How large a bike is too much...

[Ryethil]

We have an ongoing club argument that we can't answer and I don't know if anyone can answer...

There are lists for first bikes and what sizes are best for newbies.
There are lists for intermediate bikes and possible lists for experienced riders.

But we, as a club, have a tendency to ride Sportsters and big twins (Hawgs) and manage to the best of our abiltiies. When I've been to places like Daytona, there are more and more women riding big bikes that just a few years ago would be considered too large for the fairer sex.

Now there is more and more women riding Racer Replica's with 30"-32" seat hieghts.

So now I asking the obvious. How big is too big? I know that has a lot to do with the person's size and comfort level. But given a women who wants to ride a bigger bike, how much tippy toeing and weight shifting is allowed before it becomes unsafe? Bikes can be modified but how much modification can a person do before it changes the ride ability of a motercycle and should it be allowed to a great extent if it allows the person to ride the bike they want.

I ride a big twins but I'm 5'9"and a little with a 36"inseam. Good for riding bikes but not so good if you want to look attractive or cute. I'm too buff to be a model.

Most women are smaller but I've seen them ride big Harleys too. And I've seen larger women ride metric cruisers because they didn't feel safe without their feet flat on the ground. So I guess a range is called for each size but that's too much work. Is there something simple and easily applied?

This is all just conjecture for in the end it's what we feel comfortable riding. So I'm just wondering...

[Wrider]

I knew a short guy at school that rode a dual sport. To put his foot (singular foot) on the ground he had to straddle the seat with his knee. He was perfectly comfortable with that. Then I've known others that if they can't have the whole foot on the ground at least a foot out from the bike they won't touch it. All depends on the person. Personally my weight lets me flat-foot most bikes due to suspension compression. Only ones I've found myself tippy-toeing are ones like the Adventure 990 and V-Stroms.

[Ryethil]

I knew a short guy at school that rode a dual sport. To put his foot (singular foot) on the ground he had to straddle the seat with his knee. He was perfectly comfortable with that. Then I've known others that if they can't have the whole foot on the ground at least a foot out from the bike they won't touch it. All depends on the person. Personally my weight lets me flat-foot most bikes due to suspension compression. Only ones I've found myself tippy-toeing are ones like the Adventure 990 and V-Stroms.

OMG, the first real job I had was a Suzuki wrench. Taught me a lot about people, their babies and getting it right the first time.

Back then it RMs, I think. I had a special milk crate that I would step on and climb on the bike. (The dealer had a mini-track out back to test bikes on) There was no way I could get on the bike, never mind kick-starting it without it. Hated those things. Hated the punk little 14 year olds that would jump on the bike, one kick and then wheelie out the door.

Usafe at any speed...

[mazer]

I think fit is important, but subjectve. If you like the bike and it feels good to you, it does not really matter if someone else thinks it is too big for you or not. If you can ride it safely, stop it safely feel the fit is right for them I say go for it. I have seen 10 to 12 year olds throw around dirt bikes that I thought were outrageously too big for them, they could hardly keep the bike upright at a full stop, but rolling through corners on dirt tracks, they flew. Looking at the Adventure riders forum I have seen photos of women who could not make it through some of the sand pits because they could not paddle the bike with their feet to help keep it upright, and they ate sand everytime, but they go back up and kept at it. soon enough some of them get good enough to not have to rely on their feet.
Just my 2 cents.

[slimcolo]

Wrider said

I knew a short guy at school that rode a dual sport. To put his foot (singular foot) on the ground he had to straddle the seat with his knee. He was perfectly comfortable with that.

I remember in High School a guy that done the same, and was ranked 7th in the state in amature MX. This was a few years ago as he rode either a Bull or a Husky. (maybe a Penton or Maico, well it was not japanese or Brit, can't remember as that was 30 yrs ago)

Also knew a woman that was 5-1 weighing 98 lbs that rode a Full Dress FLH. She had a Stupid Glide seat with about 1-1/2inch foam removed and wore boots with 2 inch thick soles. (couldn't shift without a heal toe)

Also met an old japanese that was 4-2 and rode a Panhead. He had the frame modified and removed oil tank (used a B&S gas tank mounted on sissy bar for oil) so he could sit on top of the tranny. (this guy also said his first introduction to bikes was the guards in the internment camps in WWII, and made up his mind, at 4 yrs old, to also get one)

[Nalian]

This is all just conjecture for in the end it's what we feel comfortable riding. So I'm just wondering...

Given how wildly different each person is from the next, I don't think that there are any rules you can place on it that aren't things like:

Too big if you can't comfortably get it off the side stand.
Aren't comfortable with how it feels when you're standing (on tip toes or flat feet)

etc. I'm 5'8" but have a 32" inseam. You're only an inch taller than I am, but have 4 more inches of leg. What bike is appropriate for me is likely pretty different than you. I am pretty strong so I find I have hard time judging what is/isn't comfortable for other gals in the top-heavy vs not bikes. I always advocate getting a feel for it by sitting on it, and a test ride if possible.

