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Author Topic: Low seat height  (Read 16340 times)

Offline vintagemilano

  • ^ Motobrick Curious
  • Posts: 64
Low seat height
« on: May 26, 2015, 02:18:35 PM »
Hey there, I did some searching as I'm sure this is covered but couldn't find the answers I am looking for. If you find a configured bike or do all the mods, how short (tall?) of a rider could comfortably use a K75? So if you find a bike with factory low seat, get a shorter progressive rear shock and drop the front forks a  bit could a 5'3", 5'4" rider flat foot both feet? Any vertically challenged people out there feel like owning up to their personal solutions?  :-)

Thank you,
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  • Cranbrook, BC, Canada
  • 1990 K75RT
Non bricks include
06 Yamaha FZ6
1996 Yamaha xt225
1993 Suzuki GSF400

Offline Gio

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  • Posts: 217
Re: Low seat height
« Reply #1 on: May 26, 2015, 08:40:45 PM »
Hi vintage

I'm 5'6'' and found the stock (high) seat on my K75s just fine whilst underway, but just a little too tall for car park shuffling etc - recently converted to a factory low seat (~2'' lower I think - can't find the specs now but I think the low seat is around 30.9"?) and it has made a huge difference. I think I would try a low seat first before getting into the other options.

Gio
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  • NS, Canada
  • K75s ("Buttercup")
Halifax, NS
1994 K75s (UK spec)
1984 Honda 200ES (Big Red)

Offline johnny

  • TrailBrakingThrottleWhacker
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  • Whacking...n...Chopping Sliding...n...High Siding
Re: Low seat height
« Reply #2 on: May 30, 2015, 08:17:35 AM »
greetings...

its not necessarily your total height... its more your inseam combined with if you gotts a bony booty and small feet... also the width and height of the seat foam has lotts to do with it...

sitting on a motobrick and justa spin around the block is not a good indicator of complete ergo comfort... gotts to be comfortable for the long ride and back to back to back days... its trial and error for most...

some folks have lowered their triple tree on the forks an inch and put on an inch shorter rear sock... this will lower the moto and full inch and will certainly cause peg drag boot drag and center stand issues... more importantly it changes the moto geometry which can cause whack handling whack... whack whack whack... 

j o
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  • :johnny i parks my 96 eleven hundert rs motobrick in dodge county cheezconsin  :johnny

Offline Gio

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  • Posts: 217
Re: Low seat height
« Reply #3 on: May 30, 2015, 09:29:18 AM »
Agreed johnny - in my case an in-seam significantly less than 30" ... not very much time on the low seat yet, but so far feels much better - for me at least. The only other change I plan to make geometry wise is to install the bar-backs as I also find the reach to the bars about an inch more than ideal.

Gio
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  • NS, Canada
  • K75s ("Buttercup")
Halifax, NS
1994 K75s (UK spec)
1984 Honda 200ES (Big Red)

Offline johnny

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  • Whacking...n...Chopping Sliding...n...High Siding
Re: Low seat height
« Reply #4 on: May 30, 2015, 09:56:51 AM »
there has gotts to be some fine boat seat recover folks up there... i betts they would be happy to craft you some foam on your seat pan and make a fine cover...

i met a boat seat guy in iderhoe... went to his house... he had all the equipnent in his garage... he refoamed the passenger part of my russell... put 1 stich across it and restretched my cover... it was 100%... charged me fitty...

i prefer s bars over c bars or bar backs... butts thats just me... i prefer weed bundt cakes over weed upsidedown cakes too...

j o
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  • :johnny i parks my 96 eleven hundert rs motobrick in dodge county cheezconsin  :johnny

Offline Motorhobo

  • +25 years of K75
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  • Posts: 1530
Re: Low seat height
« Reply #5 on: May 30, 2015, 10:50:22 AM »
I'm  just short of 5 ft 8in and prefer the low seat to the regular. I have a 13.75 in shock on one k75 and had a custom seat maker build up the stock low seat in inch or more...now it's perfect for me but my other k75 has stock low seat and it's too low.

I'd say the low seat k75 is the best bike around for people < 5 ft 5 in. I met a Ducati rider a couple years ago -- she was under 5ft and had big platforms on her riding boots. That's another option -- if you can't lower the bike any more, heighten the legs :-)

I might have a complete low seat and complete hardware for sale soon.,.PM me if interested.
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1994/1995 K75 ABS Frankenbike: original engine 136k miles, frame from Gary Weaver (RIP), 173k miles -- Current Odometer: 198k miles
1994 K75 since 2013, 82,000 mi (19k mine) w/California Sidecar Friendship II Sidecar & Black Lab 'Miss B' - RIP

Past: 1974 Honda 550/4 (first bike), 1994 K75 (sold), 1995 K75 ABS (parts bike), Sidecar Dog & Best Bud 'Bo' - RIP

Offline pdg

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Re: Low seat height
« Reply #6 on: May 30, 2015, 06:47:14 PM »
Is being able to flatfoot an issue generally? I can't get both feet even nearly flat on my 75...
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1988 K75S

Offline Elipten

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Low seat height
« Reply #7 on: May 30, 2015, 07:48:24 PM »
Depends on the rider and personal abilities and likes.  With the top heavy K and when fully loaded with all my gear I prefer to be able to get the balls of both feet on the ground if possible.
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  • San Antonio, TX
  • 1990 K75RT

