I'm a short guy (5'6") and am unable to put both my feet flat on the ground on my bike....but I can touch the ground on both sides.

I believe the rule is being able to put both feet flat on the ground. What should I be thinking about in respect to this? Lowering the bike?

Dude.. I'm 5'3 with a roughly 28" inseam. I ride just fine. Just learn to be comfortable with one foot down (Typically the left foot, so that you can cover the rear brake at all times.. plus, it keeps your leg away from the hot exhaust... ask how I learned that one)

Honestly, you CAN lower the bike... but I wouldn't recommend it, it will affect the steering geometry and make the bike more twitchy. Do a search for "lowering links" you'll find all the pros/cons of lowering the bike, along with a howto.

But seriously, just deal with it, that's the best answer. That way, should you ever upgrade, you'll already be comfortable with the one foot.

Another possibility you can explore would be to shave the  seat down, you might be able to gain a little that way without having to worry about the effects of actually lowering the bike.

I really didn't notice much change in the handling with my addition of lowering links to the rear of my 02 GS, but it did stiffen the rear a noticeable amount.  I had a well used set of Progressive front springs already and had left the rear preload at mid setting.  The links felt like I'd cranked up the rear preload a couple notches to be more like the front in stiffness and while a bit bumpy in rough corners, I like the results overall.

The ZX6R links will fit the GS500.  The shortest of the three holes on the Muzzys links is about the same as the GS500 links, approx 7 1/16 long.  Next hole is 1/2" longer which would lower the bike about 2 1/2 inches in the rear, it's about a 5:1 ratio.

I was looking for about 1-2" lower so I went with the Pingel #62018 links which have the first hole at about 7 5/16" long.  They lowered the bike about 1 1/4" in the rear.  Other 2 holes are 9/16" apart each so 2nd hole would lower it another 2 3/4 inches approx.

I'm running 110/80 and 140/70 tires which are about 1/2" taller front and 1/4" taller rear than OE tires so my net lowering is about 1" rear.   Bike sits OK on sidestand, but further lowering might require altering the sidestand.

http://www.muzzys.com/catalog/

http://www.pingelonline.com/index.htm

Revised 1-19-08 to add:

Diamond GS500 links have 2 holes for standard height and for 2" lower.

http://www.diamondpowersports.com/lowerlinks.php

I have a friend with a Gold Wing, and he is like 5 foot 2 inches.  He **just** reaches the ground with his toes, but can control an 800-lb. bike like a pro!   Don't worry about it, just practice!   

As Nice Guy said, learn to slide off the seat and support the weight of the bike with your left thigh against the tank with your right foot on the brake.  Sport bikes only get taller from the GS, so you either learn it now or later.

The two toughest things for a short rider are parking and low speed manuvers.  Parking is easy:  Only park where you can ride out.  Otherwise, back the bike out by hand.  Low speed manuvers require lots of parking lot practice.  Most riders never learn to ride at low speed and it's obvious when you follow them.  Practice the MSF skills, especially the box.  As a short rider, you will have to learn to ride at low speeds because you can't afford to dip a foot.

If you have to, you can remove foam from the seat.  You can also lower most bikes about 1/2" before the suspension geometry begins to change.

Be sure to keep your eyes *UP* as you come to a stop.  Looking 10' in front of the front wheel as most riders do will cause you to lose your balance, which is a big deal when you can't use your feet as outriggers.  Plus, in a panic stop you want to keep your situational awareness, which doesn't involve the pavement already under your bike.

Thanks for all the helpful information, it looks as though I found a kind soul on this forum who is willing to part with a set of dogbone and shorter kick-stand.

wifey is an even 5 foot tall.   She cannot flatfoot the bike, same as you.

I tried to convince her to just deal with it and ride but she continually drops the bike whenever she encounters uneven pavement or pavement that grades to one side or the other.

Needless to say this greatly fucks up her confidence on all other aspects of riding.  Once she is up and going she is still uncomfortable.

I gave up for the sake of her future as a biker. Just yesterday I had her sit on a Honda rebel 250 and you can tell she was more comfortable with it.

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I have no point with this. Just an anecdote I felt related to your plight.

I would totally agree ... the GS sucks for a true beginner ... unless the beginner is atleast 30 inseam.
The rebel, shadow 600, virago 535 and 250, Kawi 454 and vulcan 500, suzuki savage and several others fit the bill really well. Short and experienced = good for GS.
Cool.
Srinath.

Quote from: 3imo on February 02, 2007, 01:51:49 PM
wifey is an even 5 foot tall.   She cannot flatfoot the bike, same as you.
I tried to convince her to just deal with it and ride but she continually drops the bike whenever she encounters uneven pavement or pavement that grades to one side or the other.
Needless to say this greatly f%$ks up her confidence on all other aspects of riding.  Once she is up and going she is still uncomfortable.

This was my experience. I'm the queen of drops. If the stars weren't aligned properly, I would drop him. If there was ANY flaw in the pavement, I would drop him. If there was ANY uneven pavement, I would drop him. If I looked at him, he'd fall over.  When I rode my GS, he'd likely already been lowered, but I had my SV650S lowered, and I've only dropped him once since then (I just HATE the gully in front of our driveway!  ). I didn't notice any appreciable difference in handling. Just be sure you know what you're doing (I had a suspension expert lower mine).

The lower bike boosted my confidence about 10,000%, and I LIKE having both feet firmly planted on the ground. Ironically, when I sit on a Gixxer 750, I can almost flat-foot it at its stock height...