... and have either one leg dangling away or both legs.... sat on McJim's ducati yesterday...... legs swinging in the breeze.

Shit, is lucky for you ya dont like sport bikes then aye. To be honest I have ridden a cruiser and quite liked it but nah maybe when Im too old to go fast

[crashe]

Shit, is lucky for you ya dont like sport bikes then aye. To be honest I have ridden a cruiser and quite liked it but nah maybe when Im too old to go fast


Yeah I reckon :rofl:

When I can no longer ride a cruiser.... then I will go to a trike...... cos they are also cool...... I reckon that they would be just damned hard to lane split on them thou. :innocent:

[naughty]

Yeah I reckon :rofl:

When I can no longer ride a cruiser.... then I will go to a trike...... cos they are also cool...... I reckon that they would be just damned hard to lane split on them thou. :innocent:

Mmm true they are quite cool. About as hard as a cage to lane split tho. After Ive been riding my bike heaps I get in my cage and think Im on my bike and Im looking to see where I can lane split...not good:nono:

[crashe]

Mmm true they are quite cool. About as hard as a cage to lane split tho. After Ive been riding my bike heaps I get in my cage and think Im on my bike and Im looking to see where I can lane split...not good:nono:

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:





yep me too..... :shit:

[naughty]

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:





yep me too..... :shit:

Shit thats good Im pleased Im not alone with that dilema :laugh:

[Hellraiser]

Id rather ride a ducati than my bike so stop bashn them eh

In that case you won't be doing too much riding and you'll need a second job in order to pay for the repairs .......

[Trudes]

Cos you are shortish...... no matter what bike you buy you probably will have to lower the bike...... unless its a cruiser
But you may be lucky and find another bike that you can fit.... but in this situation you just may have to get it lowered... until you get used to it... and then raise it back up a little at a time..



This is very good advice! Maybe look at lowering it for a few months until you're confident on it and have learnt to ride it and judge lean angles etc, then pop it back up to get you ready for a bigger bike. Remember too, bigger bikes are often heavier and harder to keep upright on tippy toes (believe me!). The good thing about a lot of the sports bikes though is that some are quite light, massive difference in weight between my hornet and my hubby's GSXR 750! I'm a shortarse and had to lower mine cause it was tippy toes all the way. :mellow:

[naughty]

In that case you won't be doing too much riding and you'll need a second job in order to pay for the repairs .......

Id love to have a Ducati but I wouldnt precisely because of those reasons. Nice bike but out of my league Im afraid.

[naughty]

This is very good advice! Maybe look at lowering it for a few months until you're confident on it and have learnt to ride it and judge lean angles etc, then pop it back up to get you ready for a bigger bike. Remember too, bigger bikes are often heavier and harder to keep upright on tippy toes (believe me!). The good thing about a lot of the sports bikes though is that some are quite light, massive difference in weight between my hornet and my hubby's GSXR 750! I'm a shortarse and had to lower mine cause it was tippy toes all the way. :mellow:

I think Im going to be quite limited to what I can move up to because of this problem unless I lower the new bike as well. I did sit on a VFR750 the other day and it was actually lower than my 250 Hornet so who knows. How do you like your Hornet and has it solved the problem for you? Can you remember how much it cost you to lower it?

[Trudes]

I think Im going to be quite limited to what I can move up to because of this problem unless I lower the new bike as well. I did sit on a VFR750 the other day and it was actually lower than my 250 Hornet so who knows. How do you like your Hornet and has it solved the problem for you? Can you remember how much it cost you to lower it?

The GSXR is lower than my Hornet in a stock state, which is quite cool!
Love my Hornet, didn't so much until I had it lower however, 190+ kilos on tip toe can be a bit of a mission and took a lot of thought about where to park etc, lowering it has fixed most of those probs though. I had my seat done by McDonald's trimer's (in Tauranga, which is handy for you!), cost $500, but made it a lot more comfy and dropped the seat height by about about an inch. Had my rear shock swapped to a specially designed Ohlins shock to make it lower, improved the handling also which was great too, about $1400 to do that, so I wouldn't necessarily recommend doing that unless you're keen to keep the bike for a while! The seat would probably be the best way to lower it enough for you to feel more comfy!
Good luck chick, let us know how you get on!

[naughty]

The GSXR is lower than my Hornet in a stock state, which is quite cool!
Love my Hornet, didn't so much until I had it lower however, 190+ kilos on tip toe can be a bit of a mission and took a lot of thought about where to park etc, lowering it has fixed most of those probs though. I had my seat done by McDonald's trimer's (in Tauranga, which is handy for you!), cost $500, but made it a lot more comfy and dropped the seat height by about about an inch. Had my rear shock swapped to a specially designed Ohlins shock to make it lower, improved the handling also which was great too, about $1400 to do that, so I wouldn't necessarily recommend doing that unless you're keen to keep the bike for a while! The seat would probably be the best way to lower it enough for you to feel more comfy!
Good luck chick, let us know how you get on!

I have heard of McDonalds through the KB guys in Tga so thats definetely an option. Add it to the list of things to do and buy for the bike! Interesting that your GSXR is lower, it gives me hope for my next bike. Hey its been good chatting and thanx for the advice Mrs Kendog.:) :)

[gijoe1313]

I can't believe it's taken me this long to say :woohoo: another hornet rider! Congrats on your new ride and I hope you've been having a passel o'fun with it! :yes:

Sounds like you're well placed for handy advice for it, but if you ever need another opinion just drop me a PM! I'm mad on hornets I am! :love: :innocent:

As for lowering them, I've never had to solve that problem before :scratch: but Mrs.Kendog has been there and done it! :yes:

Hope to see your ride one day when I'm out your way on a pootle! :scooter:

[naughty]

I can't believe it's taken me this long to say :woohoo: another hornet rider! Congrats on your new ride and I hope you've been having a passel o'fun with it! :yes:

Sounds like you're well placed for handy advice for it, but if you ever need another opinion just drop me a PM! I'm mad on hornets I am! :love: :innocent:

As for lowering them, I've never had to solve that problem before :scratch: but Mrs.Kendog has been there and done it! :yes:

Hope to see your ride one day when I'm out your way on a pootle! :scooter:


Hey hornet rider howz it going? Cheers for that, good to know someone else with a hornet that I can pick brains. Great bike eh Im learning so much from it. Was ringing the arse end off it up the kaimais today, wicked fun! :2thumbsup Ive seen your the pic of your bike, looks really mint, like the two pipes out the back.