Well it was gonna happen sooner or later!

Originally Posted by Baph

+1. With it being a confidence issue, I'm sorry, but I don't perceive some comments in this thread as helping.

I think Baph that Ruth has obviously already exhausted a lot of people`s patience so maybe that is why you perceive some comments as being unhelpful. The fact is that she`s posted numerous threads about lowering and she has been given good advice and now some people are becoming exasperated because it`s plainly obvious that the SV is not the bike for her.

In my opinion there are no helpful comments to be given and Ruth needs to accept that very sadly she is just too short (and I`m sorry to say that Ruth). As far as I`m concerned the people posting the negative comments are being more truthful and more helpful than the likes of yourself Baph.

Would you all rather Ruth ride this bike and really risk injuring herself? What happens when a child runs out in the street and Ruth has to do an emergency stop? fact is she won`t be able to without dropping the bike potentially hurting not just herself but also the kid that`s run out.

I know how difficult it is when you`re short and you want something badly but instead of pussy footing around is it not far kinder to say "come on hun.... dry your eyes but it just aint gonna happen"?

Originally Posted by Ruthja2801

I must admit this bike feels to big for me, but like i said when i was researching the SV came out as the best bike for shorties and light aswell!

The SV felt heavy for me at first too, which is why I dropped it into a bush as I didn't have much experience manoeuvring a "heavy" bike like the SV, everything I'd manhandled before was lighter.

That's nothing to do with height IMO, that's weight.

You'll get used to it, but in order for you to do that, you need to get out on it. You've already said you can support the weight of the bike with one foot.

Originally Posted by Baph

Claire, I was sure I read this before, so I went looking...





From those posts, it seems to me like Ruth has had dogbones especially made for height, and has checked clearance issues etc, and can get her foot down.

Ruth, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong in any of the assumptions there.

Yep I read that Baph but I`ve got 40mm dog bones and if my bike was to be lowered anymore then the tail tidy would be hitting the back tyre. My exhaust has already ground out a couple of times too. I think my point is how can it be lowered SAFELY anymore than mine has been.

Originally Posted by Speedy Claire

In my opinion there are no helpful comments to be given and Ruth needs to accept that very sadly she is just too short (and I`m sorry to say that Ruth). As far as I`m concerned the people posting the negative comments are being more truthful and more helpful than the likes of yourself Baph.

Would you all rather Ruth ride this bike and really risk injuring herself? What happens when a child runs out in the street and Ruth has to do an emergency stop? fact is she won`t be able to without dropping the bike potentially hurting not just herself but also the kid that`s run out.

I'm sorry, but what?

Are you trying to imply that I would rather Ruth ride the SV & risk injuring herself and/or others?

I suppose that's why I've said I'll be in her local area towards the end of this month & I'll more than happily have a look at her and the bike, rather than speculating because a lot of information is assumed via the very nature of communication over the Internet.

As for her ability to do an emergency stop because she's short, pardon? Surely she'd be able to stop (her height doesn't affect the braking ability of the bike does it?). Granted that stability once stopped may be difficult, but when doing an emergency stop, usually the feet don't touch the floor until the bike is pretty much completely stopped.

EDIT: As for your last comment Claire, regarding the safety of lowering the bike, that's exactly why I've offered to actually go & look at the bike.

To be honest claire it sounds like we round about about the same sort of lowering height!

But what you just said about doing an emergency stop, if a child ran out! Hit it home, I wouldn't be able to! End of!

Please don't argue on my stupidity! About the emergency stop, Obviously i would be able to stop, but i wouldn't be able to control the bike when i eventually stopped! Slow speed stopping has proved this, if i stop slowly on the back brake i wobble a bit but manage! If i stop with the front,i wobble big time from tip toe to tip toe till i can land on my left! And thats at slow speed! Emergency stop, i honestly don't think i could hold the bike up, and no matter how much confidence i manage to get, I don't think that would change!

But i wil say thank u baph for you support, you've been great!

I`m not implying anything. My point is that people are raising Ruth`s hopes and that just isn`t right....

If you`re in her area that`s great, go look at the bike and do what you can. It`s very kind of you to offer your help but I fail to see how you can lower her bike any further for her... if thats the case then you`re gonna have one very upset young woman on your hands. And I haven`t "speculated" as Ruth and I have previously exchanged PM`s about body measurements etc.

And please don`t be so patronising.... of course her height isn`t going to affect the bikes braking ability. My point was that in an emergency stop situation would she be able to get her feet down enough to stabilise the bike without dropping it and having it skidding off up the road!

I`m sorry Ruth I know you`ve said you can get one foot down flat but you must be leaning right off the bike in order to do that and that to me is just not safe. The only thing I can add is that that is how I used to have to ride my CBR600 and I dropped that bike more times then I cared to remember. I had to do several emergency stops and each time I dropped the bike because I had no time to slam the brakes (both front and rear) and then quickly lean off the seat in order to get my foot down in time

[fizzwheel]

Originally Posted by Ruthja2801

I don't think that would change!

and this is why you fail because your approach and attitude is completely negative towards what you're trying to do.

Originally Posted by Ruthja2801

Please don't argue on my stupidity! About the emergency stop, Obviously i would be able to stop, but i wouldn't be able to control the bike when i eventually stopped! Slow speed stopping has proved this, if i stop slowly on the back brake i wobble a bit but manage! If i stop with the front,i wobble big time from tip toe to tip toe till i can land on my left! And thats at slow speed! Emergency stop, i honestly don't think i could hold the bike up, and no matter how much confidence i manage to get, I don't think that would change!

But i wil say thank u baph for you support, you've been great!

Ruth it takes a very brave woman to admit the above.

I honestly wasn`t trying to belittle you... I purely wanted you to see for yourself that sometimes despite how much we want something it just isn`t possible. I knew from our pm`s that our bikes are pretty much the same height and I just failed to see how you could manage. I didn`t like seeing your hopes raised just to have them dashed yet again.

I`m sorry that the scenario I gave made you have to think but I suggested it purely because I`ve been in the position you`re now in. I desperately wanted my CBR to "fit" me and after dropping it in an emergency stop situation it scared the **** out of me.

As I said you`re very brave to admit the above but I knew that given time you would realise yourself. I really do wish you the very best of luck with getting a bike and I also admire your persistance

Originally Posted by fizzwheel

and this is why you fail because your approach and attitude is completely negative towards what you're trying to do.

I totally get what your saying! But like Claire said, if i can't get my feet down comfatably quickly then an emergency stop - safely isn't gonna happen!

So are you saying be more positive and i will be ok??