Lowering a bike so that your feet touch

**<G>** · 29th May 2007, 18:49

the ground. Has anyone done that? I'm 5 foot and have a problem when I move up from my Eliminator 250cc.

I sat on a Kawasaki 750, first have climb up and then my feet dangle way above the ground - even when I sat on a lowered one.

I'm looking at getting a Kawasaki ER6N, feet touch on the very tips of my boots. They say they can lower it (and the 750) but I would like to hear from anyone who has lowered their bike.

I don't like cruisers feet positions so not interested in any of those, although they have they ideal seat height.

I don't usually mind being short but I can see that taking a bike out for a test ride is going to be a mission, I'm going to need somebody behind me to put their feet down when we come to a stop

**Trudes** · 29th May 2007, 18:57

I feel your pain and frustration. My mum always told me that good things come in small packages, and as much as she was right, it's a pain in the arse when you want to ride a bike!
Check out this recent thread, and some advice I gave a fellow shortarse!
Good luck, hope it helps, feel free to ask more questions if you like and others may have some different ideas for you also. Different bikes have different ways of lowering the suspension etc also.

**ajturbo** · 29th May 2007, 19:21

it would be good to touch the ground on the buell....

**johnnyflash** · 29th May 2007, 19:26

Originally Posted by Imanoobie2

the ground. Has anyone done that? I'm 5 foot and have a problem when I move up from my Eliminator 250cc.

I sat on a Kawasaki 750, first have climb up and then my feet dangle way above the ground - even when I sat on a lowered one.

I'm looking at getting a Kawasaki ER6N, feet touch on the very tips of my boots. They say they can lower it (and the 750) but I would like to hear from anyone who has lowered their bike.

I don't like cruisers feet positions so not interested in any of those, although they have they ideal seat height.

I don't usually mind being short but I can see that taking a bike out for a test ride is going to be a mission, I'm going to need somebody behind me to put their feet down when we come to a stop

hmm, you could always look at a cruiser and MOVE the foot pegs :-) even if you lowered a sporty bike then u end up being close to ground and have same problem a cruiser has, pegs/boards hit tarmac real easy :-(

**kiwifruit** · 29th May 2007, 19:26

you only need one foot on the ground when stationary
mate of mine is 5 foot even, rides a zxr6rr no probs....

just slide yourself off to one side, the downhill side should it apply

**Hitcher** · 29th May 2007, 20:30

1. Bike salespeople always say that a bike can be lowered. This task becomes inordinately more complex once you have purchased the bike. Don't trust them. They just want to sell you a bike.

2. Before you start fannying around with suspension and dropping forks through triple clamps, get the seat lowered. You may only gain a centimetre or two, but it's a start. Don't get some cowboy foam trimmer to butcher your seat, go to McDonalds in Tauranga.

3. Go to a decent cobblers and get the soles of your boots built up a couple of centimetres. Make sure the instep doesn't get too confined by this process so your boots get pegged to the pegs.

4. If all of the above haven't helped, seek professional advice from a somebody who really knows how to measure and adjust a bike's suspension. Geometry of a bike didn't happen by accident. Mess with it at your peril!

**Joni** · 29th May 2007, 20:32

Madduck had her SV650 lowered... pop her a pm, she will know the ins and outs, and what to avoid!

**Motu** · 29th May 2007, 21:14

Sportster Hugger,660mm.Harley have been making lowered bikes for short people since the '60's - how come no other manufacturer has bothered?

**moT** · 29th May 2007, 21:16

i new a guy who knew a midget who rode a r1 u think u have problems

**thehollowmen** · 29th May 2007, 21:40

Originally Posted by Tom

i new a guy who knew a midget who rode a r1 u think u have problems

Yeah, a vertically challanged guy at the chch hospital rides this sweet R6.
He has great big cahoonies

**MotoGirl** · 29th May 2007, 22:30

I've lowered all three of my bikes (VTR1000, GSX-R1000 and RSVR1000) and I'm only 164cm tall.

You could use a different method to lower each style of bike; that is, how you lower a cruiser would be different to lowering a sportsbike.

How you lower the bike will depend on the type of bike and your budget. It will also depend on how much you need to lower the bike.

I've modified these things on my bikes:
- The seat to reduce height and width (all of my bikes)
- Stock shock rebuilt to give lower ride height (VTR)
- After market dogbones (Gixxer lowered an inch, we've also lowered a Hayabusa 3 inches)
With the second and third methods you would need to drop the front forks through the triple clamp to even it up.

You could also consider an after market shock such as Ohlins with ride-height adjustment.

**MotoGirl** · 29th May 2007, 22:34

Originally Posted by kiwifruit

you only need one foot on the ground when stationary
mate of mine is 5 foot even, rides a zxr6rr no probs....

just slide yourself off to one side, the downhill side should it apply

I disagree with that somewhat. It's fine and dandy using one foot to hold yourself up on flat ground in nice weather. It's a bitch maneuvering the bike on uneven ground or holding it up when the wind is blasting you from both directions.

**Disco Dan** · 29th May 2007, 22:37

Originally Posted by Hitcher

2. Before you start fannying around with suspension and dropping forks through triple clamps, get the seat lowered. You may only gain a centimetre or two, but it's a start. Don't get some cowboy foam trimmer to butcher your seat, go to McDonalds in Tauranga.

havent heard that one in a while!

I hear a certain medieval torture method works well

**crashe** · 29th May 2007, 23:22

Originally Posted by Motu

Sportster Hugger,660mm.Harley have been making lowered bikes for short people since the '60's - how come no other manufacturer has bothered?

Its not only the height of the seat from the ground.... it is also the width of the seat.

If the seat is too wide and you have short legs then your feet still wont reach the ground.

I know this cos I have sat on the lowest lowrider HOG that they (AMPS) got in a couple of years ago.... my leg was still swinging off the ground due to the width of the seat.

So the other option is also check out the width of the seat on any bike that you are looking into buying..... can it be made narrower as well as thinner.

**Disco Dan** · 29th May 2007, 23:28

Originally Posted by crashe

Its not only the height of the seat from the ground.... it is also the width of the seat.

If the seat is too wide and you have short legs then your feet still wont reach the ground.

I know this cos I have sat on the lowest lowrider HOG that they (AMPS) got in a couple of years ago.... my leg was still swinging off the ground due to the width of the seat.

So the other option is also check out the width of the seat on any bike that you are looking into buying..... can it be made narrower as well as thinner.

Great advice, I still think the "make yourself taller using ancient medieval torture techniques" used not be dismissed...