| Author | Message | ||
     Cuteasianchickie |
i'm a 120lb 5'-2" chick and am thinking of getting an xb12scg. i currently ride a 250cc cruiser and am ready to upgrade to something more sporty and with more power. are there any women riders that can give me advice on if this bike would work for my size? i'm thinking of using it to commute to work (50mi) a couple days a week and was wondering if this bike is better for more street or highway. i was also considering a yamaha fz6r but this bike cannot be lowered enough for my size. i heard that gsxr's are easily lowered but i'm not sure i want one. how would a xb12scg compare to these bikes? i really like the naked bike look more than all the plastic. any input/advice is greatly appreciated, thanks!  | ||
| Jraice |
I'd say its a great bike for you! Sit on one to tell if its low enough though... I know if I sit on it I can EASILY flat foot (5'10") and it feels like a toy, like my old 50cc, just disappears below me. The XB12Ss (what I plan to get, have an R6 now) feels more like a bike but still with the upright position, it disappears (you dont see as much as you do lent over on a super sport). I'd say unless you plan to go near or over 100mph often, then stay away from the super sports... Especially if you say you dont like the look of them (would be only reason to get one if you dont need the power). The Buell is plenty quick, WAY faster then any car out there and will blow your 250 away. Its also extremely flickable, easy to handle in the parking lot (good for somebody your height) and in the twisties as well. Its fine on the highway, city, twisties... Any road. People say they shake a lot but when I road a few a few weeks back, even at idle it wasnt bad, and it goes away as soon as you get some speed going. Cruised comfortably at 80mph. Fz6r will be a slightly faster bike but more so, the power will be more high strung, thus you have to wind it up. Great for high speed riding, not as great for twisties or city riding. The GSX-R and other true super sports will be even more high strung, trust me, I ride an R6, one of the more high strung super sports. Its not as fun as having lots of torque and shorter gears (my bikes like an automatic almost). Only thing about the XB12Scg is with the lowered seat its not the most comfortable thing out there but its much more comfortable then any of the japanese sport bikes... Basically... GET ONE!!! Oh and compared to the FZ6R, the handling, brakes, suspension will probably be much better. Compared to a GSX-R its going to be closer, probalby has an edge on the tighter roads where handle bars and the short wheelbase have an advantage, while the GSX-R will kill it in straight line speed and higher speed corners. | ||
| Xbgeorge |
My girlfriend is 5" and has a 30" inseam. We were considering a Scg but she can't touch the ground on one. Suzuki has a new bike called the Gladius. I think that is the direction she is going to go. It has a low seat height and looks nice when you take off the rear pegs and lower silver plastic piece. Removing the silver plastic shows the nice tube frame. My girlfriend could touch on the Gladius, but just with her toes. According to the dealer there will also be lowering kits for it. They come in black, blue and red. Here is a link: http://www.suzukicycles.com/Product%20Lines/Cycles /Products/Gladius/2009/SFV650.aspx?category=standa rd Forgot to include that she loves the Buell, but she just can't touch. Two Buells would have been cool. We already have two lifted Jeeps (my Wrangler and her Cherokee). (Message edited by xbgeorge on March 16, 2009) | ||
| Bishopjb1124 |
My wife currently ride an XB9SL and loves it but is wanting to move up toan XB12SCG. Both bikes sit about the same height and she uses hers to commute to work, and absolutely loves it. Plus you should see the disbelief in peoples eyes when she gets on it and fires it up and that exhaust just growls at them. Jimmy | ||
| Babired |
Hi Ann welcome to the board. Your cruiser will be different than the Buell you are considering. 3 things about Buell you want to consider before buying. There will be more heat while riding, you will have more torque, the wheelbase is short. So you will get instant feedback from the bike when riding it. This can be huge FUN factor. If you are comfortable with the above then you will totally enjoy the bike.The bike is excellent on the highway and you can do alot to add stuff on to it. You are at a good place right now here on Badweb. If you feel too uncomfortable try a XB9S. I have another female riding buddy here she has one and loves it. Her name is Supafast on Badweb. If you need any other help or questions please contact me I am a rider coach and would be more than happy to help. K | ||
| Troopshipberlin |
My wife thinks my scg is too big but loves her Buell Blast. Maybe you should take a look at one of those. | ||
| Jraice |
A blast might not be enough of an upgrade... The Scg is a powerful bike, so the OP needs to keep that in mind but it is fairly low which gives a TON of confidence... However it may not be low enough, as I am speaking from how it feels with my just under 6' stature. | ||
| Andymnelson |
