Too short for sports bike.

[moey]

Hi

I am just about to take my DAS and my dream is too own a sports bike such as a ninja, CBR600, R6 or GXR600. I have however just found out that most of these bikes have a seating height of 32.5 to 33 inches, which is higher than the bikes I am going to learn on.

The reason it is problem for me is that I am only 5ft 6"' and have an inside leg measurement of 30"'s. My friend has a P reg ninja which I have tried and I have to tip toe, which I feel uncomfortable with, but he keeps reassuring me thats what your supposed to do, easy for him to say when he is 5ft 11".

I wanted to know if there are any sports bikes that might be suitable for me past or present or if I could modify the bikes in anyway or should I just tip toe as my friend says.

I just pray that my hopes are not dashed and I have to spend the rest of my biking future on a small bike.

Help required.
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Shorty

[dandit]

you can get lowering kits for most bikes I think otherwise you can allways lose a bit of comfort on some bikes and have some foam removed
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WHAT DO YOU MEAN 100 MPH THATS IMPOSSIBLE I STILL HAD 3 GEARS TO GO OFFICER. Currently riding a naked cbr 600 and driving a 52 plate 2litre tdci mondeo

[Laura]

You can also get teh seat cut down speqak to bendy as she has just had this done on her cbr 600.
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Good girls ride motorcycles bad girls thrash them.

[Bendy]

OK - five foot six with a 30 inch inside leg, you should be able to ride any 600 sports bike. You're not going to be getting both your feet flat on the ground any time soon, but once you're comfortable with bigger bikes you'll realise that you really don't have to.

Are you riding anything at the moment, or are you going straight to DAS?

I'm about the same height and leg length as you, and I manage a CBR600 fine - it felt too high when I first got it, but after a while you get used to the feeling. I have recently had the seat cut down (cos I got a spare) and it's made a bit of a difference, but I rode it a year and a bit with the standard seat on and never had any problems. There are plenty of people on here at about the same height (or less, though they won't admit it) who ride 6s.

If it's your first big bike, maybe get something else for a while - I had a CB500 for 9 months after doing my DAS - which is lower and less expensive to drop. But basically, you need to go and sit on all the different 6s cos it's not just seat height but also seat width that make a difference, and make an assessment from there.

If modifying the seat doesn't help, you can look at getting a shorter shock and all kinds of more extreme modifications, but as long as you can get one tiptoe on the ground, most problems you'd ever come across can be avoided by simply using your brain instead of your legs - spot the thing you'd have a problem with and avoid it. Lanky boy can park facing down a slope and get away with it. You can't, so don't. It's that simple really.

HTH

[MarJay]

I am five feet and five inches tall. I ride an unmodified Triumph Daytona 955 which has a higher seat height than a lot of 600s.

Its all about confidence really. I remember a few years back, the guy that won the Paris Dakar rally was a short frenchman. He was (as I recall) only five foot four, and he rode a BMW which had been made taller in order that it could cope with the dunes! The seat height on the bike was somewhere between his waist and shoulder, but he still managed to win!
Its all about confidence. If you don't worry about the seat height its not an issue!


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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[Mantzy]

I find sitting on new bikes completely different to ones that have been "broken in". Don't know if anyone else has noticed the same. The seat seems to lower itself with a little wear, once its been compressed by someones arse.

I'm only 5'8" with a 32" leg so am not much taller than you and have the same problem on some bikes. When at traffic lights, you can always lean the bike slightly to your left (or right, but I always put my left down) and providing the bikes not too heavy, you shouldn't have any problems.

Hope thats been a little help.
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Current Bikes: 2010 Triumph Sprint ST 1050
Previous Bikes: 2002 Sachs XTC, 1999 Kawasaki ZX6R, 2004 GSX-R 600 K4, 2006 Yamaha XT660X

[moey]

I would like to thank everyone for their advice so far. It has given me a boost and I can keep my dream alive.

I think I will firstly try out different 6's and see which I feel most comfortable with and then possibly consider a modification if I still need too.

Bendy I am going directly for my DAS and intend to get a 6. This is the main reason I am learning to ride, because I like the appearance and sound of the 6's. I also live and work in London, so I could beat the congestion charge. I am used to speed as I have had some quick cars such as porsches and M3 bmw's. but I understand on two wheels theres a lot more to consider. Did you modify the seat yourself or did a shop do it for?

Keep you posted on how I get on.
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Shorty

[Bendy]

I found a place on ebay that'll do it for £30 - basically just taking a slice out and restapling the cover. There are places that'll do more advanced changes, like swapping the foam for a gel insert - bit more costly but worth it (Kickstart could tell you more).


Not to knock your abilities to handle speed, but as this is going to be your first bike, please at least consider getting something other than a sports 6 straight away. I only spent 9 months on my CB500 after DAS, but it taught me enough that the 600 didn't phase me. Especially if you're not given the confidence for low-speed handling that a short bike and good ground reach will give you.

It might be worth getting something a bit easier to ride just for the first while... say it's July now, pick up something like an SV650 which is fun (and low) and an excellent 'starter bike' - ride that through the autumn and winter, treating yourself to your dream 6 next spring, by which time you'll be ready for it and more able to really use it through the summer.

I can honestly say, I wouldn't have been happy tiptoeing a bike around when I had just passed. The time spent on something I could reach the ground on taught me enough that when I bought something taller, it didn't bother me nearly as much cos I had learnt what to expect.

Your choice in the end, just my advice given my experience in a similar situation. You have your whole life to move up the 'bike food chain' and a good grounding can make all the difference.

Keep us posted, and as you're in London, you're always welcome to come along to one of our meets to get some advice from fellow shortarses and sit on a few things.

[Kickstart]

Hi

We got a spare seat cut down for my 1200 Bandit by P&P Seating so that my better half could ride the bike. This cost about £120, but that is recovered and with a gel insert.

I would say that with practice you will find you are OK on a sports 600. However I would second Bendy and say to think about something less sporty for a while, just to get used to things and learn a bit more. CB500, GPZ500, etc, would all make a good bike to get more practice on (and are cheaper to fix should the weight catch you out).

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[synaptyx]

A mate of mine is 5'4" (no idea of inside leg measurement thank you very much). He had a Fazer last year 32.5" seat height. He had strong legs after keeping the bike up at the lights. He used to put it in gear before he got on and slip the clutch and jump on with the bike moving. No idea how he passed his test.