Wilsons Sandbox

Posted: **Mon Feb 22, 2010 8:27 am**

I hit enter before I completed my thoughts.

Reason for asking about inseam length is I once saw a fellow that'd cut down the seat, raised fork tubes in the clamps, put in drastic lowering links,etc... so his wife could be riding a BMW like him. Only thing was, he started with a GS650. By the time they'd modded it so she could get both feet flat on the ground, the bike was almost unrideable from a comfort standpoint and she wasn't that short. She could've easily ridden a number of cruiser-sized bikes or even a Super Sherpa with ease.

eddie

Posted: **Tue Feb 23, 2010 12:50 pm**

As one with a 30 inch inseam but like to ride bikes with a lot of suspension travel for off road, you would think designers could come up with a better solution as I probably fit into a category for most of the worlds riders. Are you listening Eric Buell or the late John Britten? Criswell Sent from my iPhone

On Feb 22, 2010, at 8:27 AM, "transalp 1" wrote:

I hit enter before I completed my thoughts. Reason for asking about inseam length is I once saw a fellow that'd cut down the seat, raised fork tubes in the clamps, put in drastic lowering links,etc... so his wife could be riding a BMW like him. Only thing was, he started with a GS650. By the time they'd modded it so she could get both feet flat on the ground, the bike was almost unrideable from a comfort standpoint and she wasn't that short. She could've easily ridden a number of cruiser-sized bikes or even a Super Sherpa with ease. eddie

Posted: **Tue Feb 23, 2010 1:19 pm**

Hey, has anyone ever tried setting up a trials bike for dual sport? It has a very low seat and considerable ground clearance, just a thought. TK [b]From:[/b] "roncriswell@..." [b]To:[/b] "transalp1@..." [b]Cc:[/b] KLR650 list DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com> [b]Sent:[/b] Tue, February 23, 2010 1:50:32 PM [b]Subject:[/b] Re: [DSN_KLR650] PS: As one with a 30 inch inseam but like to ride bikes with a lot of suspension travel for off road, you would think designers could come up with a better solution as I probably fit into a category for most of the worlds riders. Are you listening Eric Buell or the late John Britten? Criswell Sent from my iPhone

On Feb 22, 2010, at 8:27 AM, "transalp 1" wrote:

I hit enter before I completed my thoughts. Reason for asking about inseam length is I once saw a fellow that'd cut down the seat, raised fork tubes in the clamps, put in drastic lowering links,etc... so his wife could be riding a BMW like him. Only thing was, he started with a GS650. By the time they'd modded it so she could get both feet flat on the ground, the bike was almost unrideable from a comfort standpoint and she wasn't that short. She could've easily ridden a number of cruiser-sized bikes or even a Super Sherpa with ease. eddie

Posted: **Tue Feb 23, 2010 1:51 pm**

Posted: **Tue Feb 23, 2010 2:12 pm**

The answer is yes. The someone(s) are Bultaco & Montessa, in the '70s. Bultaco made 2 the first Matador 250 and later the Alpina 250 and 350. Both were trials frames with gear ratios differing from the trials boxes in 1st thru 3rd. More than you ever wanted to know, Right? The problem with trials bikes as Dual sports is the way trials bikes and enduro bikes have evolved (maybe this is a case of Intelligent design) going for extreme light weight 160 lb 250s and no seats. Today's dual sports are heavily biased toward street how else do you explain 75-100 HP off road bike like the BMWs and KTMs whose weight and capabilities for really technical off-road work is severely compromised. I'd say the typical big bike dual sport rider today defines 'Off-Road' as one where there is no painted line down the middle! Maybe that's severe but where the '70s bikes mentioned earlier, could go quickly these new bikes would not make that could not go. There just aren't many chassis that aren't offering 10-12 " wheel travel and that makes them tall. An option I've seen someone suggest is look at giving away some highway capability and look at something like the smaller 230-300cc bike b y Honda, Yamaha etc. They come with adequate lights, suspension, and power for more off-road capability than the big heavies or the middle weights that all seem to have long travel suspensio