Definitely go ride one and see how it feels. But remember this: many seem to think that you need to be able to stand flat foot, but why would you buy a bike for the 1% of the time you would be stopped on it?? You simply need to be able to comfortably and SAFELY stop and hold the bike upright, not flat foot. Getting a bike that you can flat foot will only cramp you up more during the other 99% of the time you are sitting on the bike! | ||
| Xbgeorge |
I agree with Andy. The Scg is a perfect fit for my girlfriend, while her feet are on the pegs. My personal preference is to atleast have the balls of the feet touch. Some intersections are really slippery and don't offer any traction. A foot slip on a 400lb (wet) bike is a lot to handle for me. I'm 6", 205lbs. A 5' 2", 120lb person, with only toes touching, will be at a higher risk of dropping the bike. I'm just thinking about safety. If you can touch and feel comfortable get it. A chick on a Buell is pretty cool. Sporty with a bad attitude. | ||
| Ourdee |
Am I the only one that read the screen name and went to see her pic in the profile? I'm a dog. Cuteasianchickie, Sorry, it's the handle. I ride an xb12xt and can just touch the balls of my feet when stopped. I don't think I'd be comfortable with just my toes down. You have got to sit on the machine. If you ride it you will love it, just make sure you can hold it up when the wind hits you sideways at a stop light. I got tested last week, managed to stay up. Welcome aboard. | ||
| Cityxslicker |
go pogo, flat foot off to one side. Leave the other foot firmly on the rear brake, drop the hammer when the light goes green. Take one for a demo, it will tell you everything you need to know. Welcome to the Buell side of things (we all hope) | ||
| Sifo |
Sitting on one is the best way to tell if you fell you can handle the bike. As Andy pointed out you do not really need to be able to flat foot the bike to handle it, but it really depends on your personal comfort level and experience. The Lightning is a great bike at any non-racing speeds. If you need to go 150+ mph then you need the Jap inline 4. The Suzuki Gladius could be a good bike to consider though. It's heavier than the Lightning, but feels quite light. The 650 V-twin is a proven power plant, but will have less power than the Lightning, but will kick your 250's but. I don't mean to steer you away from the Buell, but you have to be happy with your bike, not any of us. We would love to have another happy Bueller, but make sure the bike will make YOU happy. | ||
| Domindart |
Ive seen some people ride a bike with only being able to touch one foot down, and they say its fine, but I prefer to have two feet down. and if your a girl, you better have both feet down...j/kidding! | ||
| Cuteasianchickie |
thanks for all your input! i have sat on the xb12scg and i'm kinda on the balls of my feet. i'm planning on test riding it to see if i can handle not being flat footed. i've heard the the bike settles after a bit so it may get a little bit lower. i'm looking forward to a bike with more power. torque is great! i drove a mustang gt and loved the muscle! i'm not looking to go 150mph just maybe 100mph every once in awhile  | ||
| Babired |
Tell us how you like it after you ride it. You'll probably have a big smile on your face. K | ||
| Xb1200rick |
My wife just got a 09 xbscg She is 5'4" and can flat foot, barely. I rode the bike home and I think it feels like the most easy to ride bike since she had the Honda rebel 250.Probably be the last time I get to ride the bike though, she loves it Rick | ||
| Brumbear |
If you are cute then make sure your suspension is set up for you it is very simple to do it makes a big difference if you are not so cute as your avatar suggests please disregard this message | ||
| Old_man |
Your height is not as important as the length of your legs. I'm 5'11" but I have a 29" inseam. I have no trouble getting my feet down on my standard XB9S But the only way is to sit on the bike and give it a ride. | ||
| 2008xb12scg |
If you buy from a dealer they should set the suspension for free if you ask. If not we can help you. I have the scg and love it. | ||
| Macdiver |
I'm a short guy, just under 5'-5" with in inseam under 30". I ride a firebolt and can not flat foot it. With boots I'm able to get the ball of my foot down. If I need more support (on a hill or slippery surface), I just shift my weight so that I can get my whole foot down. Only problem is when I have to back up, I have to get off the bike to push. I try to park where I don't have to do that much. With the scg you might be able to get both feet down. Other than height, you'll have to ride the bike to see if you like the riding position, power band, etc. Either the bike will touch your soul and the height issues won't matter or you will find another bike that moves you. have fun searching. | ||
| Skinstains |
Well.....are you hot ? You can't rock a screen name like that without a pic. It's just wrong. As for the bike, I hope you like the Buell and buy one. If so it will only grow on you as time goes by. The whole Buell thing is wierd, you'll know if you got it or not with one ride. | ||
| Blackm2 |
CAC, my wife just bought an '09 and she is exactly your size. With her riding boots on she is close to flat footed. She has some higher Harley platform type boots. She ditched her low Sportster 883 for this bike and loves it! The riding position is extremely comfortable for long riding, street riding, or canyon carving. You won't be sorry! Hey you are right up the freeway, when you get it  shoot me a message and we can all hook up for a ride. My wife's friend rides a Ducati Monster. (Message edited by Blackm2 on March 18, 2009) | ||
