GS for small riders??

[IrishGaucho]

Hi folks,

Being a small rider myself it thought of sharing my personal experience, tips and tricks that I've gathered throughout the years, etc...


Let me know what you think

Cheers!!

 

[shez1]

Hi folks,

Being a small rider myself it thought of sharing my personal experience, tips and tricks that I've gathered throughout the years, etc...


Let me know what you think

Cheers!!

Some good tips there, but the background noise is very irritating.

 

[IrishGaucho]

Some good tips there, but the background noise is very irritating.

Background noise?

I know there's a bit of drone noise in the presentation but after that, I don't hear any background noise.

At what point in the video do you hear that?

Edit: are you talking about the background music?

Cheers

 

[ApUhtred]

Hi folks,

Being a small rider myself it thought of sharing my personal experience, tips and tricks that I've gathered throughout the years, etc...


Let me know what you think

Cheers!!

I am 5foot 8inches with 30 inch inside leg. I ride a 2019 R1250 GS Adventure. Thought I would try a lowered saddle and it was a bike changer. From being on tip toe I could stop and put my foot down with ease. BMW wanted some ridiculous price over 350 GBP so thought I would try Ali express. 65 € bought me a seat that has given me 32 inch legs and made all the difference. Obviously a lot less padding but after a couple of rides I got used to it and now have no problem with two hours in the saddle. Absolute game changer for very little expense.

 

[IrishGaucho]

I am 5foot 8inches with 30 inch inside leg. I ride a 2019 R1250 GS Adventure. Thought I would try a lowered saddle and it was a bike changer. From being on tip toe I could stop and put my foot down with ease. BMW wanted some ridiculous price over 350 GBP so thought I would try Ali express. 65 € bought me a seat that has given me 32 inch legs and made all the difference. Obviously a lot less padding but after a couple of rides I got used to it and now have no problem with two hours in the saddle. Absolute game changer for very little expense.

That's awesome and totally agree on looking for a cheaper alternative, the name brands sometimes act the bollocks with their pricing.

 

[Loiq]

there's loads of this bird from china ... give her method a go not sure about the yellow dungaree jobbies help.. but you could give'em a go too...

 

[IrishGaucho]

there's loads of this bird from china ... give her method a go not sure about the yellow dungaree jobbies help.. but you could give'em a go too...

That looks funny for the video but it's a bit reckless to use in real life in my opinion.

But, whatever works I suppose.

 

[Santa-2512]

I am 5foot 8inches with 30 inch inside leg. I ride a 2019 R1250 GS Adventure. Thought I would try a lowered saddle and it was a bike changer. From being on tip toe I could stop and put my foot down with ease. BMW wanted some ridiculous price over 350 GBP so thought I would try Ali express. 65 € bought me a seat that has given me 32 inch legs and made all the difference. Obviously a lot less padding but after a couple of rides I got used to it and now have no problem with two hours in the saddle. Absolute game changer for very little expense.

THats not short, thats normal lol

 

[IrishGaucho]

THats not short, thats normal lol

Ya, when I say small rider most people focus on heights but it's more about overall size, I'm borderline normal/short but I'm a small guy at only 60kg, wrestling the bike around would be a lot easier if I was 70/80kg even with the same height.

Also, like I mentioned on the video... Flat footing both feet is totally overrated and not needed at all in my opinion. But you have to be able to put one foot solid on the ground, even if you have to shift your weight a little. The video posted above of your wan there, that's a bit extreme.

 

[Loiq]

That looks funny for the video but it's a bit reckless to use in real life in my opinion.

But, whatever works I suppose.

pretty much what I looked like, apart from being a short ugly bloke not wearing yellow trousers.... after I had my HP2 shock changed for a rally spec one and the thing was another 70mm taller....

 

[Larry Langford]

I'm 5'10" with 30" inseam. 240 lbs. And not as fat as you might think, lots of bicycle going on too. I've been riding a 22" RS and it fits like it was specially made for me. I can actually flat foot both feet, prolly because of my weight. But I decided to try out the GS thing. I picked up a 2019 GS HP on the used market and man is it tall and big. It was also ordered with the sport suspension, which is the same as the GSA. So ya it is a very tall bike, like my old dirt bike days back in the seventies, only able to put a ball of one foot down.
With the GS today with a factory low seat in the low position I can get down one foot solid or both on the balls it seems. It's not bad I have been riding it around ok even with some offroad. But this is something to consider when buying new or nearly new. The thing is, how much of a hit to the ride do you experience, with the lowered version of either the GS or the GSA.
Has anyone here gone thru that and how well does the lowered suspension work? Do you really notice anything? My RS has great suspension and ride at 120mm .....
one thing to consider here; there are no test rides .... with any of the dealers, or even the big second hand outfits, which do move a lot of bikes around here ..... I ordered my RS new without having ever even ridin one .... same with the GS although one fine fellow let my take his camhead GS out for a spin ...

