Short arse wants to ride 1200 GSA

[Beautifully Innapropriate]

Hello folks, this is my first post. I am considering putting in an order for a 1200GS Adv, the problem is I'm vertically challenged (I have the same issue with women!) I want to get the seat height down as low as possible and was considering Ohlins shorter shocks and a low seat - probably Kahedo from TT. I have previously had an 1150 GS with Wunderlich low seat and I could just about get the balls of my feet on the ground. I am 5' 5" with a 29 inside leg.

With my GS1150, riding it was fine, a breeze, but I was caught out a few times at junctions and rough ground where the ground cambered away and consequently and unelegantly dropped the bike. With the extra weight of a full tank in the adventure, I am expecting the problem to be worse.

I want to be able to use the adv off road (not heavy terrain but rough tracks) but its primary use will be on road.

It sounds as if the Ohlins as well as lowering the height would also provide a better ride, so I dont mind spending the money on them.

How much do you think I can reduce the height by with this combo and would there be any sensible alternatives to my intended course of action?

Thanks for listening, I look forward to your responses.

Paul

 

[terayon]

You need to sit on the bike and see how far your feet are off the floor on a standard seat, then get the difference in the low seat and what you have left you need to take off the shocks. Don't take masses off the stocks if it's not necessary as you'll bottom the bike out on bends and rough ground.
Get someone to hold the bike up straight and get a measurement that way

 

[Yellow Peril]

Welcome, i am 5 7" with 29 1/2 and have a 12GSA using a low seat from the standard bike get balls of both feet on the ground with no problems:-

I have also had this seat recovered and remodelled a little by a local company and it is prefect, even considering going off road again now.

Ps the change of seat lowers the seat by about 3"

 

[ScottyKM]

same height and inside leg as shaun, same cure, been off road a couple of times too

 

[Beautifully Innapropriate]

You need to sit on the bike and see how far your feet are off the floor on a standard seat, then get the difference in the low seat and what you have left you need to take off the shocks. Don't take masses off the stocks if it's not necessary as you'll bottom the bike out on bends and rough ground.
Get someone to hold the bike up straight and get a measurement that way

The standard seat is too high, I can get my toes down with a the bm low seat, I understand the kahedo is 20mm lower than that, and that the Ohlins shocks will bring it down another 20mm

 

[Beautifully Innapropriate]

Welcome, i am 5 7" with 29 1/2 and have a 12GSA using a low seat from the standard bike get balls of both feet on the ground with no problems:-

I have also had this seat recovered and remodelled a little by a local company and it is prefect, even considering going off road again now.

Ps the change of seat lowers the seat by about 3"

The seat remodelling you had done looks good, was this remodelled from the standard bmw seat or from a bmw low seat?

Cheers Paul

 

[Beautifully Innapropriate]

no one has commented on the use of Ohlins shocks, I am a big fan of Ohlins as they transformed my Aprillia RSVr - would the lower Ohlins GS shocks help or hinder the handling on and off road?

All replies gratefully received

Paul

Only a scoth egg can look at a beech tree

 

[Beautifully Innapropriate]

also can the bars be lowered to compensate for the lower seat height?

Paul

 

[Thunder]

Welocme to the collective.

Wizard of this Parish has a 1200GSa and fitted Ohlins shocks speced for the 1200 GS which drops the seat height by 25mm from stock. He also uses a low seat from a 1200GS to further help with his lack of inside leg so yes it's possible but you still have to deal with the extra weight.

Ohlins shocks are fine on the GSA the only downside is the lean angle on the sidestand and the increased effort when putting it on the main stand.

 

[Thunder]

also can the bars be lowered to compensate for the lower seat height?

Paul

Not necessary, the bars will be fine.

 

[Gipsy]

Just a thought, but do you really need the GSA? Would the GS do what you want? I'd love a GSA, but I don't need one. I also like to spend less of my 10 dollars worrying about the actual process of riding the bike, and more of my 10 dollars riding it. ( For those who don't know what the 10 dollars refers to, it comes from Keith Code the California Superbike Guru. I suspect other here may have got it from elsewhere. He suggests that we each have 10 dollars worth of concentration to spend while riding a bike. The more concentration we are able to spend on the riding the better. Hence the less we spend worrying about such simple things as stopping on a side slope or it's whether I'll be able to pick it up, if I drop it, the more we spend on the riding, and the better the riding will be. )

 

[Beautifully Innapropriate]

Just a thought, but do you really need the GSA? Would the GS do what you want? I'd love a GSA, but I don't need one. I also like to spend less of my 10 dollars worrying about the actual process of riding the bike, and more of my 10 dollars riding it. ( For those who don't know what the 10 dollars refers to, it comes from Keith Code the California Superbike Guru. I suspect other here may have got it from elsewhere. He suggests that we each have 10 dollars worth of concentration to spend while riding a bike. The more concentration we are able to spend on the riding the better. Hence the less we spend worrying about such simple things as stopping on a side slope or it's whether I'll be able to pick it up, if I drop it, the more we spend on the riding, and the better the riding will be. )

Wise comments, but you know when something grips you, then you have to go for it. When has logic come into the selection of a bike?

I am not so concerned on the mass and weight of the bike, I got on fine with my GS 1150 and gs1200 adv is the same weight - I will just keep it with half a tank unless going on long journeys. As long as I can get the seat height down to an acceptable level without affecting ride, I will be happy.

Thanks for the response

Paul

 

[how much]

short legs run in my family

the problem i found with the 1200 fitted with the low seat.... was the footpegs were then "high" relative to the seat.... and having bad knees n'all

it just didnt work for me!



how much

 

[Thunder]

short legs run in my family

the problem i found with the 1200 fitted with the low seat.... was the footpegs were then "high" relative to the seat.... and having bad knees n'all

it just didnt work for me!



how much

You can drop the height of the footpegs by fitting a set of Fastways whcih would improve the situation

 

[bustupbiker]

no one has commented on the use of Ohlins shocks, I am a big fan of Ohlins as they transformed my Aprillia RSVr - would the lower Ohlins GS shocks help or hinder the handling on and off road?

All replies gratefully received

Paul

Only a scoth egg can look at a beech tree

On road they are the biz...off road i would say they are not up to it/made for it..

 

[Beautifully Innapropriate]

On road they are the biz...off road i would say they are not up to it/made for it..

Thats interesting would the Wilbers be a better solution?

 

[Janie]

bein a shortarse who rides a 1200gs......i'm just 5.4 and i have a tt seat and have had wilbers shocks put on to lower it a further 5cm.....the bike handles really well now with the new shocks......i have ridden my hubbies 1200adv with my low seat...............but its very heavy with a full tank of full.......and its so wide as well.......not as slick as my ikkle one....

 

[kopcat]

bein a shortarse who rides a 1200gs......i'm just 5.4 and i have a tt seat and have had wilbers shocks put on to lower it a further 5cm.....the bike handles really well now with the new shocks......i have ridden my hubbies 1200adv with my low seat...............but its very heavy with a full tank of full.......and its so wide as well.......not as slick as my ikkle one....

Looking good Janie

 

[Yellow Peril]

I had the low seat re modelled, had it narrowed a bit in the waist and built up a bit at the rear to improve posture on long rides. It has worked well apart from now i catch the bottom of my Savannah jacket which is a pain in the a** literally

 

[PhilBolton]

Quote:

"short legs run in my family"


Long or short it's usually the legs that do the running!

Phil