Short riders

SimpleMan_Omen

SimpleMan_Omen

Active Member
I've seen some on here post of their wives riding. My wife is 4'10'' so she has a hard time fitting on most bikes. My V-Strom is way too tall (she is okay while it's moving but her stopping is very amusing) and the Big Dog has forward control that she could only dream of reaching. She does like the Yamaha R3 although she is still on tip toes and I know that we can get lowering kits for most of the popular bikes.

Is anyone here about that short or have a wife that short that rides and what is the bike?
 
dentdude36

dentdude36

Banned
SimpleMan_Omen said:
I've seen some on here post of their wives riding. My wife is 4'10'' so she has a hard time fitting on most bikes. My V-Strom is way too tall (she is okay while it's moving but her stopping is very amusing) and the Big Dog has forward control that she could only dream of reaching. She does like the Yamaha R3 although she is still on tip toes and I know that we can get lowering kits for most of the popular bikes.

Is anyone here about that short or have a wife that short that rides and what is the bike?
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My ex rode an ironhorse tejas with a modified push seat no problem , before that was a nightster no modification to ride height and before those she had a Honda cbr600rr lowered, she was 5ft3
 
SimpleMan_Omen

SimpleMan_Omen

Active Member
That is still a five inch difference in height. I'm certainly going to have to lower any sport bike, which is what she wants. I think any cruiser style bike will have to have mid controls instead of forward.

It's kind of the opposite of when Jesse James built that bike for Shaq. I guess she needs a mini bike with a V-twin.

My first thought was a super moto because they're light, they're meant to be dropped all the time, I wouldn't care about scratches and I really want one. But the 35" seat height rules it right out.

That Iron Horse Tejas is cool. I saw one local for $5,500 that looked good.
 
BigDogRick

BigDogRick

Well-Known Member
My wife is 5'3" also and we have made her quite happy on a Fat Boy dropped 1" in the rear and a custom push seat that is narrow at the horn also so her legs can go as straight down as possible. We have a very dear girl friend that is 4'-10" and I have no idea what it would take to make her comfortable and capable in the driver's position. I wish you well in your quest.
 
SimpleMan_Omen

SimpleMan_Omen

Active Member
It is a challenge. Your point about the narrowness of the seat is a big issue with her. If it's too wide it hurts her hips a lot and makes it harder to get her feet down.
 
SimpleMan_Omen

SimpleMan_Omen

Active Member
BigDogRick said:
Celeste road a Honda Rebel for ten years because it was both light and short. She thinks it might be worth looking into.View attachment 57764
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Is that Celeste? Yours?

I love the pants. Reminds me of a girl I knew in high school but hers had metal rings instead of the lacing up the sides. Drove me wild.

I might end up getting her on a Rebel for a while. She is resistant to the idea but she will ride one in the MSF course so we'll see what her opinion is after that.
 
BigDogRick

BigDogRick

Well-Known Member
SimpleMan_Omen said:
Is that Celeste? Yours?

I love the pants. Reminds me of a girl I knew in high school but hers had metal rings instead of the lacing up the sides. Drove me wild.

I might end up getting her on a Rebel for a while. She is resistant to the idea but she will ride one in the MSF course so we'll see what her opinion is after that.
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Yep, she is all mine. That was a pic riding north out of Flagstaff somewhere in the Navajo/Hopi Rez on our way to Beloit, Wisconsin.
 
BigDogRick

BigDogRick

Well-Known Member
Actually I made a mistake. She rode a Honda Shadow and that is what is pictured. She is familiar with the Rebel and suggested it for that reason.
 
SimpleMan_Omen

SimpleMan_Omen

Active Member
BigDogRick said:
Yep, she is all mine. That was a pic riding north out of Flagstaff somewhere in the Navajo/Hopi Rez on our way to Beloit, Wisconsin.
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That's awesome. My wife has been on plenty of adventures with me on the back seat and I'm looking forward to taking them with her on her own bike. But I'm over protective at the same time. Reminds me of my kids singing that Veggie Tales song "God is bigger than the boogey man".

I knew that one was a Shadow. Looks like the Shadow Spirit. I almost got the Spirit Shadow when I was a teenager. Thought they looked good.
 
SimpleMan_Omen

SimpleMan_Omen

Active Member
BigDogRick said:
And, by the way, it took two months for the tan line from those slit pants to go away. When her Mom saw her a couple weeks later she exclaimed, "what happened?". Celeste assured her, "Mom, its a tan".
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That is hilarious! If I could have liked that twice I would.
 
mjsk9

mjsk9

Well-Known Member
SimpleMan_Omen said:
I've seen some on here post of their wives riding. My wife is 4'10'' so she has a hard time fitting on most bikes. My V-Strom is way too tall (she is okay while it's moving but her stopping is very amusing) and the Big Dog has forward control that she could only dream of reaching. She does like the Yamaha R3 although she is still on tip toes and I know that we can get lowering kits for most of the popular bikes.

Is anyone here about that short or have a wife that short that rides and what is the bike?
Click to expand...
I am 5'11"; however, the 19" seat height on my Big Bear Chopper Sled Pro Street would probably work for her as long as you moved the foot controls? Second picture is next to the K9 for seat height comparison.
2014-08-14 15.45.52.jpg FullSizeRender.jpg
 
pknowles

pknowles

RETIRED
SimpleMan_Omen said:
I've seen some on here post of their wives riding. My wife is 4'10'' so she has a hard time fitting on most bikes. My V-Strom is way too tall (she is okay while it's moving but her stopping is very amusing) and the Big Dog has forward control that she could only dream of reaching. She does like the Yamaha R3 although she is still on tip toes and I know that we can get lowering kits for most of the popular bikes.

Is anyone here about that short or have a wife that short that rides and what is the bike?
Click to expand...
My wife rides a 2011 heritage classic. Lowered front and rear and the stick shaved and gel pad added. On the 2 bikes she has close to 70,000 miles. She will tell you she is five feet.
20180602_063804_resized.jpg
After thinking about it she has over 70,000

20180602_063928_resized.jpg
A local guy did the seat. The bike now has a 107 and scoots pretty good. Cutting the sides of the seat is the key to getting their feet on the ground.
 
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roadie1389

roadie1389

Well-Known Member
Also look at the Dyna models. They are super easy to lower and they are very light. I have my dad's Wide Glide he lowered about an inch (too much for me) but the thing is super easy to handle. The older Yamaha Vstar 650 is very light BUT it has a hard time at highway speeds. The older 1100 was a great bike and had a lower center of gravity. They stopped making it but there is a 950 that has more power and is an Aln frame. It is light and also low seat weight. My only complaint about the rebel is it is water cooled so there is weight with the radiator. Depends on where you live but on a motorcycle my opinion, less is more. I hate the new Harleys with so much electronic crap..... At 4-10 you are going to have a hard time. Need to find her some frankin' boots.
 
SimpleMan_Omen

SimpleMan_Omen

Active Member
The boots are an idea but I'll have to make a special shifter attachment for them, switchblade boots!

They do make tall riding boots complete with protection.

I'm going to have to save a little height from every aspect.

That Sled looks awesome. She might get a bike like that one day after she has dropped another one enough. I would have to find a way to put mid controls on it.
 
HMAN

HMAN

I just like my Freedom
Some of the older Raiders had like a 24.5 seat height, so with a small lower job she may feel comfortable?
 
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