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Post by jdmsoldier on Sept 23, 2013 2:58:18 GMT -5
I'm around 5'5 and im riding a fairly small scoot, but both feet can't touch the ground without tip toeing a little in my boots and my feet barely lays flat when I lean on one leg at a stop, and I know that it's potentially dangerous. I was thinking about using height elevated insoles like these; www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=height%20insoleThink it's safe to ride with or worth the cost/trouble? I was thinking it may put some fatigue on my feet if it's not a good cushion insole. I don't think/know if the suspension on my scoot can be lowered. I know there might be a possible lowering kit, but is that safe also? When I was looking at some new scoots at a dealership before I bought my used one I had some height issues also, and asked the man who was not so fluent in english if it could be lowered, and he said; "no, we tried that already." |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 23, 2013 3:02:31 GMT -5
Thats normal. I have a cy50*t3 and a BMS Tuscan and I cant either...Im 6ft
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Post by pmatulew on Sept 23, 2013 5:47:25 GMT -5
No worries. Scoots are relatively lightweight and have a low center of gravity. Easy to toss around and balance. I'm 5'5" with a 30" inseam and have been riding an 800 pound touring motorcycle with a 30.5" seat height. Same deal in that I can only just get tip toes on the ground or the ball of my foot on one side. That leaves a very narrow margin for error. Have I dropped it? Oh yeah, I've lost count.
You just need to be careful and be very aware of rolling to a stop in a very upright and balanced position.
Lowering the suspension isn't advisable as most scoots already have marginal suspension travel.
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Post by JerryScript on Sept 23, 2013 7:46:28 GMT -5
You could have a shop that makes custom motorcycle seats rebuild yours lower. I personally wouldn't lower the seat more than 3", othewise it might begin to feel like riding a chopper with gorilla bars.  |
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Post by oldchopperguy on Sept 23, 2013 11:19:39 GMT -5
I'm fairly tall, but have short legs, so I can sympathize with you. You may be able to thin down the seat to get a couple inches lower, but I must agree with not lowering the suspension any. These scooters do not have much travel, and VERY little ground-clearance. My stock Xingyue 150 scrapes speed bumps as-is. An inch lower and it would "high-center" on them.
You might want to check into some of the MANY Chinese "bobbers" out there. I've seen dozens of "baby choppers" with incredibly-low seats! These usually are hard-tails with no rear suspension, but a good sprung solo-seat fixes that.
Clutch n' gears motorcycles are great, and a real alternative for us with short legs. There are a load of swell bikes out there in the 250cc range, at affordable prices, which allow you to firmly plant your feet when stopped.
Just an idea...
Leo in Texas
PS: You might also try this... I did it with a Japanese bike years ago that was too tall for me. Take the seat off your scooter, trace it onto a good piece of marine plywood (3/4" thick) and attach all the hinge and hardware, and make sure it fits and opens/closes OK.
Then form a seat pad from upholstery foam, as thin as your butt will tolerate... LOL! And then re-cover it with black vinyl, carefully pulling it tight and stapling it underneath to the plywood. Take a black bungee-cord and wrap it around just to "separate" the rider/passenger area visually. It also makes a good place to stuff mail, etc. but it's mainly to give the seat a finished look.
The one I did looked almost "factory" and worked great, lowering the seat about 2". The way these scooter seats slant forward, this mod might lower the rider's seat as much as 3" or 4"... Worth a try!
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Post by prodigit on Sept 23, 2013 13:59:04 GMT -5
Sometimes it's possible to lower the scoot's rear suspension, some shops cut the springs.
Otherwise, just lean to one side, and use one foot.
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Post by jeepsteve92xj on Sept 23, 2013 19:57:28 GMT -5
I got a pair of loweing brackets on ebay. They are NCY aluminum parts. I haven't installed them yet. I'm not sure the left side will clear the rear caliper or one of the other protuberances.
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