Bikes for the short of leg. [Archive] - SV650.org

View Full Version : Bikes for the short of leg.

BURNER

13-01-05, 10:14 PM

Recently my girlfriend confessed a secret buring desire to learn to ride a bike. I am OK with this, however she is only 5 foot tall and seems to like *shudder* cruiser type bikes. In fact at the G-Mex she professed to love a certain H*nda type cruisy thingy.
Anyway, no H*ndas allowed, so I'm looking for a Virago 535 or similar small shaft drive cruiser. Any ideas?

I'm also wondering if she isn't too short for the CG125 that most places use for the CBT??

Jabba

13-01-05, 10:22 PM

My BIL has one of those shaftie 650 Yam Cruiser things.......... very low seat. Seems Ok. If you like that sort of thing.

Is the Virage 535 a shaftie?

Iansv

13-01-05, 10:23 PM

mini moto ? :P

BURNER

13-01-05, 10:31 PM

mini moto ? :P

Y'know I said the same thing..... The reply cannot be typed here :shock:

Jelster

13-01-05, 10:32 PM

Monster 620 ???

They've got a low seat, but then again, so has a Hayabusa :shock:

.

BURNER

13-01-05, 10:34 PM

Is the Virage 535 a shaftie?

Yep.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=9809&item=4518012944&rd=1

BURNER

13-01-05, 10:36 PM

Monster 620 ???

They've got a low seat, but then again, so has a Hayabusa :shock:

.

She has trouble doing 70, on the motorway, in the car!

Carsick

13-01-05, 11:15 PM

I've got no idea on short bikes, since I can put both feet down flat on most trailies.
I don't think it's possible to be too short for a cg125, they really are tiny.

Anonymous

14-01-05, 08:22 AM

http://powersports.honda.com/images/model/c028_029_030_031_photos_all/scooters/2005/Big_Ruckus/LargeHoriz/Big_Ruckus_large_03.jpg

HTH :D

Anonymous

14-01-05, 08:23 AM

I've got no idea on short bikes, since I can put both feet down flat on most trailies.

You lucky b*****d....why didnt I eat my greens :cry: :cry: :lol:

Kate

14-01-05, 08:29 AM

I'm 5.2" and I have had a lot of trouble with the bikes on the test. I ended up (briefly) on th Honda CB400 as that has the lowest seat but I still couldn't cope with the weight of the bike when at a standstill.

Just have a chat with the bike school and see what they say.

Sid Squid

14-01-05, 08:41 AM

So I'm looking for a Virago 535 or similar small shaft drive cruiser. Any ideas?
If you can get past the way it looks - difficult I know, but if you can - the Virago actually works pretty well, you may need to stay on top of the cleaning, they can rust a bit, but they have a good reputation for not breaking, not dear either. Many of them have been sunny Sunday tools, buy with care, the mega low mileage ones are often not the best.

I'm also wondering if she isn't too short for the CG125 that most places use for the CBT??
At 5' she should be OK on a CeeGee.

Anyway, no H*ndas allowed.
Quite right too.

Cloggsy

14-01-05, 08:54 AM

http://powersports.honda.com/images/model/c028_029_030_031_photos_all/scooters/2005/Big_Ruckus/LargeHoriz/Big_Ruckus_large_03.jpg

HTH :D

:shock: WTF is that :?: http://forums.sv650.org/images/smiles/eusa_sick.gif

Carsick

14-01-05, 09:05 AM

Grinch

14-01-05, 09:13 AM

Cloggsy

14-01-05, 09:39 AM

I'm sure she won't mind me saying, but AmandaM is non too tall & she's just bought herself a Rapter 1000 :wink: :twisted:

Amanda M

14-01-05, 09:57 AM

I'm sure she won't mind me saying, but AmandaM is non too tall & she's just bought herself a Rapter 1000 :wink: :twisted:

I can get both feet down on it 8) It's absolutely tiny :lol:

A friend of mine is pretty short and she used to have a suzuki savage. She's now got a 600 Eliminator and manages fine with that. I think she might have had some foam cut out of the seat and wears boots with big chunky soles on them, but she's confident and happy.

Where there's a will there's a way. The best thing is to just try loads of bikes and see what fits! Good luck to her :D

Cronos

14-01-05, 11:27 AM

mini moto ? :P

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Damn! I've got coffee coming out my nose now!

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Ceri JC

14-01-05, 11:54 AM

When I was learning to ride a guy was going mental at them that they didn't have a bike to fit him 4'9"! He said it was discrimination not to cater for him. The riding school pointed out there were plenty of people they'd turned away for being too tall.