--- On [b]Tue, 2/23/10, Thomas Komjathy [i][/i][/b] wrote: From: Thomas Komjathy Subject: Re: [DSN_KLR650] PS: To: "roncriswell@..." , "transalp1@..." Cc: "KLR650 list" DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com> Date: Tuesday, February 23, 2010, 11:18 AM Hey, has anyone ever tried setting up a trials bike for dual sport? It has a very low seat and considerable ground clearance, just a thought. TK [b]From:[/b] "roncriswell@ sbcglobal. net" [b]To:[/b] "transalp1@mindspri ng.com" [b]Cc:[/b] KLR650 list [b]Sent:[/b] Tue, February 23, 2010 1:50:32 PM [b]Subject:[/b] Re: [DSN_KLR650] PS: As one with a 30 inch inseam but like to ride bikes with a lot of suspension travel for off road, you would think designers could come up with a better solution as I probably fit into a category for most of the worlds riders. Are you listening Eric Buell or the late John Britten? Criswell Sent from my iPhone On Feb 22, 2010, at 8:27 AM, "transalp 1" transalp1@mindsprin g.com> wrote: I hit enter before I completed my thoughts. Reason for asking about inseam length is I once saw a fellow that'd cut down the seat, raised fork tubes in the clamps, put in drastic lowering links,etc... so his wife could be riding a BMW like him. Only thing was, he started with a GS650. By the time they'd modded it so she could get both feet flat on the ground, the bike was almost unrideable from a comfort standpoint and she wasn't that short. She could've easily ridden a number of cruiser-sized bikes or even a Super Sherpa with ease. eddie

Posted: **Tue Feb 23, 2010 2:32 pm**

Here's a thought about the short legged folks out there. Sometimes there might be a satisfactory simple solution... Wouldn't getting some riding boots made what would have a 3-4 inch lift to the sole and heel solve the problem??? Ah... probably not, unless you could modify the gear shifter to fit. Just a thought

-- Roger Dill Innovative Financial Solutions 210-681-1848 T 866-831-4661 F www.ifsdebtpros.com

Posted: **Tue Feb 23, 2010 3:57 pm**

Before you lower the bike. It is your choice but the KLR is not only tall but big. it may be a bit much for a smaller person not just due to seat hight but consider upper body strength etc. XT 225, KLR 250, maybe a DZ 450 or so Back to lowering. Say you stay with KLR. Figure a few things. One seat hieght unladen is not the critcal nuber, except to board. I flat foot my KLR easily with 32 inch inseam. Note this means you do not have to lower the bike say 9 inches. So holdeing the bike level. have the better half with gear and bags get on the bike. use a couple of 2x 4s to use as giudes to put her feet on. I doubt you need to lower more than 2 inches. Next. given a 2 inch lowering...check out corbin or like that for lowered seat. get one. Re do the lowering test. then determine how much to lower the bike. Lowering the bike is easy but also easy to honk up the handleing, If you say shorten the springs (in the compressed state 2 inches in the fork, you will need to increase the spring rate to keep the front end from bottoming as easily. same with the back. Think this through carefully you may not like the results.

Posted: **Tue Feb 23, 2010 4:03 pm**

Here is my buddy Zac on his old trials bike with a banana seat. Criswell[img]cid:5A9C94B0-EEC2-48B9-A9EC-F561192B143C@gateway.2wire.net[/img] On Feb 23, 2010, at 1:18 PM, Thomas Komjathy wrote:

Hey, has anyone ever tried setting up a trials bike for dual sport? It has a very low seat and considerable ground clearance, just a thought. TK [b]From:[/b] "roncriswell@sbcglobal.net" roncriswell@sbcglobal.net> [b]To:[/b] "transalp1@mindspring.com" transalp1@mindspring.com> [b]Cc:[/b] KLR650 list DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com> [b]Sent:[/b] Tue, February 23, 2010 1:50:32 PM [b]Subject:[/b] Re: [DSN_KLR650] PS: As one with a 30 inch inseam but like to ride bikes with a lot of suspension travel for off road, you would think designers could come up with a better solution as I probably fit into a category for most of the worlds riders. Are you listening Eric Buell or the late John Britten? Criswell Sent from my iPhone On Feb 22, 2010, at 8:27 AM, "transalp 1" transalp1@mindspring.com> wrote: I hit enter before I completed my thoughts.Reason for asking about inseam length is I once saw a fellow that'd cut down the seat, raised fork tubes in the clamps, put in drastic lowering links,etc... so his wife could be riding a BMW like him. Only thing was, he started with a GS650. By the time they'd modded it so she could get both feet flat on the ground, the bike was almost unrideable from a comfort standpoint and she wasn't that short. She could've easily ridden a number of cruiser-sized bikes or even a Super Sherpa with ease. eddie

Posted: **Tue Feb 23, 2010 4:08 pm**

Dang, I had shoes and boots like that in the seventies. I don't know how you would shift unless it was an automatic. Hand brakes would be a must. Criswell

On Feb 23, 2010, at 2:22 PM, Roger Dill wrote: Here's a thought about the short legged folks out there. Sometimes there might be a satisfactory simple solution... Wouldn't getting some riding boots made what would have a 3-4 inch lift to the sole and heel solve the problem??? Ah... probably not, unless you could modify the gear shifter to fit. Just a thought -- Roger Dill Innovative Financial Solutions 210-681-1848 T 866-831-4661 F www.ifsdebtpros. com

Wilsons Sandbox

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