Motorcycle height a problem?

[ital916]

Theres a heap of bikes to choose form if you are a shorty.
As for ' the bike of your dreams'? well a dream is just that.
In reality (not dreamworld) you should be on a bike that suits your needs, not your wants.
If by chance you are lucky enough to have both needs/wants statisfied within one bike then great!
Having to go to the extent of 'lowering this and making that bigger and extending everything else' just to make a bike fit seems rediculous.

I have seen both male and female stretching/tip-toeing on their 'dream' bike....
As Lula says in the article ''it only a matter of time before you drop it''.

I think there are many motorcyclists that would and do disagree with that first point (in red), seen by the number of superbikes, motards, large capacity cruisers on the road. lets be honest, if we rode only what we needed then nobody would go over a 250, if that.

I dont see the ridiculousness of adjusting a bike to suit ones own frame etc. Do we not do it every day with cars. The first thing the majority of people do when they get in a car is adjust the seat height, steering wheel height, incline etc etc. This is because the adjustability is built in so that people of all statures can operate the vehicle. Same with motorcycles, they do not fit all people as standard but are adjustable to do so (to certain extremes). So what is so ridiculous with raising a bike or lowering it to fit or adjusting the bars etc.

As for the dropping of the bike, again it is their money, so what if they drop it. We see dream cars with dings in them all the time. If you are too short to see out the rear window of a ferrari should you not buy one if you want for the mere reason of "you might ding it". I dont think so.

[bittertwistedcute]

Fantastic politically incorrectness, love it

Lol, if you're butt is too big for a sports bike, jump on a phat as cruiser. If your vertically challenged you could always get extensions or a nail box. Either way saw the funniest thing yesterday, thought it was a 400lbs mega moosette on a scooter, but from the front I couldn't confirm it.... the mustache and triple chin were not conclusive enough to determine sex, it still could have gone either way.......... my biggest confusion was trying to determine how this person could get the 50cc scooter up to 60km per hr, it has to be some sort of miracle.
There should be crimes of such persecution towards small machines lol.

ps, if it was you, loved the pink boots and helmet with the sparkles, the yellow flowery scooter really set of your orange hi vis....... however, in this world, I really don't think people will miss you lol.

[2wheeldrifter]

I find height isn't a problem when laying down...

my 2c worth

The Ducati monster has a low seat height of 800mm, which can be wind down to about 790ish using the ride height adjustor........... the Ducati ST's starts at 820mm.. some usless info

[HenryDorsetCase]

it isn't an argument that "short people need small bikes" or not. i haven't read Lula's column yet but it seems that the key factor that arises from short-people-on-bikes discussions is the value of information: that any person falling outside manufacturers' norms will benefit from specialised information from those with similar experiences. for instance, i have discovered that general advice regarding tyre pressures and suspension is inapplicable to me because i weigh 45kg, so i like to speak with those who know about suspension for light riders. i also enjoy connecting with shorter riders on tips that have helped them on gravel, etc. yet this does not affect my justification for buying my bike, which some have criticised as being "too big." if i tip-toe, i need information arising from dialogue and experience. if i only have one arm, the same would apply.

would people say to a one armed person that "you might want to ride but forget that dream because you probably need a disability car"? no, because it's none of their business. suddenly the argument that a light person "might want to get a gsxr but she'd probably need a [gn/scooter/etc]" has little salience.

postscript: i apologise for comparing a missing limb with shortness; they are not comparable but it was an illustrative example

5ft 3 and 45 kg! blimey. I am 5 ft4 and 70. EVERY Bike I have ever had has been "too big".

Some I physically have difficulty with (trail bikes: the seats are at nipple height...... oooh errr my nipples I mean). but anything else not so much. I'm used to it now. and once its moving, generally not an issue.

[Gubb]

Do you mean you're ready for a change or you've got bigger in size?

I'm impatiently for Ducati’s new Hypermotard 796 to arrive in NZ

Just ready for a change. Sorry didn't mean to hijack your thread. At 6'3" I don't really have much more room to grow anyway. I hope.

[Lula]

So what do you think is the best bike to recommend for the smaller rider?

The key criteria is that it's got to be something that is:
A. Low
B. Light
C. Over 250cc

And if you want something that isn't a cruiser even more of a challenge....

[Dutchee]

Everyone is different. There is NO ONE bike to recommend. I don't like cruisers, I don't want a full-on sports bike, I've done the adventure bike, I've done the commuter bike (yeah, under 250cc). There is no bike at the moment that sets my soul on fire, so I'm sticking with my "learner" bike.

Yes, when you're laying down, height isn't an issue, but when you go pick up the bike, that's when it is an issue Weight could be an issue on the lay-down, but definitely on the pick up of the bike hehehe

I'm less likely to drop my small bikes than my bigger ones, so I'll stick to the small ones. I have dropped my DRZ250, DR650, but I haven't dropped the 250 ninja and didn't drop the scorpioz. The scorpioz did get knocked over, the GS500 would fall at the drop of a hat when parked.

The GSXF750 was an okay size for me, but damned heavy. The SV650 is an okay size for me, except the arm reach. Weight is only an issue when manoeuvring, not when moving, but you've got to move the bike around sometimes to get moving, so it is a consideration.