Offline Gio

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  • Posts: 217
Re: Low seat height
« Reply #8 on: May 30, 2015, 08:35:54 PM »
Agreed re top heaviness ... I wouldn't say flat-foot essential - but more than tips of the toes lest you encounter some kind of shite on the ground and drop her into to the Lexus in the next stall kind of a thing ... all such fears dissipating once underway and both feet on the pegs - even the high seat is ok at this point. Or as johnny would say - more yee ha / less parking~!
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  • NS, Canada
  • K75s ("Buttercup")
Halifax, NS
1994 K75s (UK spec)
1984 Honda 200ES (Big Red)

Offline dougrs

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  • Posts: 45
Re: Low seat height
« Reply #9 on: June 06, 2015, 07:05:08 PM »
If interested I have a low seat for sale:
http://www.motobrick.com/index.php/topic,6763.0.html
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  • MD
  • '89 Yamaha FJ1200, '94 BMW K75

Offline Bfbob

  • Motobrick Curious
  • Posts: 24
Re: Low seat height
« Reply #10 on: November 02, 2015, 10:00:14 PM »
I feel for all of you, though I have the opposite problem.  On my K1100LT with the stock seat, my knees are firmly planted against the fairing, and I'm no giant, 6'1".  And the tractor bucket keeps my butt firmly anchored.  The sort-of fix is to sit on a doubled up sheep skin.  That raises me close to an inch and also lets me scoot a bit aft into the seat step.  Not perfect.  If I keep the brick, I forsee a custom seat.  A plain ol' bench is my favorite.  Then at least I can move around some!
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Offline Tuco

  • Gone ridin' !
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Re: Low seat height
« Reply #11 on: November 03, 2015, 12:23:49 AM »
I'm 5'7" and like the stock height seat on my LT. I've never been able to flat foot on most bikes. Suppose after all these years it just seems normal use "one leg and lean" at a stop. When we were kids my buddies thought I was a wild man because I was always feet up when sliding, never told 'em I didn't have a choice!  Pulled off the panels in front of your knees for some extra room and the warm air on my legs here at the typically cool Oregon coast.
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  • Waldport, Oregon
  • '87 K100LT, '87 K100RS, '97 DR350

Offline Martin

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  • Posts: 4475
Re: Low seat height
« Reply #12 on: November 23, 2015, 08:57:49 PM »
Quote from: vintagemilano on May 26, 2015, 02:18:35 PM
Hey there, I did some searching as I'm sure this is covered but couldn't find the answers I am looking for. If you find a configured bike or do all the mods, how short (tall?) of a rider could comfortably use a K75? So if you find a bike with factory low seat, get a shorter progressive rear shock and drop the front forks a  bit could a 5'3", 5'4" rider flat foot both feet? Any vertically challenged people out there feel like owning up to their personal solutions?  :-)

Thank you
I am 5'6" tall and have no problem with my K75 with standard shaved seat.If you don't want to modify your bike,raise the rider.Buy a pair of boots with the thickest soles you can find,this can give you up to 1" plus.If you want more height buy a pair of shoe lifts,this can give you another 1" plus.If you go the lift route buy them first and try them
in the boots before you buy them.Easier to make short people taller than tall people shorter.
Regards Martin.
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  • North Lakes Queensland Australia
  • 1992 K75s Hybrid, Lefaux, Vespa V twin.

Offline Martin

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  • Posts: 4475
Re: Low seat height
« Reply #13 on: November 23, 2015, 09:11:45 PM »
I am 5'6" tall and have no problem with my K75 with standard shaved seat.If you don't want to modify your bike,raise the rider.Buy a pair of boots with the thickest soles you can find,this can give you up to 1" plus.If you want more height buy a pair of shoe lifts,this can give you another 1" plus.If you go the lift route buy them first and try them
in the boots before you buy them.Easier to make short people taller than tall people shorter.
Regards Martin.

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  • North Lakes Queensland Australia
  • 1992 K75s Hybrid, Lefaux, Vespa V twin.

Offline HYPERR

  • ^ Motobrick Curious
  • Posts: 58
Re: Low seat height
« Reply #14 on: November 23, 2015, 10:34:10 PM »
Quote from: johnny on May 30, 2015, 08:17:35 AM
greetings...

its not necessarily your total height... its more your inseam combined with if you gotts a bony booty and small feet...

This^

I'm only 5'7" but I am completely flat footed on my K75S.
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1995 K75S Arctic Silver

Offline Elipten

  • ^ SuperNatural Motobricker
  • Posts: 715
Re: Low seat height
« Reply #15 on: November 24, 2015, 12:34:55 AM »
Not a question of your height.  What is important is your inseam.
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  • San Antonio, TX
  • 1990 K75RT

Offline Laitch

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Re: Low seat height
« Reply #16 on: November 24, 2015, 05:14:16 AM »
Quote from: Gio on May 26, 2015, 08:40:45 PM
- recently converted to a factory low seat (~2'' lower I think - can't find the specs now but I think the low seat is around 30.9"?)
The low seat is 2" (29.9" height from ground) lower than the high seat on a K75S, according to this.
http://www.bmbikes.co.uk/specpages/K75S.htm
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  • Along the Ridley in Vermont.
  • 1995 K75 89,000 miles

Offline John Lang

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  • John Lang
Re: Low seat height
« Reply #17 on: November 26, 2015, 05:26:08 PM »
This site  -- http://cycle-ergo.com -- lets you match your ride with your inseam, forward lean, knee and hip angle. Lists seat heights, of course.

J. Lang - '87 K-75C
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  • Ottawa, ON Canada
  • 1987 K75C
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