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Thanks Pro Italia but I think I'm too short for an MV!!!

14K views 105 replies 32 participants last post by  SOULRIDER 
#1 · (Edited)
Many thanks to Pro Italia. But I think I'm too short for an MV!!!

Well, I have the night to think about it. But I came so close to driving home with an F41000 today. Despite problems with trade-in, financing, and the wife, by 3:00 p.m. we came to a point were the bike was lowered for me and we could start the paper work.

The only problem is the MV was still way too talk. I could not even get the tips of my toes on the ground. Well, barely. It was too the point were I was fighting the Spidi Vertebrae to get flex enough to touch the ground. I think it was obvious to alot of other customers that it wasn't going to work. Samson was also concerned about sending me out. I tried a 1+1 and it was marginally better.

All the service techs, sales and part reps did everything they could to lower the bike. We finally resorted to swaping out the wheel from a 190/70 to a 190/55. It worked barely. With that modification, I can get most of the ball of my left foot on the ground -or I can get both tips on my toes of both feet. So, I need to decide if I'm going to pull the trigger. The big issue is that I'm not sure if I can handle the higher seat high ALL THE TIME. 90% of the time, I'll probably be fine. But if the other 10% is unexcepted (sudden stops on an incline or sudden drop in street level), I'll drop the bike.

Just a little background, I'm 5 feet and 5 inches. I've had two MV (both 750s) in the past. Yes, they were tall but no where near as tall as the 1000. And I was use to work it with only one foot but I had more foot touching the ground. Also, I can get both balls of my foot on the 999 and have much more confidence at slow speeds.

Lastly, there's the issue of my 999. I'd loose too much to trade it in. So, I'd have to sell it for at least $13 or $14 not to take a major hit. Pay off is around $16K. At the end, I decided to just get both bikes. It's a strain on the budget and my wife is not happy about that idea either.

So, I think I may be out. But I'm really greatful to Samson, Bill, and all the service and parts professionals who really, really, really went out of their way to help me with the deal.

I told Samson I'd like the night to think about it but with the financial and physical issues, I think I may be out. I think I can handle the seat height and extra mouth to feed, but I'm certainly not going to be comfortable with it.

Here's a picture of sales, service, and parts guys trying to see if the lower sized tire will work:
 

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#2 ·
how tall are you, by the way....
and what is your inseam?

there is NO reason to put BOTH feet on the ground when stopped
i only put my left foot down/and shift my body to the left, leaving my right foot on the rear brake pedal....

at 5'6".... and after 150,000 miles of riding over the years.... i've had to adapt
you can, too



 
#3 ·
And for those not vertically chanlleged, mounting and straighting a bike with a seat height that's longer than your inseam is like that old game of trust. Lean back and trust someone will catch you. But here, it's like lift the bike and trust that your foot will touch the ground before the bike does. :)

It's tough to be short. I'm 5'5". My inseam is 30. If I remeber correctly, the 750 was 31.5 inches while the 1000 is 32 inches.
 
#5 ·
spalding12 said:
how tall are you, by the way....
and what is your inseam?

there is NO reason to put BOTH feet on the ground when stopped
i only put my left foot down/and shift my body to the left, leaving my right foot on the rear brake pedal....

at 5'6".... and after 150,000 miles of riding over the years.... i've had to adapt
you can, too
I've adapted too. On the 999, I sit slightly off center to the left. From the MSF classes way back in '87, I've learned to always keep my right foot on the rear brake so that one foot driving is normal for me - a pain in stop go traffic but it's possible.

It's just that first setting on the MV, I would be able to support the bike with one foot just using my toes. Think of a ballerina. With the new tires, I have some ball of my foot touching the ground but it's no wear near as much as my old 750 MV.
 
#7 ·
Allan Gibbs said:
I've adapted too. On the 999, I sit slightly off center to the left. From the MSF classes way back in '87, I've learned to always keep my right foot on the rear brake so that one foot driving is normal for me - a pain in stop go traffic but it's possible.

