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4 May 2012
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Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Warrington UK
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Which bike for shorties :)
Well, it's not for me but for her.
At over 6 foot, I can have my pick of the big bikes, that's the easy part.
However, she is quite petite and just 1,61 cm tall (5 foot 3 inch)
So not very tall, also she doesn't have the weight to ride a heavy bike, as she is only weighing 45kg.
We would like to ride on separate bikes, and we would be sticking to 100% European tarmac.
We recently did the length and almost the breadth of Vietnam on a pair of rented Honda 110cc bikes.
I would hope to get her onto a at least a 200cc.
vette
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4 May 2012
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I love my XT250 Serow but they're way too expensive these days at over £5,000!! If you're happy with a 250 road bike I'd look at the YBR 250. 805 seat hight and an amazing 19 litre tank. That should be good for a range of nearly 300 miles. This gets around one of the main problems of smaller bikes travelling with big bikes which is having to fill up more often. It should do 70 all day so can keep up too.
If you've got £5,000 to spend try the BMW 650 with low seat. That's a lot of bike for the money.
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4 May 2012
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Join Date: May 2006
Location: Austin, TX
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Take a look at the Beta Alp 4.0
Quite low, infact if I'm not mistaken the lowest currently available Enduro bike. The engine is Japanese and very reliable, taken straight out of Suzuki's DR350SE (350cc, 27hp, electric start). The rest of the bike is Italian. I'll let you ponder the implications thereof yourself 
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4 May 2012
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Join Date: Jan 2010
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I bought an 03 F650 FL (factory lowered) flat footed with both feet , im 5'4, it had 1800 miles on it when I bought it in September and I paid £2000 for it its now done 10000 and is a great bike . If your in Essex at any point and want to let her sit on it just give me a shout.
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5 May 2012
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Thanks every one,
I think a 650 is a bit much for her, I know the weight disappears when your riding, but she really is quite petite. Many thanks for the offer.
The Japanese / Italian cross, well, I don't quite know what to make of that to be honest.
I guess a road going cruiser type bike would suit her best, some thing like a miniature Harley look alike.
Please keep the suggestions flowing.
vette
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5 May 2012
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Join Date: Jun 2008
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My wife makes 1,62m and 50 kgs. One of the issues for her is the position of the footpegs, which often interfere with her legs/feet when stopped. Keep that in mind as well.
Last year, we rented a Honda CBF 125 and a Honda XR 125 for a short tour and so that she could to test both types of bikes. The XR was quite battered by people practicing for the driver's licence and lacked more power, but the CBF was a pleasure to ride (I loved it, much more than a CBF 600, a paradox) and she could handle it well.
YBR 250 sounds a really good option, with more power.
Enjoy the trip with the chosen bike!
Esteban
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6 May 2012
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Quote:
Originally Posted by uk_vette
The Japanese / Italian cross, well, I don't quite know what to make of that to be honest.
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It's not as bad as it sounds. The engine is well known and very reliable, having been produced for almost 20 years now (introduced in its current incarnation in 1995). The changes have been minimal ever since meaning you can practically swap engines between a 1995 Suzuki DR350SE and a 2012 Beta Alp 4.0
The bike itself is quite reliable. Apart from the engine there's nothing much that can break. A friend of mine has one (I'd guess she's around ~1.65m tall). It looks pretty darn good (ymmv) and has been used extensively on- and offroad. Infact, it's more reliable than another friend's brand-new BMW F800GS. The major difference is that instead of friggin' expensive Japanese spares or friggin' expensive German spares you'll be buying friggin' expensive Italian spares.
If it makes you feel any better there's actually quite a few Japanese/Italian hybrids around. Italian design meets Japanese automotive engineering. Much better than the other way around 
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"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in one pretty and well preserved piece, but to skid across the line broadside, thoroughly used up, worn out, leaking oil, shouting GERONIMO!"
