Yeah I know they have about the lowest seat height of any production motorcycle ever built, but a friend of mine is only 5ft tall with short legs and she's having trouble reaching the ground safely on her bike. So far it's cost her a fortune in brake pedals and gear levers so we figure the cheapest way to overcome it is to lower it even further. So far the preload has been wound off the shock and the yokes dropped down the forks by 20mm but it's still not enough. She's tried Hagon but they don't make a shorter shock and aren't ever likely to because they'd never sell any other than to her. It's not as simple as just fitting new dog-bones, the bottom bracket that determines the seat height and ratio is complex and requires a fair bit of work to manufacture. Selling the bike and buying a Virago 535 is not an option, she's not a fast rider but she wants a sports bike. I've googled, I've asked around dealers and I've so far drawn a blank - does anyone know of any firms who make a lowering kit for the NC30? -- Lozzo Triumph Daytona 955i SE (Black with added black bits) GSF600SW (broked) 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord does not refer to blasphemy during ejaculation' Tori 2006
Probably just as well, on balance. -- | ___ Salad Dodger |/ \ _/_____\_ GL1500SEV/CBR1100XXX/CBX1000Z |_\_____/_| ..87753../..22653.../..31893. (>|_|_|<) TPPFATUICG#7 DIAABTCOD#9 WG* |__|_|__| BOTAFOT #70 BOTAFOF #09 PM#5 \ |^| / IbW#0 & KotIbW# BotTOS#6 GP#4 \|^|/ ANORAK#17 IbB#4 YTC#4 two#11 '^' RBR Clues: 84 Pts:1800 Miles:5704
Let some air out of the tyres? -- | ___ Salad Dodger |/ \ _/_____\_ GL1500SEV/CBR1100XXX/CBX1000Z |_\_____/_| ..87753../..22653.../..31893. (>|_|_|<) TPPFATUICG#7 DIAABTCOD#9 WG* |__|_|__| BOTAFOT #70 BOTAFOF #09 PM#5 \ |^| / IbW#0 & KotIbW# BotTOS#6 GP#4 \|^|/ ANORAK#17 IbB#4 YTC#4 two#11 '^' RBR Clues: 84 Pts:1800 Miles:5704
Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, SD Fair play, that sure as hell lowers the seat height. To ground level in some cases. -- Wicked Uncle Nigel - Podium Placed Ducati Race Engineer as featured in Performance Bikes and Fast Bikes WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41 SBS#39 OMF#6 Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner", Honda GL1000K2 (On its hols) Kawasaki ZN1300 Voyager "Oh, Oh, It's so big" Suzuki TS250 "The Africa Single" Yamaha Vmax Honda ST1100 wiv trailer
Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, Lozzo Platform boots. That's the way forward. -- Wicked Uncle Nigel - Podium Placed Ducati Race Engineer as featured in Performance Bikes and Fast Bikes WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41 SBS#39 OMF#6 Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner", Honda GL1000K2 (On its hols) Kawasaki ZN1300 Voyager "Oh, Oh, It's so big" Suzuki TS250 "The Africa Single" Yamaha Vmax Honda ST1100 wiv trailer
Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, muddy cat I'd blame the timezones, IIWY. -- Wicked Uncle Nigel - Podium Placed Ducati Race Engineer as featured in Performance Bikes and Fast Bikes WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41 SBS#39 OMF#6 Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner", Honda GL1000K2 (On its hols) Kawasaki ZN1300 Voyager "Oh, Oh, It's so big" Suzuki TS250 "The Africa Single" Yamaha Vmax Honda ST1100 wiv trailer
Mark Olson says... She already has those, the bike is still too tall. -- Lozzo Triumph Daytona 955i SE (Black with added black bits) GSF600SW (broked) 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord does not refer to blasphemy during ejaculation' Tori 2006
Get some of the old foam taken out of the seat and maybe replaced with a thinner layer of slightly firmer foam, then recover the seat? JB
An NC35 has a 17" rear wheel which is a direct replacement for the 30s 18" rim. If you can find one for less than a million pounds that will lower the back by half an inch! And I do believe the Honda Bros rear wheel will work too.
Crash mushrooms & some lessons in anticipation & reading the road should sort it. If she can reach the ground (which I presume is the case from your "safely" caveat), there's no reason for dropping the bike other than bad technique or stupidity. -- Krusty www.MuddyStuff.co.uk Off-Road Classifieds '02 MV Senna '03 Tiger 955i '96 Tiger '79 Fantic Hiro 250
Blondie is 5' 3" and can flatfoot it. Shock on the lowest and forks dropped 10mm. Suzuki can provide shorter dog-bones and the forks can drop another 15mm. Job done.
Lot of lowering activity in the hill climb world. When I set up the 510 Husky a MX suspension specialist lowered it front and back for me. The back was easiest - a spacer to stop the damper fully extending. The front was trickier, but a similar strategy- damper rods shortened. Not easy to get hold of different links in those days- except perhaps for schoolboy stuff (no supermoto). Not prolly an option on a sports bike though. Might be worth contacting Revs suspension though: http://www.revssuspension.co.uk/
Has she tried something like Kate's/my/Muck's(now Mr Bonwick's I understand...) old FZR250RR? (And when I originally test rode it I also tried a NSR250-MC21 that made the FZR feel 'big'. Although that may have been down to the bars and pegs being about 3" apart rather than the seat height) ISTR that was smaller than a mate's VFR and, although not exactly arm-rippingly fast, it does (did?) handle very well. That said they're all getting on a bit now and spares can be a problem. Dave
