Re: [ST] Bikes for the vertically challenged

[John Ulizzi <jaulizzi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Marc,
   
  Get your wife a Ninja 250, or better yet, if you can find one, a VTR 250 or SRX-250 for her to learn on. So much the better if its a little dinged up... she wont feel so bad when she drops it, and she will drop it. Any of these three are very low and very light. Very confidence inspiring to an inseam challenged newbie. Let her learn on that and get comfortable, then move her up to something a little more potent....In the next level for the inseam challenged is the little Monster ( a great choice, BTW), and not much else. A Honda CB-1 is another option, a VERY cool little bike, if a little long in tooth. The less cool options in this altitude class include such things as the Buell Blast. The next level in seat height has way more options: Ninja 500, GS-500, SV-650, Hawk 650, just to name a few. The Thruxton would probably be in that same area. 
   
  Just my two cents from experience. My girlfriend decided to ride this past season. At 5'1", there were not many options. A friend let her sit on his CB-1, and it fit. We found a CB-1, a very clean one. Just so happens that guy also had an SRX-250, so we bought them both. Aint it grand to have a screw loose ?  She started on the SRX, very intimidated at first, and by the end of the season was wringing it out for all it was worth, passing people on the freeway, and learning how to manuver the thing on twisty back roads. She is thoroughly into it, loves the little bike, and after easing into the  CB-1 ( which still intimidates her ) she still wants to keep the little one to commute on. Both of these little bikes are so cool that I find myself riding them occasionally. Hell, this summer when gas was 3 bucks a gallon, I was commuting on the SRX....
   
  The one thing I have learned through all this that I cannot stress enough: Get your lady a bike that is small enough for her to master and dominate with her small frame and body mass. She will learn quicker, build confidence faster, and when she does drop it, it might be small enough for her to pick back up by herself. I cannot tell you how inspiring that is... the first time my girlfriend dropped hers she was all upset and whiny and waited for me to pick it up and wanted to go home. The second time she dropped it , she got up, swore at it, picked it back up before I could get to her, dusted herself off and said " let's go". That's my girl..... Also, that light weight is alot easier to negotiate while learning to corner. Remember that to a short 5 foot something hundred pound plus woman without the upper body mass and strength of a male, even a bike like an SV-650 will feel like and ST-1100 or Gold Wing would to us..... Do the math .. take her body weight relative to the we
 ight of
 the bike she will be on, get that ratio and multply it by your weight. Then add some more because of our build versus theirs... I dunno about you, but there is no place in my stable for a 700-800 pound bike....
   
  Again, just my 2 cents.....good luck in your search.
   
  Juan Grande
  Cleveland , Ohio

Marc Van Est <MarcVE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
  I've recently had a taste of what it must be like to want a decent bike but not be tall enough.

My wife wants to have her own bike next year, instead of being perched on the back of mine. She is not that tall, but still taller than some of my male friends, so I didn't expect much of a problem in getting a bike she can ride.

So far we've tried out the SV650 Suzuki and the new ER6N twin Kawasaki for size. No can do, the balls of her feet are still a few inches off the deck.( On my sprint she is miles from the deck.)

She doesn't want a Harley, so it looks like we are limited to the Ducati Monster 620, which wouldn't have been my first choice because of the price and running costs. At least the Italians build bikes for all sizes.

There are so many nice first time bikes, but only if you are tall enough. IMHO the manufacturers are losing out on sales by not offering decent lower alternatives.

Anyone listening at Triumph ? A low 675 Speed Triple please!!


cheers


Marc - Sprint RS

(P%#sed off after getting my paddock stand pin jammed in the back wheel. Took a five pound hammer and a chisel to smack it loose from the other side. Now I need a new pin and I'm going to have to smooth off the gouge in the hub shaft. Still don't know why it happened - it was clean and oiled before I slid it in. It turned fine by hand while I was cleaning the chain, then suddenly just jammed. Looks like an imperfection in the pin jammed the lot after cutting a messy groove.)




This email forms part of an electronic communication sent to 
the intended recipient or such person's authorised representative,
for the recipient's sole use and is subject to important legal 
and regulatory restrictions, qualifications and disclaimers 
("Email Legal Notice") that must be accessed by clicking here 

Or copy this address onto your Internet browser and process there.
The Email Legal Notice is enforceable and binding on the recipient 
(or such person's authorised representative) in terms of section 11 
(1) to 11 (3) of the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 
No. 25 of 2002. By receiving, reading or acting upon this email, 
you automatically be bound by the terms of the Email Legal Notice.
_______________________________________________
Triumph Sprint ST/RS mailing list
Send list posts to ST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Change your list options at www.Triumphnet.com
  

_______________________________________________
Triumph Sprint ST/RS mailing list
Send list posts to ST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Change your list options at www.Triumphnet.com