I've been looking at getting a bike for my fiance. The one problem is that she is 4'11. It seems like the buell blast is actually one of the shorter bikes out there. Anybody have some experience with picking out a bike for such a short rider?? Tips??
Seat height for a small female
- Thread starter wiznut
- Start date
Help Support Buellxb Forum:
brightbuell
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 15, 2009
- Messages
- 1,264
Phone book and duct tape.
dave_xb12r
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 19, 2008
- Messages
- 6,206
Brightbuell, I think he wants the seat lower, not higher. I would have her ride in some 4" high heels. That would be hot!
cronus1987
Active member
- Joined
- Feb 4, 2010
- Messages
- 41
every girl i know that rides (not very many, i admit) has had to put lowering links on their bikes.
The last girl i met rode an 05(ish) zx-6r lowered 2" and she wasn't much taller than 5'.
My gf is 4' 10" and the only bikes she's been able to reach the ground on (with both feet) are the assortment of 250 cruisers. She's no interest in having her bike or even riding one herself, so she's never seriously tried any out.
I haven't gotten her on a blast, but i would be willing to bet it's be low enough for her.
EDIT: Just read a thread about some chick that is 5' 3" and could "flat foot it easily".
and yeah.. if it is too tall.. http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/1/2/45/2213/ITEM/Icon-Womens-Bombshell-Boots.aspx
The last girl i met rode an 05(ish) zx-6r lowered 2" and she wasn't much taller than 5'.
My gf is 4' 10" and the only bikes she's been able to reach the ground on (with both feet) are the assortment of 250 cruisers. She's no interest in having her bike or even riding one herself, so she's never seriously tried any out.
I haven't gotten her on a blast, but i would be willing to bet it's be low enough for her.
EDIT: Just read a thread about some chick that is 5' 3" and could "flat foot it easily".
and yeah.. if it is too tall.. http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/1/2/45/2213/ITEM/Icon-Womens-Bombshell-Boots.aspx
A Blast would be a perfect bike. They have the low seats that are easy to find if you don't get a bike with one already. And they are not only low, but narrow, too, so it's easier to get feet down. Not too hard to arrange a color swap with someone, if she wants a color different than what you find. Then, from a maintenance standpoint, they are easy. A very fun ride. And if she likes it and gets into it, then you and she can mod it to improve the performance. And with a better seat and maybe a windscreen, they are even good for touring.
I've seen nice ones as low as $1500 on Craigslist, up into mid-$2000's range.
I've seen nice ones as low as $1500 on Craigslist, up into mid-$2000's range.
we have some 'pygmy' friends (well call em), that we ride with. a couple of girls that are barely 5' tall and about 90 pounds. the only bike we could find to get them on was a honda vt250 spada. at least it was a vee twin... sounds good with an exhaust and they ride well.
both girls love em.
my lady is 5'2" and she rides a buell Xb9 with teh Scg suspension. perfect, but not for anybody much shorter.
both girls love em.
my lady is 5'2" and she rides a buell Xb9 with teh Scg suspension. perfect, but not for anybody much shorter.
Yeah, my girlfriend is 5'2", and the SCG is just at the max height that she can feel comfortable on. She had a Blast before this bike, and misses it. It has a 2" lower seat height that an SCG, but really isn't much lighter.
I would let her get a Blast. Plus, they are totally fun for regular sized people to ride. Sit on the back seat, and it is super fun to ride around at WOT all the time!
I would let her get a Blast. Plus, they are totally fun for regular sized people to ride. Sit on the back seat, and it is super fun to ride around at WOT all the time!
