People under 5'5

[Cowboyrider]

So I got the ok to seriously start looking at bikes. Hopefully within the next 3 months I can get one!

I wanted to see what the other vertically challeged people ride on this forum to give me ideas.

Right now I am really leaning toward an SV650s/650

I have a height issue 5'3. I used to ride a suzuki gs500.

Research is always fun.

[Nikon]

you're vertically challenged

[ThisBitch]

So I got the ok to seriously start looking at bikes. Hopefully within the next 3 months I can get one!

I wanted to see what the other women ride on this forum to give me ideas.

Right now I am really leaning toward an SV650s/650

I have a height issue 5'3. I used to ride a suzuki gs500.

Research is always fun.

I ride a Ninja 650. I have long legs and am 5'8, but the seat height is really low. I absolutely love the bike.

[Jaynnus]

Sorry, what does having to be female have to do with the bike you ride?

Is the question what bike is good for shorter people, then I think that includes both men and women.

Anyway, my rides:

600RR
R6
YZF750
and the Hawg

But leg length is not an issue for me.

[Jim]

I'm willing to give free test rides and see if i'm a good fit :

[Jaynnus]

I'm willing to give free test rides and see if i'm a good fit :

you guys are slacking...that took 5 posts!!!

[-jro-]

I ride the sv650s- I think its a great bike. I'm 5'4 and had some height issues too, we lowered the suspension a bit and now I can touch down on the balls of my feet, works out fine.

[Evil_Weasel]

pffft, being short has nothing to do with what you ride. i'm only 5'5 and i have yet to find a bike i can't ride. i owned a ZX-12R and rode just about everything from goldwings, to dual sports when i worked at the bike shop.

disclaimer: i started out on an EX250. i highly recomend those for short noobs. after a year or 2 on one of those you'll be ready for just about anything.

EDIT: by just about anything i ment size wise not HP wise i wouldn't go straight from the 250 to 1K.

[lady flyin' low]

i'm picking up an FZ6 next week...i'm 5'3 with pretty short legs but i fit on that bike well

[Cowboyrider]

pffft, being short has nothing to do with what you ride. i'm only 5'5 and i have yet to find a bike i can't ride. i owned a ZX-12R and rode just about everything from goldwings, to dual sports when i worked at the bike shop.

disclaimer: i started out on an EX250. i highly recomend those for short noobs. after a year or 2 on one of those you'll be ready for just about anything.

EDIT: by just about anything i ment size wise not HP wise i wouldn't go straight from the 250 to 1K.

I at least want to be able to touch the ground! I sat on Nikon's new bike and can't touch the ground.

Plus this is why at first I had only females writing in - I think men are more likely to ride anything - even if they can't touch the ground

[jcbell1007]

I'm 5'6" on a good day.

I started out on a ninja650. It was a great bike because the seat wasn't too tall and it was a narrow seat up near the tank. That helped a lot when coming to a stop.

Most inline 4 bikes are a lot wider than twins and triples. The one exception that I have found is the GSXR line. My GSXR-600 is probably the narrowest i-4 seat that I have seen, compared to the ZX6 line, CBR line and R6 line.

You should try a gsxr.

[KillBill]

I would suggest going to a local bike night....depending on where
you are of course.
I have let a few NESR members put their leg around my GSX-R to
see if it was a good fit. Most people will be more than happy to let
you.

[Cowboyrider]

I have been sitting on a lot of bikes!

I do like the narrower ones. The one thing about the SV was it wasn't as narrow. I really like ducati monster but the price range - I would have to win the lottery or sleep with someone for a million dollars to get that!

Thanks for all the input.

[{PMS}fishy]

I have been sitting on a lot of bikes!

I do like the narrower ones. The one thing about the SV was it wasn't as narrow. I really like ducati monster but the price range - I would have to win the lottery or sleep with someone for a million dollars to get that!

Thanks for all the input.

It's narrow compared to a 954.

People seem to be able to chop between 1-2" of seat foam out of the SV. Between that and lowering the suspension, you can probably bring it down 3-4"

I still don't know why people think they need to flat foot a motorcycle, I can't, and unless you are 7' tall you will never be able to do it on a dirtbike, and that doesn't stop anyone.

