Bikes for short people

[bluepoof]

, if I could find a bike with a low centre of gravity and reasonable seat height, with some wind protection.

Again, try a low chassis F650GS thumper or a low chassis G650GS.    Under 30" seat height, low CoG, windscreen, touring-capable, decent posture for post-back injuries (wish I couldn't relate to that too).  

Or, there really isn't anything wrong with a Shadow!  

[Scoop]

We'll have to go looking.  Not much to choose from in this neck of northern Canuckistan.  But, we will be in Indy in August for GP, so can do some looking' and a-sittin' then!

[medjen]

Quit spending so much time going slow in a parking lot. That is after all the hardest thing to do on a bike. Get out and ride and enjoy the motorcycle for what it is. Also convince her that flat footing is never needed by anyone. When teaching someone to ride never ever let them think they need to flat foot any bike. Buy, rent or borrow a dirt bike and take her to a field and tell her to go at it.

There's something to be said for a controlled environment, however. Going ~20 mph in a deserted school parking lot helped me a lot. (thank goodness for summer vacation) Coordination of hands and feet and getting a handle on how the bike...uh... handles (hehe) were very helpful as well as gaining confidence in stops and putting the bike where I wanted it to go.

I'm back on real roads as of yesterday evening (50 miles) and this morning (75 miles) and felt about 1000 times more comfortable than I did before my extra parking lot drills.

[bluepoof]

WOOHOOO!!!  

[vulcanbill]

The parking lot should always be your friend.  Kim and I just got back from a quick jaunt and the first high school we got to, we zipped in and did 15 - 20 minutes of braking, swerving, slalom drills just to get the cob webs off.

Don't let people push you off the parking lot before you're ready.  I did that with Kim and we both regret it to this day.  You need to know how to work the thing before you can work the thing successfully on the road.  

Good luck, be smart and ride well in whatever manner that means to you.  

And buy and read David Hough's Proficient Motorcycling.  Might help to understand more about what you're actually doing and he does a really good job of splainin it.  

[medjen]

WOOHOOO!!!  

It was amazing to me how quickly the miles clicked by... 40 miles went by in a flash!

The parking lot should always be your friend.  Kim and I just got back from a quick jaunt and the first high school we got to, we zipped in and did 15 - 20 minutes of braking, swerving, slalom drills just to get the cob webs off.

Don't let people push you off the parking lot before you're ready.  I did that with Kim and we both regret it to this day.  You need to know how to work the thing before you can work the thing successfully on the road.  

Good luck, be smart and ride well in whatever manner that means to you.  

And buy and read David Hough's Proficient Motorcycling.  Might help to understand more about what you're actually doing and he does a really good job of splainin it.  

"getting the cobwebs off" -- I think that's a great way to put it.
Hough's book landed on my porch two days after my get off. I found the cornering chapter particularly helpful. I finally understand WHY countersteering works. (It's hard for me to do things without knowing why I'm doing them.)

[vulcanbill]

And by the way, that little incident w/ Kim coming off the parking lot too early was nearly 20 years ago and she quickly became one of the best riders I know.  She's smooth, smart, fast and confident and she's logged a LOT of very successful miles over the years.  She doesn't suffer the inseam issue but regardless, don't let a couple minor issues discourage you.  Learn from it and move on to the next challenge.  

[medjen]

And by the way, that little incident w/ Kim coming off the parking lot too early was nearly 20 years ago and she quickly became one of the best riders I know.  She's smooth, smart, fast and confident and she's logged a LOT of very successful miles over the years.  She doesn't suffer the inseam issue but regardless, don't let a couple minor issues discourage you.  Learn from it and move on to the next challenge.  

Thanks. I felt like a remedial motorcyclist for awhile, but that's pretty much passed. Just trying to keep improving every trip out.

[Boosted Thrills]

I'm about 5'7" with a 29.5" inseam. I have a 2002 Triumph Sprint RS which originally, I could touch with almost half my foot using both feet. I got a lowering link from Soupy's Performance and lowered it a half inch from stock in the rear, then slid the fork tubes up so the front was lowered three quarters of an inch. (For quicker turn-in.)

The whole install took me a little under two hours and I couldn't be happier with it. I can flat foot no problem and since it was so little I didn't need to cut and weld my OEM side stand or source an adjustable one, the latter of which Soupy's makes as well.

I definitely recommend their product if you find they have a link that fits the bike you end up with.

Good luck!