[Ryethil]

I think fit is important, but subjectve. If you like the bike and it feels good to you, it does not really matter if someone else thinks it is too big for you or not. If you can ride it safely, stop it safely feel the fit is right for them I say go for it. I have seen 10 to 12 year olds throw around dirt bikes that I thought were outrageously too big for them, they could hardly keep the bike upright at a full stop, but rolling through corners on dirt tracks, they flew. Looking at the Adventure riders forum I have seen photos of women who could not make it through some of the sand pits because they could not paddle the bike with their feet to help keep it upright, and they ate sand everytime, but they go back up and kept at it. soon enough some of them get good enough to not have to rely on their feet.
Just my 2 cents.

Let me try another way. Club members are fairly obvious and stand out in a crowd real well. So we get a lot of questions about women riding motorcycles. We also field a lot of dreams and want to's. A few of us gurls/girls (okay) treat the question seriously and don't just say Sportster out of hand. For the most part, it's that these women feel pressure from male riders that keep them from acting rationally.

Your advice is perfect. However, guys (and some women) say that such and such a bike is perfect for learning on. (BS, but that's another thread.) A lot of women have rode pillion and now want the controls in their own hands. But a 250cc won't keep up with their husband's larger bike, so they feel hurt and confused.

At least I can ride a big twin without being asked if I'm a real woman nowadays.

So this leads me to evaluate their problem from different sides and what I've come up with, is it "safe" for a woman (or small man) to attempt gymnastics to keep a bike big enough to keep up with their husband, fast highway traffic, whatever while doing acrobatics, lowering the bike so that it has little or no suspension travel or both?

Yes, we have a few women that act like midgets in a circus just so they can ride that Hawg (and be cool). Several will tell other club members that they are wimps for riding a Sportster. (Head cases, possibley) The women that ride on Sportsters know their abilitys and feel a Sportster's plenty.

Peer pressure again...

So what do I tell a woman who is convinced that nothing smaller than a VStar 950 is too small. Mostly they're not true newbies and this their first medium to large bike.

I mentioned Dirt Bikes before. And yes these kids could race their way around a course faster than was humanly possible. At least this human.

I'm not trying to upset an apple cart here. But dreams and perceptions are such real things, at least for a while. At what point should I caution someone that they maybe going a bit too fast or you really can't do that and be truly safe?

I'm not asking raw CC's here. I'm talking about the pure size and power of the bike. Which is harder to talk to a person about the just raw CC's.

If I'm all washed up or causing problems, let me know and I'll drop it.

[Ryethil]

Wrider said

I knew a short guy at school that rode a dual sport. To put his foot (singular foot) on the ground he had to straddle the seat with his knee. He was perfectly comfortable with that.

I remember in High School a guy that done the same, and was ranked 7th in the state in amature MX. This was a few years ago as he rode either a Bull or a Husky. (maybe a Penton or Maico, well it was not japanese or Brit, can't remember as that was 30 yrs ago)

Also knew a woman that was 5-1 weighing 98 lbs that rode a Full Dress FLH. She had a Stupid Glide seat with about 1-1/2inch foam removed and wore boots with 2 inch thick soles. (couldn't shift without a heal toe)

Also met an old japanese that was 4-2 and rode a Panhead. He had the frame modified and removed oil tank (used a B&S gas tank mounted on sissy bar for oil) so he could sit on top of the tranny. (this guy also said his first introduction to bikes was the guards in the internment camps in WWII, and made up his mind, at 4 yrs old, to also get one)

I understand what you say. However, when does it pass a point where motorcycle safety is compromised? When does it go beyond a point that the person is filling some other want to because they aren't enjoying what I call the pleasures of motorcycle riding. Not that I'm any great shakes.

like I said before ^^^, when does it be come dangerous to the would be rider and the people around them? And when it does, should someone say anything about it? Or simply say the person is totally free to hurt themselves. That is what I'm asking.

[Ryethil]

This is all just conjecture for in the end it's what we feel comfortable riding. So I'm just wondering...

Given how wildly different each person is from the next, I don't think that there are any rules you can place on it that aren't things like:

Too big if you can't comfortably get it off the side stand.
Aren't comfortable with how it feels when you're standing (on tip toes or flat feet)

etc. I'm 5'8" but have a 32" inseam. You're only an inch taller than I am, but have 4 more inches of leg. What bike is appropriate for me is likely pretty different than you. I am pretty strong so I find I have hard time judging what is/isn't comfortable for other gals in the top-heavy vs not bikes. I always advocate getting a feel for it by sitting on it, and a test ride if possible.

First, 4" of leg seem nice but cothing companies' women's tall is sometimes still not long enough and you look like Lil' Abner. It gets old quick. I'm also similarly longer in my arms. I can out reach most guys for what good it does.

Actually, that maybe just what I'm asking. I see some women's coping mechanism to handle big bikes and I become afraid for them. Maybe what I am asking is for a few failsafe points that I can use to dissaude a rider from hurting themselves and others. It used to be kick starters and then clutch control. Now with the new slipper clutches and hydrolic brakes, you don't have to bother with upper body strength as much. I used to take so much cr*p for being so buff that I never realized that some women just can't do certain things. I think I can be diplomatic enough but I just want some guidelines when I should say, "Please, No".

However, as some have said here, does a stranger have the right to impede a person's dreams? I dunno.

[PacificShot327]

But a 250cc won't keep up with their husband's larger bike, so they feel hurt and confused.

Why not? Should do just fine unless hubby is riding beyond legal limits and/or accelerating so quickly that... well, nevermind.

I'm quick to b#$%@ about people's driving habits.