It's just that first setting on the MV, I would be able to support the bike with one foot just using my toes. Think of a ballerina. With the new tires, I have some ball of my foot touching the ground but it's no wear near as much as my old 750 MV.
well, the ONLY thing that matters is how comfortable YOU are on the bike....
if you have no confidence in keeping it upright... you'll most certainly never enjoy riding it

there are many other bikes out there.... don't be discouraged



 
#8 ·
spalding12 said:
well, the ONLY thing that matters is how comfortable YOU are on the bike....
if you have no confidence in keeping it upright... you'll most certainly never enjoy riding it

there are many other bikes out there.... don't be discouraged
Greg, you mentioned you were 5' 6" I think that one inch would make the world of difference. I barely make it at 5'5" and 1/2 and inch more would do it for me. Pro Italia and I left of at that gray zone were it's doable...probably. But your right. The height issue would always make me feel uncomfortable if I'm not moving on the freeway. Oh, canyons! If the pavements is slightly sloped, I'm going to have trouble. U turns - forget it. I need to walk the bike around. I can left ball (of foot it) but I'll be struggling if weight shifts to the right.

It's really strange that I'm having problems with the F41000 because I had two 750s before and it wasn't an issue. Argh!! :mad:

And the truth is, there's absolutely nothing wrong my with 999. It's only a year and 5,000 miles old. sigh.
 
#9 ·
Allan Gibbs said:
Greg, you mentioned you were 5' 6" I think that one inch would make the world of difference. I barely make it at 5'5" and 1/2 and inch more would do it for me. Pro Italia and I left of at that gray zone were it's doable...probably. But your right. The height issue would always make me feel uncomfortable if I'm not moving on the freeway. Oh, canyons! If the pavements is slightly sloped, I'm going to have trouble. U turns - forget it. I need to walk the bike around. I can left ball (of foot it) but I'll be struggling if weight shifts to the right.

It's really strange that I'm having problems with the F41000 because I had two 750s before and it wasn't an issue. Argh!! :mad:

And the truth is, there's absolutely nothing wrong my with 999. It's only a year and 5,000 miles old. sigh.
don't feel pressure to change bikes...
make the right decision for YOU... that's all that matters



 
#11 ·
it's all about the WIDTH of the bike
not just the seat height
i'm sure that they 1000 is WIDER than the 750... thereby making it EFFECTIVELY "taller"



 
#16 · (Edited)
Allan; I've read this thread and I realise that it's obviously a personal decision that only you can make. I'm no giant at 5'7" but as you said to Greg, the little extra height seems to make a lot of difference. :cross: I have a friend who rides a Gixxer 750, he's 5'4", he's a good rider, but has difficulties when coming to a stand at junctions etc. I offered to let him ride my bike but he had the same reservations as you. My wife is only 5'1" and has ridden both my old Evo III 750 and my current F4, I don't know how she does it really, but she too said she wasn't comfortable when coming to a stand.

People in general are getting taller as the generations go by. I don't have any figures, but I would say 40 years ago the average height for a man in the UK would have been around 5'8", now it's probably nearer to 5'10" or 5'11". My son who is only 14 is already my height and many of his friends are much taller including a few 6 footers.

I know that doesn't help you much but us vertically challenged buggers do have some advantages; You will have to make an offer for Loris Capirossi's race bike instead. :)
 
#18 · (Edited)
TheCatWhisperer said:
Why is the 1000 any different to the 750?
Since all the bodywork fits both (right?), then it has to be suspension travel that makes the 1000 taller? Wouldn't that screw up the geometry? I thought the frames, swingarms, etc were the same..?

Si
I know. I was looking at the factory specs and the lenght and even the widith of the 750 and 1000 are the same. It's just the seat height that's different. Bill Nation did say there's a trend in making seat heights taller. And I've noticed that looking at motorcycle magazine test. In the late 90s, I think seat height were in the 30s and 31 inches was max.

Also, I have a Cycleworld issue that's a few months old and in that issue, they compare the liter bikes:

MV Agusta: 33.0 inches!
Honda CBR: 32.1 inches
Ducati 999: 32.2 inches
Yamaha R1: 31.8 inches
Kawasaki ZX10: 31.8 inches
Suski GSXR: 31.7 inches

I've have the 999 and had a R1 prior and the seat's high but it's not enough to make me worry since I can still get both feet (balls of foot) on the ground. On the MV, it's 1/2 a ball on one foot.

As for the Brutale, considering the trade-in or own two bikes issue, I'm having a hard time justifying getting an F4 the much more a Brutale at this point in time.
 
#21 ·
Allan Gibbs said:
I know. I was looking at the factory specs and the lenght and even the widith of the 750 and 1000 are the same. It's just the seat height that's different. Bill Nation did say there's a trend in making seat heights taller. And I've noticed that looking at motorcycle magazine test. In the late 90s, I think seat height were in the 30s and 31 inches was max.

