Lowering the 1400 Concours

[Clark Kent]

I am short 5'7" now and have to get use to it.  I was 5'8" when I was younger.

I can't Flat Foot the 1400 and won't ride one I can't FF. 

How do you get a 1400 Concours down to my level?  I see that the standard seat height is 31.5"

How low canit go?  I would need at least 2"

Right now I have an st1100 and am just shy of being able to ff it.  I have a Valk and an 1800 GW.  I can FF both of them easy.  That's what I'm looking for in the 1400.

Thanks,  ck

(I can see all kinds of openings for jokes here but I really just need to find out how to get the bike lower.)

  Visit me in the Arena and bring all those jokes.   

[blue14]

Would four inches lower help?

http://www.soupysperformance.com/catalog/item/4408900/6878922.htm

[Pokey]

Not sure lowering this bike would be smart, and why must you totally be able to flatfoot?

[SoberFX]

I had a hard time with the stock seat and doing the tip toe deal.  Got the Corbin seat and now can flat foot my right foot while left is on brake.  Just sayin'
FX

[Jeremy Mitchell]

These guys said you could borrow a set of their boots.





IIRC maxtog is short also and had to use a combination of lowering links and a shorter seat to reach the ground.  You might send him a PM to see what worked well.  I would try to keep from lowering the bike to much if at all possible but you gotta do, what you gotta do.

[maxtog]

I am short 5'7" now and have to get use to it.   I can't Flat Foot the 1400 and won't ride one I can't FF.   How do you get a 1400 Concours down to my level?  I see that the standard seat height is 31.5"

How low canit go?  I would need at least 2"

Welcome, "Clark"!!!!  I can very much relate to your situation.
Always search first (on both accessories and "the bike" forums).  Here is the thread you need:

http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=260.0

I have pasted your questions there and replied to them there...  (I have no idea why this board puts a stupid warning on posting to old threads.  It is FAR better to continue a discussion in one place than to have it in many)

[Clark Kent]

Thanks to all.  I will try to address each question:

Blue 14:   Isn't 4" too much?  Wouldn't the pan be to close to the ground?

 Jeremy Mitchel:  I could sure use the boots but how would I get all that hair inside my helmet?

Pokey:  I am just too old to hold up that much weight without the feet being flat. If i'm not 2 up I can do it. 

It may be just too much expense and trouble.  My wife says I should get high heel boots!  (Very funny)

Then she has the gall to get upset that I make her walk home!   

To safely ride the 1400C what inseam should someone have?  Flat footing or not.

I have an inseam of 31-3/4 with bare feet on the floor

[ZG]

To safely ride the 1400C what inseam should someone have?  Flat footing or not.

I have an inseam of 31-3/4 with bare feet on the floor

I'm a 29 inseam CK, I got a Corbin seat with nose job and deep dish cut which dropped it almost 2" from stock seat height, now I'm good to go.
 
I also agree with Poke, there is no reason to need to completely flat foot this bike, the balls of your feet work just fine...
 
Good luck bro! 

[Lone-Rider]

I am 5'8" on a good day with a 28" inseam. I spent 9 years on a C-10 and learned that if you use your skull muscle you can get around it. I don't try to "pad" the bike backwards, I am picky about where I park, if I have to back out I walk the bike out before getting on it. At stops, I could easily FF on one side with a little lean, and found it to be very stable.

I got my C-14 yesterday, and those things work just as well. I think the C-14 might be just a touch taller than the C-10 and I plan on getting a Sargent low seat which will help even more. I thought about lowering bikes in the past but when you do you screw with the geometry and then have to deal with modifying or swapping the side stand and usually give up the center stand unless you know someone who can do a cut and weld job.

[lt1]

If you really "won't ride a bike you can't flat foot", then I think you ought to pass on the C14. 

As to my personal experience, I normally wear 32" inseam pants.  Out of curiosity, I measure pants crotch to floor and came up w/ 31.25".  I normally cannot flat-foot the bike w/o wiggling around on the front part of the seat, but it is easy to get the balls of both feet firmly on the ground, with the boot heels just hovering off the pavement.

