| Author | Message | ||
     Choppercz |
I am only 5'7''. And as u know, the 1125r is a tall bike. I was wondering what it would take to somehow lower the bike a inch or 2. Can I lower it using the suspension adjustment tools that are already on the suspension system? Or do I need a lowering kit?? This is my 1st bike and I have only had it for a week. | ||
| Sethbuchbinder |
don’t waste the time and money trying to lower the bike, which could ruin the stability and geometry of the bike. Rather, spend some extra time practicing low speed maneuvers in a parking lot and get more comfortable with the the height of the bike the way it is. Being able to touch the ground flat footed or even with two feet at all should not even be factored in when looking a motorcycle. Too many people get so hung up on having some wide wrestling stance while straddling there bike. Anyone who worries about touching the ground will likely miss out on many of the greatest bikes that are out there: GS, 748,999, Tiger,KTM990 most GSXRs, most R series BMWs, any kind of motard, Ulysses of corse to name a few. The list goes on. Sorry about the rant, but iv been through it with soooo many customers in the past who pigeon holed themselves in to buying a fatboy or a vtx or a v rod or sportster or some other vertically friendly bike. Then realized a bit later when they learned to ride a little better that it doesn’t matter much at all. Seth | ||
| Hughlysses |
+1 to that. Better yet, sign up for the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's Beginning Ridercourse. It'll cost you ~$150 but will make you a better and safer rider. Most insurance companies also give a discount if you complete the course. | ||
| Choppercz |
I have already taken the safety course. And it was excellent. Thats what gave me the confidence to go buy the 1125r. I love my bike!!! Greatest purchase I have made in a long time. I would just like 2 get more than the tip of my toe on the ground. LOL. I cant even back the bike up because I don't have any leverage to do so on my toes. Hahaha. Thanks 4 the advice though. | ||
| Ikeman |
+2 I'm 5'8" and ride a Uly. It was a little intimidating at times when I first got it. I can sometimes touch the tips of both boots down but very seldom. Left foot down at stops - if it's a long light I switch to the right foot and pop into neutral. As for backing up - dismount and back it up. I'm not sure why everyone feels the need to straddle the bike to back up. I've thought on more than one occasion about lowering the Uly but with our crappy roads I like the extra travel. I also don't want to give up the visibility in traffic. My 2 pennies... | ||
| Bobr |
Hello James, Wow! The 1125r is a quite a first bike! I recently got the XT which is higher than the 1125r, and I'm 5'3" with a 26" inseam. I agree with what others have said about the suspension. Leave it alone. As far as backing it up goes I recommend getting off the bike and leaning it on your hip or one-footing it to back it up. Both are techniques that you'll get better at with practice. Taking the time to find a parking space that's easy to get out of is also a good strategy. When I commute to work on my bike I park it, get off, and turn it around so I can drive off without having to back up when I leave. It takes a little more time but it's worth it. Do a search on short bikers and you should find links that will describe the techniques I mentioned above. They'll also probably have more helpful info. If I can manage the XT you can definitely handle the 1125r. Just take your time with it and get used to the seat height. Congrats on your new ride, excellent choice of bikes, and starting out right by taking the MSF course! | ||
| Sethbuchbinder |
Wow, I’m glad to see that there are others in agreement, I was expecting to get blasted. By the way, CZ my first post was not meant to belittle your riding ability. I have no idea of your experience or skill level. It was just an assumption that you are a new rider. The rider course is probably the best way to start motorcycling safely, however, all the skills that were bestowed upon you in class, will quickly fade in you memory like calculus over summer break if not used immediately and often. I always recommended to new riders to spend the first 15 minutes of every ride they take for the first six months in a parking lot re-hashing the drills they did in class. By the three month mark, you’ll be able to figure 8, start/stop in a turn, panic stop, or evasive swerve without even thinking about it, and therefore not panic if and when you need to employ such techniques in the field. Ride safe. Seth | ||
| Choppercz |
I will take the advice and leave it along. I would hate 2 make my bike handle like crap due to changing something. Thanks for your help everyone. Hey Seth, I couldn't get that figure 8 turn down for the life of me in class. Any tips??? | ||
| Hughlysses |
Chop- Again, +1 to what Seth said. Glad to hear you've taken the MSF course. An 1125R is one hell of a first bike! I'm 5'9" with a 30" inseam and ride a 2007 Uly. If the pavement's dead level I can push it back with my tip toes; otherwise I get off and move it that way. I started out riding a few years ago on an 83 Honda Ascot with a ~29 inch high seat. I remember thinking that was close to my height limit when I first got it. 2 years later, I got a Buell S3 with a ~30.5" high seat, and thought, "this isn't so bad". 2 years later I got my Uly with a ~31.5" high seat. Yea, it's pretty much my limit but I've gotten used to it. There are times when I really wish it was an inch lower, but I'd rather keep it like it is than give up the benefits that I'd lose by lowering it. | ||