I got my girl an 09 scg & she's about 5'2"-she just got her liscence &is really excited but not confident enough becouse she can't flat foot it.Now I've never had a flat foot ride,not even my old guzzi.but shed taken the course&proven she can learn alot fast-wich is what I'm suggesting.Being able to flat foot is nice ,but not mandatory . Learning control&gaining confidence are key components-and that all comes with riding-alot!
my lady can not flat foot either. she wanted to start on the spada, but i refused to let her and got her the taller vtr250 instead. but being a 250 she got comfortable to only being able to touch with the balls of her feet. then she upgraded to the 2001 cagiva raptor 650. great girls bike there. good power and slim lowline seat.
now on the buell she has no worries. recently she sat on teh spada and laughed at how small it was and how she chcuked the little tizz over wanting it instead of the vtr for hte flat foot. she was happy she pushed herself early on, which allowed her to be comfortable now.
the pygmy's, i dont think will be trading up to much, but they can sure throw the spada's around. they are a 'grey import' here in australia fon japan. popular learners bike. but they are good alround bikes and fun to ride and chuck around too.
now on the buell she has no worries. recently she sat on teh spada and laughed at how small it was and how she chcuked the little tizz over wanting it instead of the vtr for hte flat foot. she was happy she pushed herself early on, which allowed her to be comfortable now.
the pygmy's, i dont think will be trading up to much, but they can sure throw the spada's around. they are a 'grey import' here in australia fon japan. popular learners bike. but they are good alround bikes and fun to ride and chuck around too.
my wife is a little under 5'1. she rides a sportster Low with mid controls. She can flat foot it, but sometimes the wieght of the bike is an issue for her.
Whatever you decide on check the top speed. Some of the small cc bikes don't have a very high top end.
This starts to suck when you riding around with someone and their bike's top end is 60 mph or so.
Whatever you decide on check the top speed. Some of the small cc bikes don't have a very high top end.
This starts to suck when you riding around with someone and their bike's top end is 60 mph or so.
racepro716
Well-known member
- Joined
- Mar 3, 2009
- Messages
- 568
How about a Honda 250 Rebel or a Yamaha 250 Virago? Sure they're cruisers but it's a start right? Wayne
+1 on checking with her on bike weight. My wife has the irrational fear of not being able to pick up a bike if she were to drop one (as if any red-blooded male biker wouldn't be more than happy to come along and help her out LOL!). I try to tell her it's about learning the right technique, but still, she is hesitant over this issue. I would still think the Blast is good, for several reasons: light, fun to ride, fewer worries if it tips over - she or you might be paranoid about replacing sportbike fairing parts from a ninja or other). The Blast low seats are truly low, and I think this would help her to feel very confident in mastering the bike.
upthemaiden
Well-known member
We bought my wife a GS500, which was alright. She still dropped it a number of times, but she's not the most coordinated so I think the bike had it coming regardless. Either way we were going to lower it but never got around to it. I think the key is just to get a bike that won't be an issue if it's dropped a couple times. That was easier for me when I was 17 and just started, because I was just happy being on a motorcycle. When you bring someone in around a bunch of people with nice and fast bikes, they're not going to want to show up on a beat up old dual sport.
Had I found one for a good price I would've much rather gotten her a ninja 250, that was also one of my first bikes and I loved it, and even though it doesn't have the same HP, I'm pretty sure the ex250 was just as fast as the gs500 is, and much more managable.
If we get her a nice bike it'll probably just be a 600 with lowering links, unless she eventaully takes to Buells, but I know she likes the sound of an i-4 better. I'll just find some links with a range of adjustment so it's easy to raise back up when I want to abuse it for the day.
Had I found one for a good price I would've much rather gotten her a ninja 250, that was also one of my first bikes and I loved it, and even though it doesn't have the same HP, I'm pretty sure the ex250 was just as fast as the gs500 is, and much more managable.
If we get her a nice bike it'll probably just be a 600 with lowering links, unless she eventaully takes to Buells, but I know she likes the sound of an i-4 better. I'll just find some links with a range of adjustment so it's easy to raise back up when I want to abuse it for the day.
I've seen a video (and I'm sure most of us have seen the same one) of a 5-foot-nothing 100lb woman pick up and side stand a fallen HD bagger (weighing in at around 700lbs or so). It's technique. Stick your butt in the seat, grab the bar with one hand and a solid part of the frame with the other and push up with the legs. The bike will stand right up and it'll become manageable. A 400-500lb bike shouldn't be a problem for even the smallest "riding buddy".