 

[IrishGaucho]

I'm 5'10" with 30" inseam. 240 lbs. And not as fat as you might think, lots of bicycle going on too. I've been riding a 22" RS and it fits like it was specially made for me. I can actually flat foot both feet, prolly because of my weight. But I decided to try out the GS thing. I picked up a 2019 GS HP on the used market and man is it tall and big. It was also ordered with the sport suspension, which is the same as the GSA. So ya it is a very tall bike, like my old dirt bike days back in the seventies, only able to put a ball of one foot down.
With the GS today with a factory low seat in the low position I can get down one foot solid or both on the balls it seems. It's not bad I have been riding it around ok even with some offroad. But this is something to consider when buying new or nearly new. The thing is, how much of a hit to the ride do you experience, with the lowered version of either the GS or the GSA.
Has anyone here gone thru that and how well does the lowered suspension work? Do you really notice anything? My RS has great suspension and ride at 120mm .....
one thing to consider here; there are no test rides .... with any of the dealers, or even the big second hand outfits, which do move a lot of bikes around here ..... I ordered my RS new without having ever even ridin one .... same with the GS although one fine fellow let my take his camhead GS out for a spin ...

Not on my own bikes but I have lowered bikes for my wife in the past and if you do it properly it's a good compromise.

For example, I've done a 30mm lower on a tiger 800xc (which is the taller off-road version). I've done lower springs front and back, lighter fork oil and a new side stand to compensate for the new height.

The ride was very good actually.

When you get a factory lowered bike. I would expect minimal compromise as well. But on the new 13s, the adaptive ride height is the best of both worlds. Lower when you need it and tall when you're riding, 0 compromise.

 

[Larry Langford]

I have to admit, that while on the RS, it has great suspension, but you do avoid potholes like you would on most road bikes. There are some rough roads out here, potholes big enough to take out a front wheel. Especially bad at night, at speed on a highway, because you can't see them as well, even with my 20-10 or 20-15 correction.
But the GS with the sport suspension, you can just hit the pot holes willy nilly .... lol ... It does have impressive suspension, eating up big potholes like there not there .....
I've seen that bit on the adaptive suspension and that does sound pretty trick as they used to say ... I wonder if you trail riding, can you tell the bike to stay lower in really rough slow sections or mud and sand. hmmm ..... with the bike lower you should have better leverage and control when you have to dab.
But I forgot to mention that the distance between the foot peg to the seat is very important to me, when this is right for me I can get all my weight off the seat at a moments notice. Surprisingly I went thru all the RS's foot peg settings as it came with the 719 stuff. Then I promptly reset the pegs back to the highest setting where they were when I picked it up. This allows me to use a hanging off stance, with almost all the weight on the pegs, when carving, even at a relaxed pace where your not charging the next turn and speeding of course.
On the GS with the low seat in the low setting this distance from seat to pegs is a little more but not too bad really as it stands now ....

 

[IrishGaucho]

I have to admit, that while on the RS, it has great suspension, but you do avoid potholes like you would on most road bikes. There are some rough roads out here, potholes big enough to take out a front wheel. Especially bad at night, at speed on a highway, because you can't see them as well, even with my 20-10 or 20-15 correction.
But the GS with the sport suspension, you can just hit the pot holes willy nilly .... lol ... It does have impressive suspension, eating up big potholes like there not there .....
I've seen that bit on the adaptive suspension and that does sound pretty trick as they used to say ... I wonder if you trail riding, can you tell the bike to stay lower in really rough slow sections or mud and sand. hmmm ..... with the bike lower you should have better leverage and control when you have to dab.
But I forgot to mention that the distance between the foot peg to the seat is very important to me, when this is right for me I can get all my weight off the seat at a moments notice. Surprisingly I went thru all the RS's foot peg settings as it came with the 719 stuff. Then I promptly reset the pegs back to the highest setting where they were when I picked it up. This allows me to use a hanging off stance, with almost all the weight on the pegs, when carving, even at a relaxed pace where your not charging the next turn and speeding of course.
On the GS with the low seat in the low setting this distance from seat to pegs is a little more but not too bad really as it stands now ....

Yes, you can totally manually set it to low or high manually when in enduro mode. In the road modes if would only allow to do either auto or high.

You can always adjust the leg room by switching seats, and foot pegs. There's even adjustable foot pegs from factory if you opted it in.

Cheers

 

[shez1]

Background noise?

I know there's a bit of drone noise in the presentation but after that, I don't hear any background noise.

At what point in the video do you hear that?

Edit: are you talking about the background music?

Cheers

Sorry, yes the music, it was a background noise. Perhaps others like it?

 

[IrishGaucho]

Sorry, yes the music, it was a background noise. Perhaps others like it?

Out of over 3000 people that watched the video thus far, you're the first one to call it out.

But I'll definitely have that in mind for the next one... It's certainly not easy to find free music to use in the background.

 

[Tyzer]

No music is always my preference

 

[IrishGaucho]

No music is always my preferenceost people do prefer something in the background.

Most folks prefer the background music. Specially when it's a video of just someone talking.

It's definitely not easy to make a video, edit it and keeping an audience "entertained".

Impossible to make anything for everyone.

Thank you for watching and enduring the music.

Cheers

 

[glenn2926]

I’m 5’8” with a 30” inside leg. I ride a 2022 R1250 GSA. I have the ESA set to min and Dynamic. With this set up I can flat foot it.

 

[IrishGaucho]

I’m 5’8” with a 30” inside leg. I ride a 2022 R1250 GSA. I have the ESA set to min and Dynamic. With this set up I can flat foot it.

Yup, I think that 30" inseam is about the limit for flat footing. With the 1200 and 1250s putting the seat in low mode helps quite a bit too.

Cheers