I looked at the list you'd made, the only two bikes I'd even consider are the Gladius (only because it comes in pink - not) and the 500 kawasaki, but neither will be happening.

Stefan Merriman made a comment years ago that height isn't an issue, your feet should be on the pegs - he is a short-arse. That's true for riders at that level, but for those of us not so confident and competent, it is an issue.

Guys also generally have more brute-force. I remember riding behind someone, he started getting the corner wrong, so put his foot down and forced the bike to where it needed to go. (off-road). I looked at that and thought that it would've ended in tears if I were to do that. It didn't look pretty, it wasn't huge skills, it was just sheer brute force.

My 10c on the matter (only cause we don't have 1, 2 or 5c).
Oh, I'm about 5'3" and have had my full licence for many years (but only ridden road for about 6 - scooters don't count).

[davebullet]

The naked SV650 seems quite suited. Mrs. B is 5'7" and can comfortably put both feet flat down.

The above was before I put a GSXR1000 shock in it which inadvertently lowered it slightly, nor has there been other mods (like lowered seat).

Women's height is an interesting topic. If you look at many women, their leg length seems to be proportionally longer than their torso compared to men. I know this from perving at the gym... I mean observation.

So a female with height of 5'5" might have the same leg length as a man who is 5'7" tall.

[Maha]

So what do you think is the best bike to recommend for the smaller rider?

The key criteria is that it's got to be something that is:
A. Low
B. Light
C. Over 250cc

And if you want something that isn't a cruiser even more of a challenge....

The Gladius was made for the women market........surely?

[StoneY]

Im a runt

I suffer the same issue this thread and the column in the mag cover

I can put both feet flat on my GSXR1100, balls of feet on my ST4, but my SuporDuke.... lean at the lights, one toe on ground, iffy ballance on windy days at a stop grrrr.
Still, guess what bike gets used the most LOL

Love it....so what if I cant touch the bloody ground its just like back when I had MX bikes anyway (so used to it) once moving its not an issue :-)

[Bald Eagle]

Im a runt

I suffer the same issue this thread and the column in the mag cover

I can put both feet flat on my GSXR1100, balls of feet on my ST4, but my SuporDuke.... lean at the lights, one toe on ground, iffy ballance on windy days at a stop grrrr.
Still, guess what bike gets used the most LOL

Love it....so what if I cant touch the bloody ground its just like back when I had MX bikes anyway (so used to it) once moving its not an issue :-)

Not forgetting us taller types have the opposite issue, extra join in legs to get knees to fit, stop knuckles dragging on the ground etc

[Maha]

Not forgetting us taller types have the opposite issue, extra join in legs to get knees to fit, stop knuckles dragging on the ground etc

Just pays to be perfectly average.

[Sentox]

5ft 3 and 45 kg! blimey. I am 5 ft4 and 70.

Heh. 6' 1" and 67kg (light enough to be race material, but much too tall sadly ). A good part of the reason I ride a Hyosung instead of, say, a Ninja. Gotta fit those legs somewhere.

I can say with certainty that having that bit more sure-footedness has been the only thing saving me from a slow-speed/no-speed drop a few times. As you get more experienced, you stop getting into those dodgy situations. I would imagine it would be a bit more difficult to start out on a bike where you're tip-toeing.

[Little Miss Trouble]

I think that as long as you love the bike & feel comfortable on it, who cares if you are shorter than the 'standard' rider.

I'm only 5'4" and back when I first started riding I'd fallen in love with a little (seemed HUGE at the time) red GPX and no amount of well meaning people telling me that I shouldn't get it because I'd drop it etc could persuade me from buying her. Yes, she went on her side a few times, but so what? I learnt a lot more about slow speed handling and muscling a larger bike around than I ever would have done on a GN/Scorpio etc that were the suggested bikes for me.
This made the step up to the SV650 not quite so daunting. The purchase of the SV was definitely a head rather than heart decision - I'd actually wanted a Ducati Monster but got talked out of it due to servicing costs etc. - and found myself disliking it within 6 months of purchase. The suspension, looks and the over all build quality were all rather underwhelming.
It took me another 6 months to finally quit that bike, and then another 4-6 weeks to find the perfect bike to suit where I am at right now, my R6. I'd always thought that an R6 would be too tall and that I'd have to get lowering links etc but this bike seems to fit me like a glove and sounds rather feral with her scorpion exhaust too!

It always amuses me when tall people try and tell me "You MUST be able to get two flat feet on the ground." If I thought like that I'd be restricted to the afore mentioned GN/Scorpio/Cruiser style bike. The truth is you can get away with alot less, personally I still like to have the balls of both feet reach the ground but do know a woman who is on the tips of her toes only, and good on her if she is comfortable with that!

[HenryDorsetCase]

So what do you think is the best bike to recommend for the smaller rider?

The key criteria is that it's got to be something that is:
A. Low
B. Light
C. Over 250cc

And if you want something that isn't a cruiser even more of a challenge....

Triumph Street Triple.

SV650

Bonneville A1

HD Nightster (or is that a cruiser?)