Also, I have a Cycleworld issue that's a few months old and in that issue, they compare the liter bikes:

MV Agusta: 33.0 inches!
Honda CBR: 32.1 inches
Ducati 999: 32.2 inches
Yamaha R1: 31.8 inches
Kawasaki ZX10: 31.8 inches
Suski GSXR: 31.7 inches

I've have the 999 and had a R1 prior and the seat's high but it's not enough to make me worry since I can still get both feet (balls of foot) on the ground. On the MV, it's 1/2 a ball on one foot.

As for the Brutale, considering the trade-in or own two bikes issue, I'm having a hard time justifying getting an F4 the much more a Brutale at this point in time.
thanks for the stats
i guess i WAS nuts to ride that R1200GS... one of the tallest bikes ever made
so tall for me that i HAD to mount it by putting my left foot ON THE PEG and swingin my right leg over..... i just SLID off.
i always felt confident on it... even when coming to a stop
but.....
more than once...
i found myself PARKED on a LEFT-HAND slant...
it was almost IMPOSSIBLE to pick the bike OFF of the side stand...
once a friend (who never let me forget it) had to HELP me get the bike UP before i could start it.

years ago i rode a '96 BMW R1100RT... another tall bike
never a problem, except... once i parked DOWNHILL... thank goodness riding 2-up wtih my wife
if she hadn't been there to help me BACK THE BIKE out of that space (in 1998)... it would probably STILL be there :D
i really don't know WHY i've become so confident riding tall bikes
i guess when you are 5'6" and have a 27.5" inseam and you LOVE bikes... there is no other choice

for the record, i guarantee was much too "shorter" on that GS than you were on that F4 yesterday :)



 
#22 ·
Well, Allan, if it makes you feel any better I can't ride a TZ250, and I always wanted to race one. I mean, I CAN ride one, but my legs go numb and I can't shift it. Some people my height can do it, but I can't. I'd like even more to be able to race a 125, but I'm, oh, 90 pounds overweight or so... Heh. It's too bad, those are really cool bikes and if you ever get a chance to ride one, do it.

I guess I should consider myself lucky though:

 
#23 ·
I'm sorry to hear this, it sucks :bawling:
Have you tried to take some foam of the seat?? Mybe you should buy an old MV seat and take some foam off and then check if the 1000 can suit you or not.
Also.... are you sure the 1000 is higher than the 750?
Maybe that's just bacause you got used to the 999 and forgot how it was with your previous MV's :confused:
Anyway.......... i hope you can still get it ;)
 
#24 ·
I think it is taller, and to go along with it, the rear spring I believe is stiffer too so it doesn't sag down as much. The 750's rear spring was pretty light for the job, at least on my bike it was.

They could take all the preload out of it and reduce ride height on both ends, but the front tire is pretty close as it is I think.

Funny how low the 999 is in comparison to the MV and the 996/996.
 
#25 ·
acruhl said:
I think it is taller, and to go along with it, the rear spring I believe is stiffer too so it doesn't sag down as much. The 750's rear spring was pretty light for the job, at least on my bike it was.

They could take all the preload out of it and reduce ride height on both ends, but the front tire is pretty close as it is I think.

Funny how low the 999 is in comparison to the MV and the 996/996.
Hmm.... ok. That makes sense. :)
 
#26 ·
MV-999R said:
I'm sorry to hear this, it sucks :bawling:
Have you tried to take some foam of the seat?? Mybe you should buy an old MV seat and take some foam off and then check if the 1000 can suit you or not.
Also.... are you sure the 1000 is higher than the 750?
Maybe that's just bacause you got used to the 999 and forgot how it was with your previous MV's :confused:
Anyway.......... i hope you can still get it ;)
Yep, it's taller :jsm: I managed the 750 OK, but because they took 0.5 degree of rake out of the front and fitted the 70 profile tyre they hoiked the rear up about 24? mm, and then I did struggle :ahhh:
I'm just hoping that with the larger 55 series rear tyre on the "R" that they have reduced the bikes ride height to compensate.

I dropped my 1000 about 8mm which made all the difference to me, I slid the forks through the yokes and altered the bottle adjuster at the rear so I didn't upset the sag, works fine :naughty: :)
 
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