Any short riders out there???

[lorentjd]

Hi, All...

My significant other just upgraded from riding a Yamaha V-Star to an R1150R. She is 5'3" and has a 28" inseam. She's a new rider (two years and ridden about 1,000 miles).

The bike was a little high when she first sat on it at the IMS this past winter. So, we ordered custom shocks (soft on the top end so that her weight drops the bike an inch or two) and a low BMW seat (which we had further lowered by taking it to an auto upholsterer who cut out an inch or so from the top and narrowed the sides of the seat). But, she's still on her tip toes and has no confidence coming to a stop or starting/turning from a standing stop (she tipped it twice (on the hard saddle bags---no damage) with the bike stopped as she was starting a turn from a stop...

Needless to say, she's bummed out and has no confidence with the bike. I'd be happy if she rode anything and was happy with it but we both really like the R1150R (ABS brakes was a big seller for her) and it's one of the lowest standard bikes out there (cruisers are just too uncomfortable for rides of any meaningful distance).

So, I'm trying to find some suggestions from any other shorter riders on the board.

One thing I was thinking of doing was removing the side plastic molding that extends from the bike tank to the rear light and runs just along and under the seat. Reason? It makes the bike about two inches wider than the seat itself (so she's not getting the full benefit of the narrowed seat). Has anyone done that? If so, was it helpful?

Anyway, I'd really appreciate any advice any of you may have to help her have more confidence in the bike.

Thanks!

Loren
(2002 R1150RT)

[TonyT607]

Loren, one more thing you might want to try that will give her an extra 1/2 inch is to remove the seat to expose those 2 little black rubber stops at the front end of the seat. I cut those in half to shrink their diameter and lower the seat a bit.

Good Luck !

[M99]

My wife is due to pick up her r1150r in a few weeks. The dealer is installing the Wunderlich lower set for her. She test rode it with the stock BMW low seat. It was tall but rideable for her. My wife is 5'2" with a 30" inseam. She has been riding a bit longer than your wife and has a few more miles behind her too. My wife suggested checking out boots with a thicker sole, no designer boot here but real rider boots. She has Cruiser Works boots she loves. She also mentioned how she learned to not try and center the bike at stops on her tip toes, but rather lean just slightly to the left to get one flat foot. That made her much more comfortable.

Anybody on the board may remember my first post a month back about my wife dropping the bike on her first try. It happens, she got back on and still bought it.

I do have a question about the custom shocks you mentioned. Where did you find those? As much as my wife likes the bike now, lower is still better for her.

[Airman1]

M99,

Write to Pat about the mods he made to his `02. I think he tried everything. One that comes to mind is the removal of the spacers under the seat, which looked like it got hime about an inch. He cut his seat pan and pad down to nothing too, narrowing and shortening. If you still have the original seat, you might try some seat mods like he did. The width if the seat is an issue. My "comfort seat" is wider and certainly took some reach away compared to the stock seat. The width of the side panels below the seat is and issue too, but unless you're a fabricator with an English wheel you won't be looking for relief there.

[Shaman]

I swear I really look pretty normal, but I am 5'7-1/2" with a 27" inseam.
Your ladies must have some LONG legs compared to their height. *Rawwrrrr*

[leno]

I must second that I'm 5'8" but with 30' inside leg.Okay I do have short legs long body type of build. Perhaps thats just a differance in the way men a women are mesured. I have no problem touching down. But what does make a differance is the trousers you are wearing and the chubyness of your thighs. Insead of lowering the seat you can also get some benifit from thining the width.

[fnfalman]

I am 5ft6 with short legs (26" actual and not pants inseam). I'm on the ball of my feet with the Rockster and low seat. So the R1150R with the low seat should be OK for your wife with 28" inseam. I flat foot on the left leg at stop signs and stop lights.

She can wear riding boots with thick soles and higher heels like the cruiser boots from Red Wing. The local shoe guy can put an even thicker sole on as well.

Works Performance makes lowered shocks specifically for BMW. BTW, I tipped mine over twice; one on each side within the first hour of my riding the Rockster. http://www.worksperformance.com/html/bmw.html

[Bulldog]

My wife is 5'2". She started on a 650GS but now rides a K12RS. We did most of the above, but also bought lower profile tires to give a little more. She is still on her tip toes, and has to be careful and slow speeds and in tight parking lots, but wouldn't give the bike up for anything.

[bakernks]

I'm 5'6", been riding 35 years. Inseam 30". I'm using the middle height comfort seat, Verholen bar backs and while I must concentrate at all times around slippery foot placements, off camber turns, etc., I've been fortunate not to drop my '02 1150R even once. I've noticed the sidepanel issues also, and while it may be a bit of odd hackery, I think it would be possible to trim with a dremel type tool the front portion of the side cover off, and reattach the "new" front end of them with a clamp, perhaps a swatch of fiberglass holding the sidecover to the clamp, and the clamp going to one of the frame tubes adjacent. The type of clamp I'm thinking of is called an Adell clamp. Just an idea. If I was to approach a side cover mod, I'd want to leave the styling as much intact as I could, and trim back only what accomplished my objective.

