Looking to upgrade

[RandyO]

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Screw me for thinking outside the box here, but on the few occasions I need to back my bike up, I get off and walk it.

I always walk my bike backward unless I'm backing down hill and it rolls on its own

I laugh my ass off watching riders paddle walk backward cause their to lazy to back it up before they get on the bike, its the same riders that are too lazy to dismount when they gas up

you shouldn't be "backing up into a spot unless your backing down hill

if your backing even on a slight upgrade yer asking for the bike to roll off it's sidestand, first gear is not a parking brake

[butcher bergs]

I laugh my ass off watching riders paddle walk backward cause their to lazy to back it up before they get on the bike, its the same riders that are too lazy to dismount when they gas up

[DucDave]

hmmm....on many group rides I have seen 25 or 30 riders paddle back their bikes to park. guess that makes us all lazy. Most of those riders do dismount to fuel up so your theory seems a bit unsupported by my own experience....

[a13x]

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There's absolutely no reason someone 5'2" would need to lower a sportbike.

Really? Tell that to JRO who's 5'4" and rides a lowered SV.

[Duffy]

What's up with all the hostility and the view that everyone is lazy if they don't get off thier bike to sit, stand or screw

[Nikki88]

I definitely get off my bike to gas up....but when it comes to moving it around I feel like I have more control if I am actually sitting on it. I am not all that strong and it's hard for me to muscle it around from the side angle.

[drop]

I laugh my ass off watching riders paddle walk backward cause their to lazy to back it up before they get on the bike, its the same riders that are too lazy to dismount when they gas up

how is staying on the bike lazy in either situation?

[a13x]

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Dead right. I'm very opinionated on this. Learn to ride and you won't need to fuck up the handling by lowering the bike. I don't mean to insult anyone when I say that but its become the fashion lately to slam bikes for the person too lazy to learn to properly ride a bike that is a little tall for them. I can understand it if someone is 4'8" but 5'2" is plenty tall to handle a stock sv or gixxer.

Really #2?

Wow. Jen's an extremely competent rider who's been on a bike since she was 16 and the absolute best female rider I've ever ridden with on the street, not to mention one of the better street riders I've ridden with. Her SV handles just fine considering the pace I've ridden with her around Loudon and basically the above statement you made is extremely narrow-minded. We aren't exactly talking about slammed Busa's here with 10' long swingarms cruising A1A. We are talking about real riders and real bikes.

It's awesome to hear people that ARE NOT SUPER SHORT or FEMALE talking about how easy it is for short riders to deal with bikes designed for MEN who's average height is 5'9" tall and weighs 190lbs.

SV650's can cruise on the highway at 80mph all day long in top gear and be just fine. They aren't even breaking a sweat.

Nikki88 you can swing by our place in Framingham and try sitting on JRO's lowered SV anytime you like. It's a 2002. PM if interested.


NOTE: I've obviously used JRO as a example in this thread for two main reasons
1) She's a real person and a member of NESR who contradicts two statement made in this thread
2) I know her. I'm sure there are some other chicks in similar situations however I don't know them well enough to use them as a example.

[a13x]

how is staying on the bike lazy in either situation?

It's not, and considering who made the statement, I'm laughing my lazy ass off.

[Degsy]

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There's absolutely no reason someone 5'2" would need to lower a sportbike.

Really? Tell that to JRO who's 5'4" and rides a lowered SV.

Why lower it?

[Pittenger5]

Youre all lazy for sitting on your bike while filling up! I hate you all.


Mainly cause I have to dismount to fill up now, damn you KTM!

[a13x]

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Why lower it?

Because she's lazy and doesn't know how to ride obviously.

In seriousness she's home in a few hours. I'll let her answer it as I'm not 5'4" and 115lbs.

[RandyO]

fueling up without dismounting is dangerous, its not unheard of for bikes to catch on fire, and contrary to popular belief, you do not get more fuel in the tank holding it vertical, it gets more in when on the sidestand, they residual air bubble is smaller when slightly tipped to the side than when vertical

[-jro-]

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Why lower it?

Yikes....what did I walk into here? Nikki has a valid concern with height issues. I lowered my SV because I could barely touch my tippy toes with riding boots on. I am not comfortable coming to a stop and putting one leg down and all the weight of the bike tilted to one side. If everyone else of larger stature is allowed to have both feet on the ground, why can't I? I understand the argument about handling...but 1) its a street bike. NO ONE, I repeat, NO ONE should be pushing the limits of their bike on the street so hard that they can honestly feel a degradation in handling due to a slightly lowered suspension. 2) I ain't Rossi. Most of us aren't. Very few us can work their motorcycle to its peak performance and limits- I figure it'll be a few more seasons of racing before I need to reassess my lowered suspension 3) Nikki is talking about making an upgrade here. She will have more weight, more power to adjust to and harness. I went from flat-footing a lil baby 250 rebel, to my peppier sv650s. The first time I pulled that throttle I was like "holy shit!" I am thankful the last thing I had to worry about as I learned the capabilities of my bike was wondering if I was going fall over at the next light.

