Wuthering Height

[daveuprite]

I've always been very content with my height. 5'11. It's a useful height in all kinds of ways. Not so tall that you stand out and people ask you what the weather's like up there, and not so short that you can't reach things easily and you get all the shortarse jokes. I feel blessed, and able to mount and ride nearly all bikes without too much of a struggle.

But today I met a guy who is about 5'2 and really wants to have a go at off-roading / greenlaning. And he is interested in buying a bike being sold by a good friend, so I really want him to do the deal. He took one look at the WRF250F for sale and you could see him squealing. The top of the seat comes up to his nipples. The bike comes with a lowering link kit, which will probably bring it down to just above his belly button and the seat has already had a chunk carved out of it, but he will still be teetering about and there's no way both his feet can touch down even on tiptoe. He will be new to off-roading so he needs confidence and the height of the bike gives him none.

It's a nightmare for short people. Enduro bikes need ground clearance and suspension travel, obviously, but the manufacturers show absolutely no interest in making the bikes easier for a short person to ride. A modern KTM300EXC is like a pommel horse for someone under 5'6.

Which surely leaves some kind of gap in the market, for a proper enduro-style bike that can accommodate shorter riders. Couldn't the tank be relocated, a la KTM790, giving some room up top to lower the seat? Do the frames really have to join so high up behind the engine? Why do shorter riders have to be satisfied with ancient twin-shock 125s just because they are the only dirt bikes they can get on to?

[MotoCP]

How about this solution?

299C510C-562B-41D6-8B34-0EBE3D07A559.jpeg (118.85 KiB) Viewed 2901 times

[bill_qaz]

KTM Freeride, AJP, Honda CRF 230

[Tonibe63]

Most riders are taller than your mate so that's what they design enduro bikes for but he doesn't need an enduro bike to get started in offroading/greenlaning.
I (5'11") used a gasgas Pampera for LDT's and my Wife who is 5'4" could flat foot on that. Honda crf230, CCM230, Yamaha Serrow are just a few of the 4 stroke bikes out there.

[daveuprite]

KTM Freeride, AJP, Honda CRF 230

Yeah the Freeride's a proper bike, although the seat height is still not all that low (and the tank range is hopeless). The other two are hobby greenlaners - when you get into seriously gnarly stuff they're not up to it.

Beta has just released its 200RR, which is a genuine really light enduro machine capable of competition etc, but even that has a 940mm seat height. No good for Mr Small.

[Sanqhar]

CCM Gp450 with low suspension and low seat.

[Godspeed]

Honda C90, will go everywhere that most other bikes do, even with the limited ground clearance

65903051-9E67-4C9A-9E93-2056585A9F1D.png (855.36 KiB) Viewed 2860 times

[dodursley]

a variant of the Honda C90, the ST90 (Big Dax) that had been used for forest work in US. The topbox is to carry a fuel can as tank is only 2 1/2 lt

IMG_9670.JPG (150.39 KiB) Viewed 2829 times

[Mike54]

Tamsin Jones is around 5'4 and starts the Tuareg rally tomorrow on a standard KTM four stroke. Lots of people cry for lowering links nad shorter suspension when what they actually need is better riding ability and confidence. I have another mate who rides a 400 exc as stock and he is 5'3. He just shuffles his arse to the edge of the seat and puts one toe down when he needs to stop.

[Paul_C]

...when what they actually need is better riding ability and confidence...

As a shorter rider I agree. However, it's developing those skills that's the problem. When you find it difficult to dab a foot down when needed you can pretty much rely on a, hopefully, minor tumble. You certainly get proficient at picking up yourself and your bike.