250 Rebel. the cruiser line should offer you more options to reach the ground. What types of bikes are you interested in? The only other thing I could offer is perhaps a 250 Ninja and lower it. There's several on here who have experienced the same problem as you, so hold on and I'm sure you'll get some input.
New and height challenged
Hello... I am really new to riding. I took the MSF course, but it was the first time on a bike... I didn't make it. :icon_frow I'm 4'9" and I struggled with reaching the ground and the handlebars. I think I should find an old, SMALL bike to practice on and then I want to finish the course. Any ideas on next steps? Any suggestions on which bike to look for? Thanks!
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Wow you sure are petite!
My wife is 4'11'' and I think of her as tiny!
Anyhoos , she has the 250 ninjette which has a modified ( cut down ) seat and the bike is lowered.
She can't exactly flat foot it but she rides with no probs.
My only advice is " if ya hafta lower - lower as little as possible." It will always be a compromise I fear.
Best of luck and welcome to the forum. You'll love this place.
My wife is 4'11'' and I think of her as tiny!
Anyhoos , she has the 250 ninjette which has a modified ( cut down ) seat and the bike is lowered.
She can't exactly flat foot it but she rides with no probs.
My only advice is " if ya hafta lower - lower as little as possible." It will always be a compromise I fear.
Best of luck and welcome to the forum. You'll love this place.
Thanks everyone! The class was on a 250 rebel, so I guess I could find an old rebel and modify it a bit. I know about lowering (which I will do minimally since I heard about the drawbacks of that) and cutting down the seat. I don't want to spend much and I don't care what it looks like, as long as I can practice on it. Once I've passed the class and I am comfortable, I'll think about something new, like a ninja 250 (mmmm!), but I heard about a burell that has an even lower height.
You should be able to pick up a rebel pretty cheap.
I'm sure the Buell Blast is what you are referring to. I always thought it was taller, but from what others have said, it's fairly low. I think lower than the 250.
I'm sure the Buell Blast is what you are referring to. I always thought it was taller, but from what others have said, it's fairly low. I think lower than the 250.
Kawasaki, Honda, Handa and Suzuki all have little cruisers and the seat hieght on 07 - 08 models range from about 26.5" to about 27.5"
Hope this helps a little.
Hope this helps a little.
The Buell Blast is a very good option. Anyone who told you about lowering never did it so they opinion is hearsay. I have had all my bikes lowered properly and it does not effect handling to the detrimental levels that everyone says it does. Do not believe the hype...Now if you are talking about a 2 inch drop then that is a problem. For you, shave the seat...I will have a thread of my newly re-covered seat for my 10R...I shaved about 1/4 inch off the bike seat. Also, you an lower the front of your bike but it all depends on the fork shape. You can get up to 1 and even 2 inches...The rear is the problem depending on the bike...There may not be lowering links for the bike thus the seat. Also wear higher healed boots. That helps as well but make sure you have clearance for the shifter. Tip toeing is not bad...As long as it is not to the point where you can even balance. You have to over come the fear of tip toeing. As far as lowering you can do it. You are light enough that you will not bottom out...Now if you are heavier then it is a concern. Lots of riders in the Bay Area and there is BARF and South Bay Riders...South Bay Riders is the best of the group IMO. BARF is full of crappola.
If you are interested in a sport bike, Buell Blast may be the only one you can get low enough. The Ninja 250 has a 29.3 inch seat height. I don't know that you can lower it more than 2 inches. You can get the Buell as low as 25.5 Buell Blast
You might fine a lower profile tire also to help lower a bike some. Welcome to the forum.
wow someone shorter than i am!! im 4'11 
but i don't ride a bike im just a passenger not sure if i even want to consider riding by myself
but i don't ride a bike im just a passenger not sure if i even want to consider riding by myselfwow someone shorter than i am!! im 4'11
girl you should try it you would love it
i am 5'1 and on a 250 ninja i do not flat foot but i bet if you lowered it 1 inch and shaved the seat it would work for you :biggrin: also get some boots with a bit of a heel also helps outHello... I am really new to riding. I took the MSF course, but it was the first time on a bike... I didn't make it. :icon_frow I'm 4'9" and I struggled with reaching the ground and the handlebars. I think I should find an old, SMALL bike to practice on and then I want to finish the course. Any ideas on next steps? Any suggestions on which bike to look for? Thanks!
I started on a 250 Honda Rebel. I'm 5'3" and my knees were still bend when feet on ground. So I think you should be ok on the rebel, I would go to a local dealer and sit on one and see if it fits.
I'm 4'11", and I'm wanting to lower my Vulcan500. The only places I have trouble are starting from a stop pointed up a hill. I can almost flat-foot the bike, and most of the time do fine. I just really have decided, after trying to adapt to riding a Ninja from which I could only get my toes down to the ground, and dropping it over and over, that it was very important to me to be able to slam my feet firmly on the ground. I did drop my Vulcan once, but being able to get at least one foot firmly down has kept me from dropping it repeatedly, and has kept the bike upright enough, that I didn't need help regaining it's verticality after testing the force of gravity. The world is not a flat parking lot.