[Pat]

I am 5' 2"...... with a 25" inseam and HUGE thighs. Aside from addressing the width of the seat/bike, and cutting the padding down, lower shocks MAY BE your best bet. I don't believe in Herman Munster boots with their exaggerated souls (soles?).

The lowered shocks can help..... but one must be a feather-weight, and not an aggressive rider. If they are lowered enough, the side-stand should be altered, and getting the bike up on the center-stand will be problematic..... not to mention the center-stand prone to touching down when one least expects it.

Beyond that, I would DEFINITELY add a Wunderlich Engine Guard, AND keep a set of System Cases on full-time. I would also have the standard lids covered in some truck-bed liner, while taking steps to affix the cases to the bike like CycleRob has.

It is VERY important to know that the R1150R is tall, wide, and heavy...... and a little person WILL drop it! Though I'm 5'2", I would not be considered "little" at my 240 pounds of muscle & pasta.... I dropped it all the time, and I'm an experienced rider of 33 years. Be prepared for the inevitable drop or parking lot tip-over.

I would look into the set-up I keep hearing about, but have yet to see. Weudo(sp) makes a kit with a low & narrow seat, and provides something to replace the factory body panels with. Good luck, and make sure you get the Wunderlich crash bars and a set of system cases put on there as soon as possible.

[lorentjd]

TonyT607: Thanks for that suggestion. I will probably do that to get a little bit more room for Mary.

M99: The custom shocks came from BMW (my dealer order them and, even during late winter months, it took about eight weeks to get them). Basically, they are very “soft” at the “top” (no weight on the bike) and quickly drop a couple of inches (?) when any weight is added to the bike and then, at that point, the shock is firm again so you don’t lose the benefit the shock was designed to serve in the first place (smooth out the ride). Thanks for the thoughts on Cruiser Works boots. I’ll look into those. Leaning slightly to the left to flat foot the bike is a good idea (one person called that the “butt cheek slide”)…

Airman1: What is “an English wheel”?

Leno: Thanks for that thought. I have both reduced the height and the width of the seat by trimming out padding. The seat width is no longer a problem. The flaring side-panels (that come out on either side of the seat by about an inch or so, is what is presenting the current difficulty.

fnfalman: Boy, that’s encouraging. At least she’s not alone in tipping the bike. She is so fiercely competitive that she absolutely hates not being able to do something well. So, she really got frustrated and embarrassed by tipping the bike twice from a standstill. The hard saddle bags really prevent any damage to the bike (which wasn’t moving, at least horizontally!). By the way, I love your Latinesque tag line!! That’s good.

Bulldog: Thanks for your input. How much did the lower profile tires give you?

bakernks: I’m mechanically challenged when in comes to even a (conceptually) easy mod to the bike. I’d end up bringing the bike to a pro body guy. Problem will be finding someone who can do that work for me around here (Twin Cities, MN).

Pat: Those were very encouraging words. Thank you very, very much. We have the engine guards (the BMW version, not Wunderlich) and we keep the system cases on at all times (they are saved the bike both times it tipped).

I think what I’m going to try to do is trim (or replace, if available) the side panels, give Mary some of the “war stories” on here, look into the thicker healed boots and encourage lots of practice! She’s meeting with a safety instructor this Saturday to spend two or three hours with him and get a read if the bike is, ultimately, going to be rideable for her. The “butt cheek slide” (term courtesy of Lion Lady) is something she may want to consider, too.

So, thank you all for your very helpful input. If there are any other suggestions that others may have, I’m all ears (and eyes!!)-->

Cheers,

Loren

[Pat]

WARNING!
The "butt cheek slide" should NOT become an automatic response when coming to a stop every time! It should instead become a heightened state of awareness, combined with a tight-rope walker's sense of balance, AND the gymnastic ability to slide one's butt to one of BOTH sides of the seat at a moment's notice. It should also be learned how to plant one's foot in a fashion that even oil will not upset your footing. I advise a tippy-toe balancing act while keeping the weight of the bike from listing to one side or the other. Technique is better than trying to muscle or outguess gravity.

In addition, one can not assume that the road's surface is equal to the distance from the saddle on one side of the bike as it is on the other. People who can reach the ground from their bikes, have been known to be surprised by uneven road surfaces...... if you're short of inseam, you can't afford to be surprised by these things..... you must assume that it is always an ever-present possibility.

I have a tendency to be rather fanatical about logging on the miles. In the last four years I've managed to put over 110,000 miles on bikes while working full time. I am growing tired of arriving home beat up from a day of balancing at stops, clambering into my saddle, and fighting gravity.
You need to be made aware that EVERY SINGLE RIDE, your "significant other" will be working at keeping the bike up, balancing at lights, even climbing aboard after a café late is a chore. Though you may arrive home from a ride not the least bit winded, your shorter riding partner will have been in a state of constant heightened awareness, and ever fighting gravity without the luxury of being able to flat-foot it. It's work and requires 110% when you're short in the saddle.
At fat & fifty, I have chosen to no longer play the balancing act; I'm looking to get a bike that I can relax on; I'm gonna get a bike I can flat-foot it from. After 33 years of not being able to reach the ground from the saddle of any of my bikes, I'm almost ashamed to be switching over to an olde fart's cruiser.

