Short experienced rider wants bike any suggestions?

[delyn]

I am new here but not new rider. I am 4'10 and my first bike was a 883 hugger. Haven't ridden for several years and am looking for a "new" to me bike. I have been checking out the rebel and the suzuki 250's because of seat height is lower and I can't afford an HD right now. I am looking for a cruiser to commute to college in Orlando. My question is... after riding an 883 would you all recommend to 250 or should I look into a 650 or 700 and make adjustments for the seat height? Also how much does it cost to make adjustments these types of changes?

Thanks for any input.

[SCgurl]

If I were you, I wouldn't count out the bikes in the 600-800 range. You might be able to take some foam off the seats, lower the bike, etc. What's your inseam? I have a 30" inseam and have lots of leg to spare on the S40.

Wish I could give you an idea of cost-I'm just now starting to consider mods for the new bike to get it to "my size". It's a Road King I can't flatfoot, but I'm securely on the balls of my feet. A completely different seat (narrower) would run about $300; the low profile shocks would be $250, but would also change the handling.

The seat on the S40 is already pretty narrow, and I didn't feel like it was that much taller than the GZ, just longer. IIRC, the V-Stars had a lower seat height than the S40.

[delyn]

My inseam is around 26 inches.

[SCgurl]

Aha! Found it!
For inseam guidance:
viewtopic.php?t=7851

It doesn't take into account how wide the seats are, but it's a good starting point. I believe these are unladen heights, but I could be wrong.

[blues2cruise]

A friend of mine got the seat narrowed which helped a bit.

You could also inquire about low profile tires.

[follow]

27" inseam and just miss the 5'3" mark here...
I think if you went backwards as far as engine size, you may not be happy. But this is my humble opinion others may think differently. If you were a hugger rider, the others on the short list will be a piece of cake they are not so top heavy (one of my old bikes was a hugger).
I had to have seats modified on bikes and custom shocks.
you can PM me if you like.

[delyn]

Thanks for the seat height listing and the helpful advice everyone.

I think I will probably go for the middle range cc's as I know I can handle that size and with the right seat adjustments and shorter shocks as I only weight in at 120lbs I should be good.

Going to look at a honda shadow 700cc tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed.

Ride safe

[arletian]

I'm also 4'10 and about 100 lbs. I just bought my first motorcycle ever, a dream I had since I was 13 years old. I got a 1996 Honda Rebel for about $1600, and I can easily touch the ground. I love it!

You can also check out this list that has motorcycle seat heights.
viewtopic.php?t=7851

Good luck!!!

[blues2cruise]

I'm also 4'10 and about 100 lbs. I just bought my first motorcycle ever, a dream I had since I was 13 years old. I got a 1996 Honda Rebel for about $1600, and I can easily touch the ground. I love it!

You can also check out this list that has motorcycle seat heights.
viewtopic.php?t=7851

Good luck!!!

[hartley1]

cost won't be high as per your required changes . !