Feet Can't Touch The Ground?

**Two Smoker** · 19th June 2005, 20:21

IM 6 foot and find myself on tippy toes sometimes on my GSXR600...

**Big Dog** · 19th June 2005, 22:13

My only issue seems to be finding a bike that does not make me look like a learner.

Skill set aside many desirable bikes look rediculously small on me.

They kind of remind me of a famous womans quote "does this make my arse look big?"

**Gremlin** · 20th June 2005, 01:32

At 6"3, and long legged its no problem straddling a bike, its trying to get the feet comfortably onto the pegs thats the issue.

I only love sportsbikes, and jap learners were not really made for 6+ footers.

Can't wait to move up to a bigger bike.

**XP@** · 20th June 2005, 10:20

5'4"

I would ride the tallest of bikes, to buy a bike where neither foot can touch, at the lowest stock setting, without sliding would probably be out of the question. It did take a little while to get used to taller bikes though.

My prob is I like tall bikes so I have learned to adjust to minor inconvieniences.

1. Be able to Pick up a big bike easily
2. learn to ride real slow, so at traffic lights I can avoid putting my feet down.
3. Get on when the bike is on the centre stand
4. learn how to get on from the right hand side. (right foot on right foot peg then swing left over)
5. rolling start. (demo on featherston street most nights at 5pm)

The aparent height of your bike will increase if you are touring or you are wearing winter / wet gear. So if you can get one foot down normally, in wets you may be on your tip toes, or when your luggage is loaded, swinging your foot over the seat may be impossible.

**Zed** · 20th June 2005, 17:51

Originally Posted by Big Dog

My only issue seems to be finding a bike that does not make me look like a learner.

Skill set aside many desirable bikes look rediculously small on me.

They kind of remind me of a famous womans quote "does this make my arse look big?"

So you go out and buy a brand new Hayabusa!!!

I have no sympathy for you.

**FlyingDutchMan** · 21st June 2005, 11:57

I'm 6'6" and can flat foot my bike on the pillion seat. I don't seem to have problems with confort on my wee 250 & can go for several hundred ks without getting sore wrists/arms/back/legs. Only problem is that knees have tendancy to hit the fairings over bumps and during stoppies, and I managed to crack one once

**DingDong** · 22nd June 2005, 20:18

Yes, I would play with the bike of my dreams to make it fit me... within reason.

**Jabez** · 22nd June 2005, 20:26

At 6'1" don't have any issue with bike hight, although I am probably a sight riding my wifes FX125!!

**justsomeguy** · 22nd June 2005, 20:45

Bout 5"10 and long legs..... I've sat on at least 10 diff kinds of bikes even one cruiser and they all fit me ok..... only bike I had a prob with was a CBR250RR felt like I was riding a minimoto......

a ZXR250 feels only a little bigger.....

Hey anyone own a TRX850??

I wanna see how that fits me for size

**Big Dog** · 22nd June 2005, 21:54

Originally Posted by Zed

So you go out and buy a brand new Hayabusa!!!

I have no sympathy for you.

Under life pillions instructions even lol.

**Beemer** · 24th June 2005, 17:14

Originally Posted by Motu

These days I seem to have restricted hip movement and don't like tall heavy bikes - both my Yamaha's have a 865mm seat and that's a good compromise for me, that's 2 balls or one flat foot.

Wow, Motu, I've heard of riding by the seat of your pants, but I'm sure I'm not the only one who's impressed to hear you can get two balls on the ground - LOL!

I'm 5'1" but built for a Ducati - short legs and long arms! My legs must belong to a midget methinks... So the main problem for me is seat width rather than seat height. I rode a Honda XRB200 around the South Island a few years ago and could only just touch the ground even with it lowered, but the bike was really skinny and only weighed about 113kg so I didn't have any problems. My RG150 was lowered (forks shot and something else done too) and I had heaps more confidence once that was done. The Beemer is a little wide and heavy for me - which is why I'm selling it. The seat height is just 780mm but the seat width is probably double the RG. I'm on tip-toes and even with a longer set of linkages, I can only just touch the balls of my feet, so I still find the weight a problem when stopping on slopes. The Goose is pretty much THE bike for me - the seat height is the same as the Beemer, but it's really narrow (not much padding in it either!) and I can get my feet almost flat. Great confidence booster - which means I'll ride it more.

Oh to be even 5'4" - what a difference that would make! My husband isn't overly tall but he has been riding for years and does a lot of dirt riding too, so he has the confidence to ride just about anything. That's the big thing - the more experience you have, the less intimidated you are by a bike's seat height.

**mstriumph** · 12th July 2005, 14:06

sorry - only just joined .. but this is an interesting thread and no-body seems to have come at it from my point of view soooo - with your indulgence i'll add my 2 centsworth [intro over lol].

I'm 5'11"ish with probably disproportionatly long legs [and no talent for spelling whatsoever

] and past trouble with accommodating my knees to fairings/ feet to pegs etc - I've often wondered if this is a large part of the reason i've stuck with classic bikes... so easy just to sliiiiide one's rearend back along the saddle and 'voila' instant fit!

**justsomeguy** · 12th July 2005, 14:20

Originally Posted by mstriumph

sorry - only just joined .. but this is an interesting thread and no-body seems to have come at it from my point of view soooo - with your indulgence i'll add my 2 centsworth [intro over lol].

I'm 5'11"ish with probably disproportionatly long legs [and no talent for spelling whatsoever

] and past trouble with accommodating my knees to fairings/ feet to pegs etc - I've often wondered if this is a large part of the reason i've stuck with classic bikes... so easy just to sliiiiide one's rearend back along the saddle and 'voila' instant fit!

I'm pretty much the same as you - you'll find that after a few rides you'll adapt

**Beemer** · 12th July 2005, 15:14

Now, if there was only some way of taking a few inches off the length of your legs and adding them to mine, we'd all be happy!

I had to be the shortest one in our family - and - apart from my brother - the only one who rides bikes. Most of my nieces and nephews are tall too - and only one rides bikes - not fair!