[Ebet]

Hi, Loren:

I am 5'3" with a 29" inseam and love the 1150R. Have already put 2800 miles on it in its first month. I agree with what everyone has written and would only add that you can make almost any good riding boots even taller by having an extra slab of Vibram sole added. I have had this done by a bootmaker. It cost more than the boots did (!) but was worth every penny because it made me an inch "taller". I started with thick-soled Columbia hiking boots so now they are probably 3" thick, and they are heavy as hell, but easy to walk in and outstanding riding boots.

Good luck to your s.o. with her new bike!

Elizabeth

[650LS]

Ok I'll play devil's advocate and suggest a smaller bike. I am 5'7" and currently ride a 650LS (1983). I have been riding for many years and have ridden many different bikes. I recently sold a 900SS Ducati and am in search of a new ride. I would seriously consider a GS or Triumph Tiger of KTM. However I have simply ruled these bikes out as I am too short for them. I would suggest checking out something like a Ducati 620 Monster. It is a very light and powerful enough bike and will match your wife's size much better. There are people out there 6'4" who simply feel uncomfortable on little bikes and buy the big ones. Doesn't mean we all have to have big bikes. Tell your wife to put her ego aside, get a smaller bike and then proceed to run rings around the bigger bikes. She will be much happier.

[bmrgrl]

Loren, I am about the same height and inseam as your wife and I also switched this year from a Vstar to the R. I put one inch lower Works shocks on the R and had the seat greatly narrowed and much of the padding removed and replaced by a thin gel pad (Rich's Custom Seats in Seattle). I did not remove the underseat black rubber parts as it made me too short for the pegs. I felt so insecure on the R for the first few months that I really wanted my Vstar back. I dropped the R three times- each time on gravel or on uneven ground.

I was so nervous just thinking about stopping that my heart rate would rise as I approached lights! Finally, I just got mad and decided to "suck it up" and ride.

After 6 months and 15,000 miles, I am very comfortable on the R and have kept it upright! If I sense an uneven landing I put both feet down, balance the bike, then move it to the left and bring my right foot up to the brake. I also switch to two fingers on the brake as the bike slows to avoid abrupt stops. I know that the safety course stresses always putting the left foot down, but once your rear shifts that direction there is no going back to the right side for a save if us short folks miss the landing. When stopping and starting I always make sure that the front tire is straight! I will back the bike up a bit or stop earlier to make sure that I can get the bike moving before starting to turn (lots of parking lot time).

My son cut both kick stands down one inch and the bike is easy to get on the center stand.

I hope that your wife finally gets comfortable. It is hard as the Vstar was so easy to ride. If she is like me, her comfort level will just one day happen and she will not be able to really point her finger at what exactly did it. I think that you just finally can feel the balance points and it all becomes automatic. Once she feels it she is going to love the R as it is so much more fun, agile, and quicker than her old bike!

[Kevin50r]

Hello everyone. I happen to have a short inseam, relative to my height. (508, 28") I actually use the shorter torque arm from the 1150GS to raise the rear of the bike, then an OHLINS shock with alot of preload to get the handling I want.

Results: bike handles great, but I can just get my toes down to the ground. Really difficult to back up anywhere, but I guess if we were meant to back up we would have a reverse gear!

As a bonus, I can hang both legs down while cruising the highway and stretch out some of the kinks, great news for my injured hip.

(I also fall over a lot)

Kevin

[greer]

I just wanted to let the short legged folks know you can work wonders on the stock seat with an electric carving knife and a belt sander. We started out with the tall comfort seat; boy there's a lot of foam in that sucker. Anyway, Doug just started carving across the top, then tapering the sides so my legs got a straight shot to the ground. He also cut a little off the flared sides of the plastic seat pan. When we carved all we needed he smoothed it out with the belt sander. The cover stretches back on and staples back with a lighweight staple gun. Now I can almost flat-foot, and I feel much more confident. Sarah

[bakernks]

Good post, Sarah. I've used the old electric carving knife and electric stapler for years, adjusting seats to suit this 5'6" guy.

[DaveM]

Loren,

We seem to be facing exactly the same problems that you were. My wife finds her R1150R slightly tall, and we need to do something the reduce the seat height.

In the 3 month's since you posted you original meesage, what have you found that works?

I looked at the cost of short Works Shocks, but would like to look at alternatives to spending $1,000, especially since we would then have the problems with the side and center stands.

Do you know the part numbers for the custom shocks that your dealer ordered?

Thanks,
Dave

[Bones]

A buddy solved his same problem with a taller bike by taking his MC boots to a good cobbler and having a full lugged sole (vibram type) attatchet to his stock MC boot soles. That way, it is not just a higher heel. It wasn't that much maybe 1/2 inch or slightly more, but it made a difference. That along with the other mods should do it. I am only slightly taller than her and once getting used to it, no problem. I ride a GS now....so the comparison is similar. It is doable. Hang in there. She will ride like the wind compared to the cruiser, once she gets comfortable. It just takes some time.

Bones