| Choppercz |
Thanks Hugh. U have given me the confidence 2 go ahead and not worry about the bike height. Honestly, I work at a Harley plant and I am use 2 seeing bikers straddle their bike and back it up. So I thought that was the proper way 2 park it. On my first day riding 2 work, I hopped off my bike and walked it back into the parking spot and one of my co-workers asked me "what r u going?" So I thought that I was doing something wrong. Hahahaha. But now that I know there are other bikers that can relate to what I am going threw, so i feel much better. Thanks everyone for the advice and tips... | ||
| Sethbuchbinder |
"I couldn't get that figure 8 turn down for the life of me in class. Any tips???" Yeah, # 1 lots of practice riding the bike at slow speeds and in the friction zone of the clutch(I know the 1125R clutch is not feedback friendly) keep the rpms up and feather the clutch to maintain control. Without feathering, you’ll be lugging the engine which doesn’t make for smooth maneuvers. #2 turn your head like you just saw Pam Anderson wheelie by you nude on a full fairing 1125R(she’s obviously wearing translucent gear(ATAGAT)). Yeah turn your head. I’m not an instructor.. Seth | ||
| Spectrum |
I'd like to re-iterate the advice to get off the bike for backing. I'm slightly over 5.9 and can just flat foot both feet on my 11 and previously my XB9S. I got in a bad habit of backing the bike up while mounted. I have never dropped the 11, but the only time I dropped the 9 was while backing it up. Stepped on a dusty spot on the garage floor while backing and my foot slipped. The result the bike went down and in the process literally ejected me off and into the garage wall. A neighbor witnessed the event and came running over to see if I was ok. I was fine but rather embarrassed. My neighbor now never miss an opportunity to get a laugh by telling anyone in ear shot the story of my foully!  | ||
| Smoke |
i'm 5'6 with about a 28/29" inseam. i get off all my bikes to back them up, from the 70 SL100 honda to the 200 road king to the 2008 1125R. don't sweat the other people's critques on how you do something safely. listen to the ones that tell you to practice, wear your gear, etc. i recommend finding some technique type books to read. there are lots of good ones. motorcycling for the complete idiot, sportbike riding techniques, total control are just a few. have fun and welcome to the sport. tim | ||
| Pariah |
The 1125R is my first bike, too. I got flogged for that here! Although a newbie, I take my practicing very seriously, and I can now do a figure eight pattern within a 20-foot wide space on the 1125R (inside 16 feet on my more newly acquired DR-Z400SM) and slow weaves with about 10 feet between pylons. I've taken the MSF Basic and Experienced Rider Courses and I'm set for my first track day in June. What helped my slow speed maneuvering the most was the DVD: Ride Like a Pro. Highly recommended. I'm still working through it. I've learned (the hard way) that an important thing to do in slow speed cornering (less than 15mph) is keep YOUR HAND OFF THE FRONT BRAKE. The front brake on the 1125R is so strong it can bring you down INSTANTLY (if you are leaned over and moving slowly). At least at the beginning, reserve the front brake for when your front wheel is pointed straight ahead and your bike is vertical. You've got to lean the bike to turn it, even at slow speeds. Counterbalancing helps a lot, too, especially on a light bike like the 1125R. "Friction zone, head and eyes UP, a bit of rear brake," as Palladino says on his video. (Message edited by pariah on May 15, 2008) | ||
| Jrmsr51 |
Dude, I'm 5'4" tall and the easiest way is to slightly slide off one side of the seat to the left or right, which ever suits you. Don't worry about putting both feet down, you don't need to. Keep your leg closer to the vertical next to the bike. No big deal, just get used to using one foot stops, that's all. Cheers Jeff | ||
| Hwyranger |
I'm 6'3....nah, I won't go there  turn your head like you just saw Pam Anderson wheelie by you nude on a full fairing 1125R(she’s obviously wearing translucent gear +1 turn your head, the bike will follow. As for figure 8's, they get a little tricky on sportbikes just because your weight is forward as you lean. Pariah did a smart thing and got a different bike to practice on so mistakes dont hurt the pride and pocket book as much. BTW, Takis, how's the practicing coming? | ||
| Pizzaboy |