Personally, I reckon they should of bought a £500 road legal monkey bike, just for short people to use who were insistant :D

SPeeeeDY

14-01-05, 11:48 PM

i know she likes cruiser bikes...but...maby you could change her!!!

as a small bike, what about the yamaha SZR660 sporty single cylinder from yamaha italy.

or

Kawasaki ZXR400

these are two bikes i looked at, but thought again as i felt too cramped on them :!:

:D the SV is a far better looking/sounding (with sports can) bike :D

BURNER

15-01-05, 12:46 AM

I wouldn't reccomend sports 400 for somebody who has never rode so much as a scooter.
You've got to learn to walk before you can run.
What I am looking for is a cruiser type bike with 33BHP. That way she can do the test on a smaller bike and ride for 2 years before moving onto something bigger.

I agree the virago has been smacked with the ugly stick but it's a shaftie, just trying to find power output figures.
I think the 650 drag star was about 40 BHP so the viargo should be less than that.

The Polarbear

15-01-05, 12:30 PM

My Lady is 5'3" and rides a Yamaha Thundercat. She's had it from new and it was especially lowered and suspension sorted for her light weight plus the seat was professionally cut and lowered before she picked it up. She bartered with them on purchase and so they threw it all in for her.

She copes with the height although she does look like a swan coming into land sometimes at traffic lights! She's been riding for years and annoys the hell off me when she occassionally goes up to 140 mph+ knowing that mine won't quite keep up but at least in the twisties and upto the ton or so she's mine!!! :lol:

Anonymous

15-01-05, 12:55 PM

its more to do with inside leg measurement than height for most bikes. i have the same inside leg measurement as my 12 year old daughter (cow) and i can reach the ground with one foot on sv. the raptor was much lower i had both feet firmly planted and that was the 1000cc too. your a lucky git amanda :lol:

BigglesBird

15-01-05, 02:06 PM

I'm only just 5' 3" on a good day and have the SV plus the blade and also half a Busa (long story). All three fit me OK, al be it that the blade has a cut out seat and bu**er all padding left in it. The weight can be an issue as by the time I have planted a foot down the bike is off vertical and i struggle to hold it- pulling up next to a mate to lean on is a big help! I have a pal who is just under 5' and she has lowered her SV and also has a Kwik as F**ky ZXR4oo and that is absolutely tiny - even i get both feet flat down on that. Fun on twisties but revs too high for me and the noise drives me nuts.

Jabba

15-01-05, 02:55 PM

I think the 650 drag star was about 40 BHP so the viargo should be less than that.

TWO mag has it at 44bhp. Give it 4 stars (out of 5), too. Very popular little bikes. Must be for a reason.

15-01-05, 03:56 PM

I agree it can often me more about having a thinner seat than the overall height itself... that and the weight.

Some of the bikes I felt most comfortable on in the early years were trailies and enduros... too tall for me to get even a toe down (stopping meant shifting my left butt cheek off the seat to get my foot down) but the seat was thinner and the bikes were lighter so I actually felt more confident handling them at low speeds.

ZXR400's are fantastic though, so light you can really throw them into a corner with confidence and go like a rat up a drainpipe; a cramped ride for anyone over about 5'6"... loved mine and wish I still had it for trackdays.

Kate

15-01-05, 04:01 PM

So, as well as putting longer links in, and removing the padding from the seat, is there anything else that can be done to lower the SV?

I've got the longer links on mine and I can touch one side on tip toe at the moment.

BigglesBird

15-01-05, 04:04 PM

You can wind the forks through the yoke but I don't kow how this would affect the handling. :roll:

CoolGirl

16-01-05, 02:47 PM

Hmm, let me think...

I'm five foot three with a thirty inch inside leg.

I started of on a Yamaha Trailway 125 - nice upright position for a small person, so I could see over the traffic and still get both feet on the floor.

I did my 500 test on a CB500 and hated it - far too wide and heavy and cacked up on the u turn every time until the actual test itself. Also, I couldn't get it up on the centre stand but they let me off. Have you considered what bike she'll take the test on? It'll make all the difference to an inexperienced rider with loads of other stuff to worry about.

I loved the Monster 620 and had loads of fun test riding it shortly after I passed. I felt really comfortable on it as I could get both feet down and manage the weight.

Someone then pointed me in the direction of the naked SV (K1) and I really clicked with it because I wasn't scared of the physical size of the bike, which made me a very confident rider indeed (OK, hooligan :roll: ). I got on with it so well that I traded up to the K3 sport in anticipation of longer journeys and the slight difference in height and riding position weren't a problem. You just need to remember that you'll always take the weight on one foot when you stop and that's something you figure out for yourself. And there's usually someone to push you back over a camber when you have to park somewhere awkward.

I tired a cruiser early on and didn't like the riding position - I felt reallyunstable with my feet up and my arms sticking out.

I had a brief flirtation with an R6 last summer and although I could get both feet down flat, it didn't really do much for me (and I gave it some in the Alps). Much happier with a more responsive SV to chuck around the hairpins.