| Htekwo |
XBGeorge, You'd be hard pressed to find a 'real' sport bike/naked with a lower seat height than the Scg. That Suzuki you mentioned is as tall as my Ss! Well, I've got the ass end of mine jacked up, so that is a little misleading, but the stock height on an Ss I believe is 31". My wife rides an Scg and she's 5'2". She's pretty tippy toed on it, but manages. She's dropped it a couple of times when she first started riding it (Buells crash/drop better than any other bike I know of). The more she rides it, the more comfortable she is on it. | ||
| Debueller |
If you liked the grunt of a V8 Mustang, You will love the grunt of a Buell V-twin...... IMO they both fall into a very similar class of engines. | ||
| Sifo |
You could simply wear these for riding boots!  You are obligated to posting pictures though!  | ||
| Indybuell |
+1 on the Buell Blast! | ||
| 2008xb12scg |
upgrade to something more sporty and with more power | ||
| Xbgeorge |
Htekwo, Don't get too caught up in the seat height numbers. The SCG has a listed seat height of 28.6" and the Gladius has a listed seat height of 30.9" My girlfriend has sat on three different SCG's and her feet were 1.5" off the ground on all of them. Yet when she sat on the Gladius, she could touch down with the toes of both feet. The Ninja 500 has a listed seat height of 30.5" and she could touch the balls of her feet on it. Both the Gladius and Ninja have a narrow seat compared to the Scg. That narrow seat lets the legs drop at a straighter angle. The Ninja has alot of padding that can be shaved down to make it even better. She just doesn't like the Ninja at all. That is pretty cool that your wife rides a Buell. We would love to go roaring around on two Buells. My girlfriend loves the Buell and wants one badly, but until her legs grow she can't ride one. Even with the Gladius, we are still going to need to lower it 1-2". I don't know of any kits for the XB's. The roads in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin are in horrible shape (especially Illinois). I have stopped at many intersections and slid a foot because of the loose gravel. Spring is the worst, due to the roads being torn up from all the snow plows. I would hate to have to one foot it up here. I always put both feet down when I stop. After I determine that it is safe, I put my right foot back up. Then the light changes and I'm back in my happy place again. George | ||
| Josh_ |
My wife has a 29" inseam and rides her 08 XB12Scg around just fine. She upgraded from a Blast that she loved for almost 9 years but hasn't mentioned since we brought the XB home. Put some axle protectors and bar-ends on it and get plenty of parking-lot practice. Its easy to ride fast, slowing down and turning is where you need to get used to the feel of the bike. Oh, and people love that her bike has a bigger engine than mine! Josh 08 XB12Scg hers 08 1125R his | ||
| Drummer |
If seat height is the primary concern over which bike to get, then you ought to at least look at the Kawasaki Ninja650R. I'm a short guy and have had a couple of SVs..this new Ninja is shorter, light and narrow. There is LOTS info on the internet including a forum similar to this, but this will get you started: http://www.motorcycle.com/shoot-outs/2006-suzuki-s v650s-v-2006-kawasaki-ninja-650r-3600.html?page=4 | ||
| Jumpinjewels |
I ride an Scg and absolutely love it. I'm 5'3" and have a 28" inseam. Yes, I'm on the balls of my feet but I've gotten used to it. This bike is a hoot. Would stay away from the Blast. I test rode one and felt like I was riding a motorized bicycle. Sorry Blast owners, it's just me. As far as the hard seat, I took mine to an upholsterer and had him take out the original padding and put in a softer foam which was much more comfortable. It did add a little bit to the thickness of the seat but not enough to make a huge difference. This bike does great on the highways, the twisties and the track. It is definitely very flickable and easy to ride. And the boys sure take a second look when they see a female on this bike. I had an SV650 prior to getting this bike and loved it, but this one is WAY better. And going at least 100mph is NO problem (Message edited by jumpinjewels on March 20, 2009) | ||
| Cuteasianchickie |
jumpinjewels, thanks for your input! i have a 29in inseam and am glad to know that this bike would work for me when i'm ready to get it. i don't want to test ride it yet cuz it will make me want it even more! i'll remember your advice on the seat too looking forward to being a bueller | ||
| Jumpinjewels |
When I had the seat done the guy did it while we waited. It only took him about an hour or two. And it cost, I think, around $75.00. Definitely worth every penny. Welcome to BadWeb and best of luck in your future endeavor in becoming a Bueller. | ||
| Tik |
Scg is an amazing bike, so much torque packed in this small size. Fuel consumption is lowest I've ever seen for this cylinder capacity. Easy to handle as soon as your legs rest on the pegs. Extreme coolness, just take care, it will wheelie each time you switch from first to second gear. My friend Christi is 5'4" and the bike is perfect size for him.  |