If your heart is set on owning a sport bike, sit on lots and lots of them and talk to a lot of people about the cost and practicality of modifying them to fit.
I looked up lowering a Rebel 250. It looks like the most common way is to change the rear shocks to shorter ones. You could lower 2-3inches. If I poke around the internet more, I might be able to find a way to make it easier to reach the handlebars too.
I think when I was looking at keeping a Ninja250 I was riding, I could have lowered it about 2 inches. Lowering the rear of the Ninja without lowering the front sounded like, in what I read, would make the handling less like a sport bike, and more like a cruiser. The front would require around $300 in parts plus labor, my and my husband's, or someone else's. I don't know about lowering the front of a Rebel. I'm still looking, but you could look up some of the Rebel websites. That's what I did some of when I was looking for a bike to buy. I looked up any information I could find online.
I know that a lot of women love sporties, but a lot of us love our cruisers. Don't rule them out. Once you're out riding, the important thing is the accomplishment of keeping two wheels between you and the ground.
If your heart is set on owning a sport bike, sit on lots and lots of them and talk to a lot of people about the cost and practicality of modifying them to fit.
I looked up lowering a Rebel 250. It looks like the most common way is to change the rear shocks to shorter ones. You could lower 2-3inches. If I poke around the internet more, I might be able to find a way to make it easier to reach the handlebars too.
I think when I was looking at keeping a Ninja250 I was riding, I could have lowered it about 2 inches. Lowering the rear of the Ninja without lowering the front sounded like, in what I read, would make the handling less like a sport bike, and more like a cruiser. The front would require around $300 in parts plus labor, my and my husband's, or someone else's. I don't know about lowering the front of a Rebel. I'm still looking, but you could look up some of the Rebel websites. That's what I did some of when I was looking for a bike to buy. I looked up any information I could find online.
I know that a lot of women love sporties, but a lot of us love our cruisers. Don't rule them out. Once you're out riding, the important thing is the accomplishment of keeping two wheels between you and the ground.
My cousin Allison has a 250 Virago which fits her FINE with NO alteration and she's 4'9".
height
hi, am 5' 0.5" and ride my bikes :. which have been lowered , i also wear daytona lady star gtx boots, which have one and a half inches extra height in side the boots, so they look just like any other boot, they also so do them for men,:biggrin:
hi, am 5' 0.5" and ride my bikes
:. which have been lowered , i also wear daytona lady star gtx boots, which have one and a half inches extra height in side the boots, so they look just like any other boot, they also so do them for men,:biggrin:Wow....I thought my Mom (god rest her soul) was short at 4' 10" she hated loud bikes.:biggrin:
I used to tell her it was cause she was closer to the exhaust.:wink:
I used to tell her it was cause she was closer to the exhaust.:wink:
A gal friend of mine has a Buell Blast, and she's 4'11...she feels confident on the blast because it sits low (yup, lower than my ninja 250).
My first bike was a Rebel 250. I'm 5'1 and easily flatfooted the bike with comfortably bent knees, the Rebel should be okay.
Have you checked out this site yet??
VTwin Mama's Motorcycles For Short Riders List
My first bike was a Rebel 250. I'm 5'1 and easily flatfooted the bike with comfortably bent knees, the Rebel should be okay.
Have you checked out this site yet??
VTwin Mama's Motorcycles For Short Riders List
The Hyosung Avitar has a really low seat height...
Hi Petite_rider,
Try getting taller boots and a 2nd hand Rebel to practice on. Then when you're confident enough, you can try out the MSF class again, unless u're allowed to bring your own bike that u're more familiar with.
My fiance just got me a 2nd hand Rebel last friday from the NP Auctions, real cheap. Less than 6mths old with less than 700miles on it, for around $1500. It needs a paintjob tho as the previous owner attempted a DIY-paintjob which ended up disastrous. Guess this will be the smallest, lightest bike i hv so far, and the lowest. Hmm.. seems i am working myself downwards eh?
Good luck!!
Try getting taller boots and a 2nd hand Rebel to practice on. Then when you're confident enough, you can try out the MSF class again, unless u're allowed to bring your own bike that u're more familiar with.
My fiance just got me a 2nd hand Rebel last friday from the NP Auctions, real cheap. Less than 6mths old with less than 700miles on it, for around $1500. It needs a paintjob tho as the previous owner attempted a DIY-paintjob which ended up disastrous. Guess this will be the smallest, lightest bike i hv so far, and the lowest. Hmm.. seems i am working myself downwards eh?
Good luck!!
1 - 20 of 29 Posts
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