[ame1iaRR]

i am about 5' 6" and have short legs. i learned to ride on an 06 f4i and with the right pair of shoes could almost flat foot it!
then i bought the 07 600rr and flat footing is a breeze. the bike is much more narrow and your legs aren't spread as much :-X hahahaha. around the tank... always think about the gear/boots or shoes you will be wearing when riding. i have a pair of timberland boots i wear on the majority of my rides and can tell a difference between those and the days i just ride with sneakers. my best friend becky rides an r6 and had it lowered, its fairly easy to do but it handles a little different. she's recently brought the rear back up to stock height and her boyfriend just raised the handlebars so now you cant even tell it was ever lowered. i think she might be shorter than me.

[Jenni]

i'm about 5'2. the only time you really need to touch ground is at a stop... in those cases, learn to plant one foot down and keep the other on the peg. don't lower your bike - shave the seat if you must.

[CEO]

I'm short and ride the highest seat height 600 supersport being offered that year.

You just get used to it. I can't even close to flat foot my bike.

i'm about 5'2. the only time you really need to touch ground is at a stop... in those cases, learn to plant one foot down and keep the other on the peg.

Exactly. I lean onto my left foot, and my right foot uses the rear brake to hold the bike in place. No big deal.

[CitizenFrye]

The SV650 has lowering links you can get that keep the geometry correct on the bike. I think they have 3 different heights you can set it too.

[keet]

my wife is 5 ft tall...she started out with a buell blast that had the 27 inch seat..it was a good bike for her to learn on, and she has graduated to a suzuki sv 650 and we installed a lowering link ,lowered the front forks and shaved the seat.....she has adjusted and is riding it quite a bit....good luck!!

[Brit-Triple]

My wife is a shorty too, most of the japanese bikes have lowering sets that are pretty cheap. Doesn't take much to get to the underside and switch them out. The set she first bought dropped it waaaay down, we went to a machine shop and the guy gave us blanks for free, we drilled holes where needed and bike was up and running in a couple of hours.

[jcbell1007]

i'm about 5'2. the only time you really need to touch ground is at a stop... in those cases, learn to plant one foot down and keep the other on the peg. don't lower your bike - shave the seat if you must.

You have to be able to get the kick stand up too without tipping the bike over.

On our departments 2008 Harley Electraglide, they changed a bunch of stuff, including making the seat higher, I'm almost too short to ride it. If I park wrong, its a bitch of a time getting the kickstand up. Just to get it up on flat ground I have to flip the floor board up otherwise I really have a hard time reaching it. With a bike like that though, I've learned to be a better ride so I have to put my feet down less and burn my legs on the super large primary cover and/or exhaust.

[newgixxerchic]

i'm about 5'2. the only time you really need to touch ground is at a stop... in those cases, learn to plant one foot down and keep the other on the peg. don't lower your bike - shave the seat if you must.

+1000,

I'm barely 5'5 and although i usually have both feet down on my 07 gsxr 600, on my bf R1, I find I just have to keep my right foot on the brake and slightly lean the bike. The reason I went with the gsxr was because its seat was very skinny in the middle which allowed me to get both feet down. I can't flat foot, but I don't really need to. But the new ninja 250s are really nice...

[GixerJockey]

i'm about 5'2. the only time you really need to touch ground is at a stop... in those cases, learn to plant one foot down and keep the other on the peg. don't lower your bike - shave the seat if you must.

Trust her on that... This little girl rides the shit out of her R6.

The SV650 has lowering links you can get that keep the geometry correct on the bike. I think they have 3 different heights you can set it too.

No such thing. To lower the rear of the bike you must inherently change it's geometry.

[TimD]

I'm about 5'3 and just about every bike I've ridden is comfortable height wise, it just takes a little getting used to a taller bike. Backing up a tall bike with short legs is a little inconvenient but not really that hard to work around.

SV's are probably just a little more short leg friendly than any of the supersports. The seat feels slightly lower but it might just be because the bike is narrower. The egros of the newest gsxr's also seemed a little more short person friendly than the rest, both in bar reach and seat height.

[Jim]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icr0eW1fRSs