New shorty bike owner

[Aquastique]

It's great to see this site is out there! I've gotten a lot of answers to a BIG question I had. Being only 5'4", with pretty short legs, I need to lower the bike, and just the seat won't work out so well. Of course, the dealers said there's no lowering links for the bike, just to wait for the suspension to break in. The problem is, I can't keep dropping the bike until the suspension breaks in! I've found a lot of helpful stuff on here, and will be ordering the lowering links that everyone seems to say work with the bike. If you have any other info for a 2006 GS500F owner, let me know!

[TragicImage]

wait wait wait...


you've dropped the bike, because you're too short?

[Kerry]

Yep, because by the time your foot touches the ground, the bike is already on the way down and it's too late.

Am I right?

[CirclesCenter]

Alrighty, first thing to do, get on the freeway, run it at speed (70+ if you dare) for about 20 miles, if you have no prblems you are in the clear.

If not time to modify things. (Common fueling problems.)

[Egaeus]

Alrighty, first thing to do, get on the freeway, run it at speed (70+ if you dare) for about 20 miles, if you have no prblems you are in the clear.

If not time to modify things. (Common fueling problems.)

Umm....are you sure you're posting in the right thread?

[CirclesCenter]

Just hoping that suzuki fixed the fueling issues some of us have had.

But heck, it's good to put a new bike through its' paces just to make sure you got what you paid for. (Like poping a DVD in a new player to test it)

[Aquastique]

BINGO! I was at the end of the driveway where it's a very small incline, and it was just enough that when the bike stopped, my foot wasn't on the ground enough. By the time I was flat-footed and stable enough to hold the bike, the center of gravity and momentum had already decided it was going down. There was just no saving it! And hopefully that was posted in the wrong place, because I don't think going 70 on the freeway is going to help me when I stop, if I could even make it that far to begin with! Thanks for replying so quickly, and anyone who has any good info on lowering bikes, or even starting off riding with the GS500, please send your comments my way!

[scratch]

Welcome!

This thread should have all the information you need: http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=26072.0

BTW, there's no such thing as 'breaking-in' the suspension; those guys at the dealer are pulling your leg.

[Phaedrus]

Maybe they figure if they keep pulling her (?) leg, it will be longer so she can reach the ground better. *rimshot*.

[pandy]

Welcome, Aquastique! I feel your pain. I'm 5'4" also.

wait wait wait...you've dropped the bike, because you're too short?

I have...many times! 

Yep, because by the time your foot touches the ground, the bike is already on the way down and it's too late.
Am I right?

Dead on. The exact spot where one can "save the bike" and "it's going over...." is a VERY small window. Even with just one extra inch of height, my foot would find some ground, rather than empty air...I hate that empty-air feeling!!!

BINGO! I was at the end of the driveway where it's a very small incline, and it was just enough that when the bike stopped, my foot wasn't on the ground enough. 

We have a nasty little dip at the end of our driveway, and I've discovered the hard way that I need to stop either *before* or *after* the dip, and I need to make the decision *before* I go. 

And hopefully that was posted in the wrong place, because I don't think going 70 on the freeway is going to help me when I stop, if I could even make it that far to begin with! Thanks for replying so quickly, and anyone who has any good info on lowering bikes, or even starting off riding with the GS500, please send your comments my way!

I think CC is referring to this:

Fuel Starvation

Here's something that has helped me:

The Short Rider's FAQ


One thing that I've found is that if there's even the *slightest* incline, I fall over (yeah, yeah, the peanut gallery no doubt will chime in to try and give you a count of how many times my GS has been down..I haven't told them how many times my poor SVS has been dropped!  ). I'm VERY careful to find flat parking....I don't care if I have to circle a parking lot 15 times! I also try not to back up, because if I don't notice an incline/decline....well...there's no way I'm backing up my 400-lb machine uphill backwards...it ain't happenin' when I can barely reach the ground! 

The other thing I'm doing is having my boots built up. As soon as the new soles are here, I'm going to be an inch or two taller! I'm having a cobbler build up my boots. If that doesn't give me all the extra height I need, I'll try shaving the seat...if THAT doesn't work, I, too, shall be lowering my SVS. But I think the boots are going to give me that little extra height I need. I don't need much extra, but that 1 or 2 inches is pretty critical at that narrow point where I can save the bike or he's going down.

Again, welcome! 

[pantablo]

BTW, there's no such thing as 'breaking-in' the suspension; those guys at the dealer are pulling your leg.

actually the rear shock DOES break in. onmy gs I noticed that after a few thousand miles I could flat foot more easily than previously. My then-current riding buddy JohNLA (member here) had the same situation happen when he installed his katana shock-it was high in the beginning but shortly he was able to flat foot again. Also happened on my 600rr-although it took about 4000 miles and a first 2-up ride (roe Kerry up angeles crest!) to break the rear shock in.

[Queso]

I'm not particularly tall (well, not at all) at 5'7", and the bike seems to fit perfect. You might be better off following Pandy's lead with some taller boots.

[hmmmnz]

i dont have your issues with the height quite the oppisite i had to raise the bike, but when my girlfriend wanted to ride it i had to do some thing,
which was removed the seat, pulled the staples out of the seat cover and started chopping the foam, i mabee got half to 3/4 and inch lower for her which was just enough, she is 5'4" as well so that might be an easy option for you

[TheGoodGuy]

yeah teh suspension will drop with use.. when i first got the bike i couldnt flatfoot.. then later i could.. same thing after the kat shock.. its fine now.

[Lukewarm Wilson]

I'm 5'4 as well and didnt find it to much of a problem, within 1500k's it was alright although I do notice the height now and then but no real problems what you really need is confidence in your self and your strength for 1 foot standing and always be sure where your stopping, if worse comes to worse there are always gutters to prop yourself up against but really just get confident with 1 leg down, and proper riding style requires one foot down at stop and other foot on back brake no hand on front brake so to ride properly you will need to get that confidence up, also at 55kg I barley make suspension move as it is.

[CirclesCenter]

I feel your pain, almost dropped it today cause I panicked in the middle of a slow U-turn and grabbed a fistfull of front brake.

I'm a rather big guy and I move appliances for a living so even at the 45degrees it leaned to I just horsed it up. (Barely!) And the fact I'm 6 foot prolly helped.

Get the case guards if you can, they'll make life easier if you drop it.

[GS Jenn]

I totally feel your pain. I am not short, but before I got the GS, I was riding my boyfriend's Kawasaki KLR. One of the tallest bikes on the market. I dropped the thing 3 times in the exact circumstances you describe, just the smallest amount of incline meant the bike would be leaning too far.

What we did: bought a spare seat on ebay, sliced off much of the foam, replaced it with a thin layer of better quality foam for comfort, then had an upholster recover the seat. I got about 2.5 inches of lowering that way with only minimal sacrifice to comfort, and it made the all the difference.

[Ricochet Racer]

I have the same height problem, I got these and it's all good now 
Check it out
http://monkeyads.com/imagepage.asp?thepic=_54376_100349.jpg

[jen_]

Here is the solution:



omg SORRY!I just couldn't resist!

[pandy]

Here is the solution   omg SORRY!I just couldn't resist!

I've thought about it!