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8 May 2012
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fellow shorty
Im 5 ft 1 with a 27 inch inseam. I do ride a F650 GS, but it's not just the bike. I suggest Daytona Ladystar boots. They made me 2 1/2 inces taller. I also added Vibram soles for another 1 1/2 inches. Cheers. Sara
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8 May 2012
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I'm With Saralou!
I'm 5"2 and 50 kilos and my first bike was the F 650 GS (not lowered but on lowest suspension). The Daytona Ladystar boots were the best purchase outside of the bike. I was a bit nervous on the bike at first but I loved the bike itself. Once I had the boots the extra inch and a half made all the difference n handling and confidence. I even felt it if Patrick (my partner) took my bike and put it on highest suspension (another inch and a half), until I was really confident riding I felt that inch and a half. The boots were worth their weight in gold!
I think she should take the 650 on a test drive before she writes it off. We went on a 3 month trip from Germany to Turkey and back again and we left 3 days after I got my license. She will at least have the basics of riding down before you guys leave. And I loved my bike and will be buying a new one when we get back to Germany!
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12 May 2012
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F 650gs
My Wife is 5'2 & weighs in at a massive 48kg & rides a F 650gs, & loves it. However she baulked at riding it thru Africa where she opted for a Yamaha XT 250. She rides her 650 regularly at home here in OZ & will never sell it !!!!!
Paul
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12 Feb 2016
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Very low seat height - about 700mm?
My partner's looking for a capable mid-weight bike with a seat height of around 700mm. It'll be for doing a 30 mile, part M-Way commute and for road touring with me.
She's quite particular - she doesn't want a Harley or a Suzuki Savage (which she's had before) - and she wants to be able to be put both feet, flat on the floor.
So far we've tried, and dismissed, the Triumph Bonneville T100 (bit too high) and Suzuki Intruder 800 (seat too wide). Are there other, low bikes out there? Or bikes where lowering the seat puts it in the ball park height?
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12 Feb 2016
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Quote:
Originally Posted by trailguru
My partner's looking for a capable mid-weight bike with a seat height of around 700mm. It'll be for doing a 30 mile, part M-Way commute and for road touring with me.
She's quite particular - she doesn't want a Harley or a Suzuki Savage (which she's had before) - and she wants to be able to be put both feet, flat on the floor.
So far we've tried, and dismissed, the Triumph Bonneville T100 (bit too high) and Suzuki Intruder 800 (seat too wide). Are there other, low bikes out there? Or bikes where lowering the seat puts it in the ball park height?
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I have a 2003 triumph Thunderbird. low seat and can flat foot it easily with my 29" legs. Also my Enfield 
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12 Feb 2016
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Join Date: Mar 2007
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Quote:
Originally Posted by trailguru
My partner's looking for a capable mid-weight bike with a seat height of around 700mm. It'll be for doing a 30 mile, part M-Way commute and for road touring with me.
She's quite particular - she doesn't want a Harley or a Suzuki Savage (which she's had before) - and she wants to be able to be put both feet, flat on the floor.
So far we've tried, and dismissed, the Triumph Bonneville T100 (bit too high) and Suzuki Intruder 800 (seat too wide). Are there other, low bikes out there? Or bikes where lowering the seat puts it in the ball park height?
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You may have to look more closely at the cruiser market for that height of seat.
A Kawasaki W800 is probably much the same seat height as the Bonnie, but a Moto Guzzi V7 might "feel better".
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12 Feb 2016
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All of you are wrong.  Girls need storage, big storage. Fast, big scooter. 
PS
Something from Honda. Maybe CB or NC.
http://cycle-ergo.com
Last edited by ccaa; 13 Feb 2016 at 10:44.
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15 Feb 2016
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Bikes for shorties available in the UK shortlist
There's a post with downloads listing bikes with seats heights of around 800mm over in the ladies section...
UK bikes for shorties post
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helps answer the question - Why Go? Inspirational stories by veteran travellers Greg Frazier (5 times RTW), Peter and Kay Forwood (193 countries), Tiffany Coates (Mongolia Mayhem) and Rene Cormier (University of Gravel Roads).
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