Dunno if that helps!

Debs

RandyO

16-01-05, 05:57 PM

My wife is 4'11" and she rides a 94 Monster 600. Though she can touch the ground once the rear spring and shuch as been wound down she tends to wear 'New Rock' Style boots. Also the fact that the bike is lowered so much it does now tend to 'squirm' about a bit, wobbling the bars. But she loves the bike and as Scoobs will tell you she don't hang around.
I'll have to get a steering damaper to help calm the wobble down. The 620 is not as low as the older models but the main problem is the seat width. The only other bikes she found that where low enough with a thinner seat was the Cagiva Raptor 650 and 1000. Funnly enough thats what she would like next.

My ex is 4-11 also, she ended upgetting an old CM250C but really wants a Monster.

I am not sure if it's possible on your side of the pond, but I believe that US spec M600s and M620s have a seat height an inch or so lower than the european spec models.... they are specificly aimed at the womens market over here

Anonymous

16-01-05, 07:44 PM

Hmm, let me think...

I'm five foot three with a thirty inch inside leg.

Debs

bloody hell debs for a short **** youve got long legs. im 5 foot 5/6 and inside leg almost 27 :cry:

rubbermat

20-01-05, 10:20 AM

What I am looking for is a cruiser type bike with 33BHP. That way she can do the test on a smaller bike and ride for 2 years before moving onto something bigger.

I would have thought that the last thing to use as a bike to get someone ready for a bigger sports/tourer bike would be a cruiser.

Cruisers don't corner unless you apply mega counter-steering, she would get used to a riding position completely different to any other bike and they are awful for slow speed manoeuvering (try doing a U turn on one!!!). I'd forecast problems getting confidence in handling such a bike.

I completely agree with your approach of doing the 125 test and then spending time learning to ride properly before moving up to a larger bike - my wife has just done that and used an SRX400 as her intermediate bike.

lynw

20-01-05, 11:34 AM

I think its a confidence thing... there are some bikes I cant even tip toe both sides on but I am happy to shift my weight and hold the bike on one leg... not going to get one yet as happy with the cbr and the sv...

and there are some bikes I wouldnt feel comfortable or happy to do that with... but I think the theory is if you can touch the pegs you can ride the bike...

I think people worry about the weight and holding it... but that comes with experience and getting used to bikes... thought my gpz was heavy then I got the SV... but now I can paddle the SV around with confidence.. not easily but at least confidently...

interestingly Im 5ft4 with 29" inside leg... Im on tiptoes with the SV but can sit with both feet flat on the floor with the cbr... narrower seat and lower seat height does it... but it has to be an older cbr6... the newer ones got wider/higher seats.

A gentle working up the cc's hasnt done me any harm... wouldve probably killed meself if Id gone straight to the cbr6... the first time I hit the power band on that it caught me unawares and Ive been riding 4 yrs..

did my cbt, got a cg and rode around on that for a yr, did me test, got gpz500 had that for a yr then was ready for the sv and the cbr...

BURNER

20-01-05, 06:21 PM

did my cbt, got a cg and rode around on that for a yr, did me test, got gpz500 had that for a yr then was ready for the sv and the cbr...

Nothing wrong with going the gradual route.
My first legal road bike was a GSX750, wanna see my scars :lol:

northwind

20-01-05, 07:42 PM

I had a Virago 125 but they're handsome devils, the 535 on the other hand just looks all wrong- all out of proportion... I nearly got one but the rust issues put me off. They've got a moisture trap in the exhaust which means the rear downpipe always rusts through... Personally I reckon it's designed in, the 125 had the exact same fault, and funnily enough even though it's a stand-alone part Yam will only sell it with the full system.

But not bad bikes, and very tough and cheap. I'd look at the other japanese cruisers instead though unless money was the main factor but she wants a cruiser.

But then I reckon that a VFR/RVF400 or similiar would be the perfect bike for the short of ****, I'd love one myself, and they're not too much for a new rider any more than the SV is...

BURNER

20-01-05, 08:24 PM

First thing to go would be the stock exhaust. After that she can add all the tassles, perspex and highway pegs that her little heart desires..

Mike1234

20-01-05, 09:00 PM

I'm five foot three with a thirty inch inside leg.

Trying not to sound too much like a complete mutant I'm six foot two with a thirty inch inside leg!

Can definitely recommend the Raptor for people who find some of the taller bikes a bit awkward.

If it helps the only two road bikes I have ever owned were both Honda CBR600s. I've had various race bikes which have been interesting as most have been jacked up quite high at the rear, including a CBR600, an Aprilia Mille, an SV650 and the Raptor 650 I have now.

BURNER

20-01-05, 09:09 PM

Trying not to sound too much like a complete mutant I'm six foot two with a thirty inch inside leg!

:shock:

Amanda M

21-01-05, 10:52 AM