dear god son, YOU PICKED AN 1125 FOR YOUR FIRST BIKE??? no offense but dont you think you went from an air soft gun in the MSF course to a handcannon(the 1125)?? it probably would have helped you on learning curves to start with something not quite so powerful. the 11 has power thats comparable to the liter bikes.. and thats a LOT! bikes that are able to pull wheelies at 60+ mph is not a good idea for your first go around. i am surprised that i am the first to say it on this thread... but you would have done yourself more of a favor by starting with something a bit smaller and light weight. the MSF course doesnt even put you on public roads and get you used to sharing the freeway with semi's and stuff like that. you picked a bike that is certainly not for beginners for a first bike dontcha think?? maybe you aught to put the 1125 off to the side for a while and find a friend with like a 600 bike or like an older tuber buell. if i had to use even an S1 as my first bike i would not have learned a lot of basics as easily as i did by having less powerful bike. your issue with basic backing, feeling like the bike is too tall, and not being able to do a figure 8 with your 1125 will not be an issue if you were actually ready for that bike. .. not to mention.. everyone dumps their bike (at least once) when they're new.. would you rather dump a $2500 bike or a $11995(plus tax, doc, ship, and full coverage insurance premiums) bike? what happens when you are going on your first twisty country road and realize you took a corner too fast or didnt realize that the corner is sharper than you are able to lean.. there goes 12k (Message edited by pizzaboy on May 16, 2008) | ||
| Zac4mac |
Kinda like getting a Z-06 for your first car. Only cheaper and a little slower. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6EiNFiLhV0 Z | ||
| Pariah |
Hey Hwyranger: I want to live, so I practice! Every chance I get. Thanks for your supportive comments that helped me get clear about what I needed to do. How about you? Are you taking the Moto Officer certification soon? As for the rest of you who say that the 1125R isn't a good beginner's bike, Choppercz could have done worse. Actually, I haven't found my 1125 much more difficult to deal with than my DRZ-400SM. While it's true that slow speed maneuvering is a bit easier on the 400, it's not like night and day. For my two cents, from a safety standpoint, the mental aspect of riding is far more important than the bike you start off with. If you want to be stupid you'll die... on the 1125, just be less stupid. And remember that, statistically, many experienced (read: "complacent") riders die on a new bike, so you do need to ride your 1125R. Ride it a lot, perhaps away from traffic at first, but ride the sh1t out of it until it feels comfortable to you. Buell designed the bike to be a streetbike... it is NOT a race-bike replica, and it has good ergonomics and good manners. You *can* get comfortable on it, even as a beginner, but be careful. Zack: The 1125 should be faster than a 2008 Z-06 in a straight line, quarter mile, if only by a hair, street tires, skinny rider like you. Top speed is another story, but you need quite a long stretch to hit 200mph in the Corvette. (Message edited by pariah on May 16, 2008) | ||
| Kttemplar |
Congrats on getting your 1125R. You are going to love it!! Don't worry about the height issue. It is just one of those things that takes getting used to and before you know it, you will not even notice that you have to do certain things to adjust for how you fit on the bike. Do not, in any circumstance adjust the height of the bike!! Every bike and vehicle feels wierd at first until you get used to it. On the subject of a starter bike, for what it is worth CZ, I took the graduated route starting with a Vespa ET4 (150cc), Buell Blast (492cc) and then the 1125R. This was all after about a ten year break in riding. I learned how to drive on a motorcycle and it was my first vehicle. In my opinion, the 1125R is easier to ride than the Blast. I have found that in stop and go traffic that the 1125R is easier to handle at slow speeds than the Blast. On top of that, the 1125R is only about 15lbs heavier and it is much lighter than many other starter bikes, like a Sportster 883 @ 563#s and only 5#s heavier than the SV650 @370#s. I would not do it differently if I had to do it all again, simply for the fact that I lack the fear filter that many people have in their brain. I had to limit my maximum Power/HP in order to stay alive because I have a tendency to push my vehicles to their limits. For me, the graduated route was the only way to go and make it through safely and in mostly one piece. If I had more sense, then starting with the 1125R would be a great choice. The only caveat to this is when you get into trouble and accidently give it too much gas in the wrong situation, you may experience very bad results whereas on a less powerful bike, it is possible that the consequences may not be that bad, then again they could be exactly the same. Either way, there are only two types of riders, those that have dropped their bikes, and those that will. Luckily, I got all my bike dropping and motorcycle wrecks out of my system about 20 years ago. Unfortunately, now I can tell when it is going to rain and whenever the pressure changes, thanks to my crushed foot weather device that I acquired in one of my motorcycle wrecks about 20 years ago. Advil is one of my best friends. Sorry for rambling. The bottom line is to take the advice in previous posts about practicing the stuff in the MSF course daily for a while in environments free of other factors and you should be fine. Congrats on your choice of the 1125R!! I think you made a great decision and as long as you practice good riding techniques, you will do fine. (Message edited by kttemplar on May 16, 2008) |