Backing up is not particularly easy, but only becomes an issue if I'm trying to back uphill (even on slight grades).  I have learned to be careful where I park.  Sideways inclines can be a stopping/parking risk as well - I dropped the bike once on a slant on a cold, rainy day.

A lowered/shaved seat may help.  Lowering the suspension is possible, but has side effects, which may or may not be of concern to you.

The C14 is a great bike, but it is also a big, tall, heavy bike.  There are lots of very good bikes out there that weigh less and have lower seat heights.  It might be worth checking them out before spending your money. 

I think the C14 could work for you, but if the flat-foot thing is truly a no-go for you, well, you know.

[blue14]

Thanks to all.  I will try to address each question:

Blue 14:   Isn't 4" too much?  Wouldn't the pan be to close to the ground?

To safely ride the 1400C what inseam should someone have?  Flat footing or not.

I have an inseam of 31-3/4 with bare feet on the floor

4" is likely much more than you need.  The turnbuckle type link lets you adjust until you get what you need.  Sounds like an inch or two would be plenty.

[chipmaker]

The link above addresses the rear, but how could u lower the rear 4" and not touch the front??

[blue14]

Fork stops. Not ideal.

[maxtog]

Thanks to all.  I will try to address each question:

Looks like you didn't read the lowering thread I offered, at all.  Oh well; I tried.  Good luck.

[VirginiaJim]

 

[VirginiaJim]

To safely ride the 1400C what inseam should someone have?  Flat footing or not.

I have an inseam of 31-3/4 with bare feet on the floor

I have a 30 inseam, at least that's the pants I wear.  I might be a bit less than that, though.  I wasn't totally flat footed with the stock seat and adding a Russell put me up another inch or so.  If the wife is riding with me and we have full gear I can flat foot quite easily.  Other times not so much.  I'm generally leaning one way or the other.  Not much, but still leaning.  It's not enough for me to forego the experience.

If you have to be absolutely flat foot on this bike then it isn't for you, unfortunately.  Lowering it much castrates it depending on your riding style.  I like it a bit sporty in the twisties.  Lowering would really suck for my riding.  Why buy it to ride straights all the time?  You would be wasting your money.

[Conrad]

I had a hard time with the stock seat and doing the tip toe deal.  Got the Corbin seat and now can flat foot my right foot while left is on brake.  Just sayin'
FX

So with the Corbin install the rear brake lever is moved to the left side of the bike?   

Or is that your other right foot?   

[blue14]

So with the Corbin install the rear brake lever is moved to the left side of the bike?   

Or is that your other right foot?   

I think he bought the bike in England.

[maxtog]

Lowering it much castrates it depending on your riding style.  I like it a bit sporty in the twisties.  Lowering would really suck for my riding.

Lowering an inch seems to be the most that is "safe" and "reasonable" and doesn't appear to pose any danger or reduce cornering much; at least on a gen2 with a non-heavy rider.  But I absolutely think lowering more than that is not just going to ruin twisties, but pose serious danger from bottoming out, pan scraping, front fender hitting.... stuff like that.

Why buy it to ride straights all the time?  You would be wasting your money.

Not necessarily.  There are LOTS of loud, low-performance, low-tech, annoying, vibrationy, Harley-type bikes out there on the road... many of which would be completely inappropriate for "twisties", yet quite friendly for shorter legged people.   However, one might want a Concours for all the other things in which it is so much better than "cruisers"- smoothness, power, quietness, technology, reliability, style, weather protection.  Even if it means losing some cornering due to lowering.

Not everyone has the same riding goals.  I know you know that, I am not picking on your post.  I am just clarifying for those people who love to yell out "maybe this bike is not for you", wrongly thinking there are lower-height alternatives out there that retain all the things that a sport-touring bike can offer.  Personally, I would rather have no bike at all than some V-Twin thing.

[VirginiaJim]

Not everyone has the same riding goals.