Seriously guys..... take a chill pill. There's no shame in street riders lowering their bikes in moderation to better enjoy their riding experience.

[Degsy]

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Fair enough. If you want something a little bigger with a fatter rear tire, that's looks, not performance. Lower away!

Just quoted myself so it will be noticed the second time.

I didn't realize that she wanted a bigger bike so she could make it smaller. In that case, lower away, like I said.

In all seriousness, handling is not a function of speed, it is a function of geometry. Speed doesn't matter. Sportbikes are geometrically built to be on the edge of sharp handling already. I raised the front of my gixxer 5mm and noticed a huge difference. I would say a 2" drop on the front and 1" on the rear will put a sportbike well into the 'handling is now fucked, don't accelerate too hard out of any corners or try cornering on cold tires' territory.

I'm a purist. I can jump on Manny's BMW GS1200 on which I can't get my feet within 6" of the ground, and ride circles in a parking lot, stop it at lights, do anything that anyone 6' 5" can. Why? Because I have learned to ride to that level (not blowing my own trumpet, just trying to prove a point).

You shouldn't have both feet on the ground at a stop light or sign anyway, you should have the left foot down and the right on the rear brake.

Hey, ride how you like on what you like, but Jim's original point is valid: There IS no reason why a 5'2" person should NEED to lower an SV or a Gixxer. If you NEED to, then get some experience. If you WANT to, then go right ahead.

Jen, you know how to ride and choose to lower the bike. Nikki88 has already said that the bike will NEED to be lowered because she won't be able to ride it without getting both feet on the ground.

Nikki, get a smaller rear sprocket and a bigger back tire for the gs if it matters that much. That will be much cheaper than buying a big bike to turn into a small bike.

I wonder if gixxersixxer has her bike lowered? How tall is she? Anyone?

[Degsy]

Some days I'm very opinionated...sorry.

tomorrow things will have changed so stay awake, it gets better.

[Degsy]

I just edited post 40 because i spoke out of turn about a rider i have never met and her abilities.

Yeah, I'm an asshole sometimes.

[Nikki88]

I do not sit at a light with both feet on the ground and I do not take off with my feet hovering about the ground, thank you.

[Degsy]

I do not sit at a light with both feet on the ground and I do not take off with my feet hovering about the ground, thank you.

I edited my post to take that out just before you posted.

[csmutty]

fueling up without dismounting is dangerous, its not unheard of for bikes to catch on fire, and contrary to popular belief, you do not get more fuel in the tank holding it vertical, it gets more in when on the sidestand, they residual air bubble is smaller when slightly tipped to the side than when vertical

A dangerous part of a dangerous sport....go figure. I'll keep filling up while mounted

[customfighterer]

f4i's are pretty comfortable bikes with good power, but arent super intimidating. they have a comfortable riding position, and definitely have lowering links available from 1-4" so you could def find yourself a comfortable and sporty ride.

a vfr is too heavy.

[Jim]

I wonder if gixxersixxer has her bike lowered? How tall is she? Anyone?

i dont think hers is. i know newgixxerchic had ehers lowered, then put it back to stock height. the main reasoning is for what you said. she learned to ride it & realized she didnt NEED to have it lowered.

I'm glad you picked up on my statement saying NEED to lower a sportbike. If you chose to lower it looks or because you want to flat foot the ground, that's cool. but no one at that height should need to lower it. if i needed to lower a bike to ride it, i would keep my ass away from the bike.

[Doc]

I tip toe my 998. I would never think of lowering it.

Hell I RAISED the rear on my Hawk GT and that thing had a LOW seat height.

[-jro-]

i dont think hers is. i know newgixxerchic had ehers lowered, then put it back to stock height. the main reasoning is for what you said. she learned to ride it & realized she didnt NEED to have it lowered.

I'm glad you picked up on my statement saying NEED to lower a sportbike. If you chose to lower it looks or because you want to flat foot the ground, that's cool. but no one at that height should need to lower it. if i needed to lower a bike to ride it, i would keep my ass away from the bike.

You would keep your ass away from that bike? Guess what- that would discount a massive amount of female riders. "Needs" and "wants" are words being thrown around a lot here. I most certainly COULD ride my sv at its original height- in fact I did so leaving the dealership with it. I CHOSE to lower it because guess what its more comfortable, its more convenient, and has not sacrificed performance IN THE SLIGHTEST on the street (and its debatable if it has on the track as well). Suggesting that I need to better learn how to ride my bike is ludicrous - 4 years and over 20,000 miles later I am more than competent on the SV.

It sounds like the issue here is one of bravado. This is reminding me of all the chicken stripe threads. Furthermore, there is a lot of taller riders here sounding off rather passionately about something they don't personally experience or deal with. Begging your pardon but I'm not sure you guys should speak so authoratively on something you truly haven't experienced.

[Rambunctous]

Sportster? Wanna be called a fag? Seriously, if that is your style get a ducati monster. Fast and handles. BTW right now CL is full of sportsters. HD's for that matter.....The monsters sound great, have great resale value, and Ducati has the best botique crap going. Your husband or boyfriend will have no problems at Christmas this year.