Tips for Those who can't Flat-Foot

[OrganoMetallic]

Does anyone have experience riding the ninja who can't get both feet flat on the ground?

My girlfriend is 5'2" and she has to go up on tip toes or put only one foot down. She is just learning and it makes her uncomfortable that she can't completely control the bike at a stop.

Does anyone have advice that might make it easier for her?

[GeneJunkie]

I would suggest getting the bike lowered, if you haven't done so already.

[ally99]

I know how she feels as I have the same problem on my Ninja 650! I learned to always keep my right foot lightly on the rear break while stopping and always stop the bike w/ my left foot down only. Sometimes I am still unsure and put both down, but I'm getting better at a smooth one-foot. I used not to use my rear break much until I realized how much it helped me smooth my one-foot stops, and smoother = much more comfortable for the vertically challenged woman. Some motorcycle boots have heels in them that could add a little height, but then you run the risk of them making shifting difficult. Women have a very poor selection of quality, protective riding boots.
It just takes practice. Tell her to practice some one-foot-down stops in an empty parking lot. Do it 200 times, and then 200 more! That's what I've done and it's really made me more comfortable with them.

[kkim]

Originally Posted by GeneJunkie

I would suggest getting the bike lowered, if you haven't done so already.

I would have to agree. Once you lower it and she gains more confidence in her riding ability and increases her experience level, you can then raise it back up to the stock height.

Remember to lower both the front and back end and not lower it any more than 1.5" in the back.

[adouglas]

Careful choice in footwear is one thing to do.

I'm considering moving to a bigger bike in a couple of years, and with the exception of the GSXR I have a really hard time getting my feet down. I've been experimenting with boots and insoles and have found some combinations that give me significantly more height. I can now flat-foot the GSXR with ease and can get my heels down on both the CBR and ZX6R if I want to. The Yamaha is still out of the question, though.

A cheap experiment (much cheaper and easier than lowering the bike) is to get some inexpensive boots one size large and put some elevator insoles in them. In effect, you're creating a high-heeled boot, but the "heel" is inside the shoe.

In my case, I got some closeout police boots (8" high, with zips up the sides) for $40, and some elevator insoles for $19. Together, these make me at least an inch and a half taller, and it's all in my inseam.

A little bit makes a much bigger difference than you think it might.

[DAKINECHICk]

Yep, I'm 5'1'' and have both my 250 and my 600 lowered and can touch the ground flat foot on both...with boots on as well. She will be fine once it's lowered and of course, the more she rides it.

[ScorpionNinja]

My 250 i have NP with both flat feet. On my 650, i can flat foot it, but it depends on where my butt is on the seat and what kind of terrain conditions, etc! Otherwise i have to half-flat foot it with both feet.

Lowering a bike I wouldnt do myself, to be able to ride it flat footed. First, try setting the rear shock pre-load setting DOWN to #1 (lowest) and see if that helps?
(soft shock will help lower the bike using your own Weight to your advantage! (this helps me out when i 2UP with my GF on back of my 650, im able to completely flat-foot it no matter where my butt is on the seat and with an Inch inseam to spare!)
A motorcycle should fit you correctly like a helmet or clothes. Start out on a 250 Rebel. Seat height is only 26-27", vs 30.5" on the ninja 250.

Lowering a bike sure i understand, but how much Time do you spend sitting on it, opposed to actually Riding it? Is it worth the risk of screwing the bikes handling, just to flat foot it the few secs of the day you spend sitting on it at stop signs, etc?

[OrganoMetallic]

Thanks for all the help guys! We went out for a practice run in a parking lot today. i think she was doing a good job (although very unconfident in her skills). She panicked (because she couldn't touch the ground) at a quick stop and slowly dropped the bike. She and the bike are OK aside from a slightly broken turn signal.

I think that once she gets comfortable she will hardly notice that she can't get both feet down. For now I think lowering the bike and her buying some new shoes is probably the best solution. She is 5'1" -ish.

What do you guys think of this kit: http://precizzionkrome.com/shop/inde..._detail&p=8608

I have very little mechanical skill. Would I be able to pull it off?

[kkim]

that's just a repackaged Roaring Toyz kit. Buy from RT direct, instead. You won't need/can get by without the lowered kickstand if you keep the lowering amount modest... about 1-1.5", so you can save some money.

http://www.buynowroaringtoyz.com/Kaw...50_R_s/208.htm

http://www.ninjette.org/wiki/Lowering

[DAKINECHICk]

This is just my honest OPINION...

I've been riding for almost 10 years. I have owned 2 R6's, an FZ6R, and my ninja 250. My fz6r and ninja are lowered but my 2 R6's were not. Could I ride them all? Sure. Did I love them all and have a blast on each of them? Heck YEAH! Was I more confident on the 2 that were lowered? Of course!
Yes, you are able to ride motorbikes as a shorty without having them lowered but I say comfort and confidence is totally key; especially with someone just starting out. I find that I know enough about motorcycles after 10 years of practice and as long as you lower one within the restrictions, (& especially for a newbie) you will NOT notice a difference in handling. I, for one, do not understand why people make such a big deal about how BAD they handle after being lowered. I...disagree. Wether you are just learning or just feel more comfortable having your feet flat foot on the ground, I say lower the dang thing! You will feel tons more confidence and more in control...like you are in control of the bike, not it controlling you, as I say. You, as a smaller newer rider will do doubt feel more in control, bottom line. AND, If by chance after a lot of riding time under your belt feel the need to take out the lowering link, by golly, you can! It's reversible. Confidence and comfort are the 2 things to keep a rider wanting to ride!
Again, just my opinion.
-Don't know if this made any sense...I am watching one of my fav movies and trying to concentrate on what I want to say here. Sorry if it repeats or has misspellings, etc.

[anomolli]

I started riding about a year ago and am the same height. Since she's a girls, smart footware can be a valuable tool in being able to stand fully planted. I discovered the best shoes to get were women's casual wedge boots. Wedge because they don't get caught on the pegs and plus they're just all around more stable then 4 inch spike heals. :-)

I think icon makes the "bombshell" boot that is a wedge shoe, but for a fraction of the cost, a trip to DSW will probably solver her problems, especially since it's boot season! Once i became more comfortable on the bike, i started wearing normal shoes and realized that i rarely needed to flat foot the bike. The only thing i struggle with is backing up on a slight incline, which is difficult to do already, but especially if you've got no traction. For this, i just hop off the bike and walk it back. She'll get used to it.

[OrganoMetallic]

Originally Posted by DAKINECHICk

This is just my honest OPINION...

I've been riding for almost 10 years. I have owned 2 R6's, an FZ6R, and my ninja 250. My fz6r and ninja are lowered but my 2 R6's were not. Could I ride them all? Sure. Did I love them all and have a blast on each of them? Heck YEAH! Was I more confident on the 2 that were lowered? Of course!
Yes, you are able to ride motorbikes as a shorty without having them lowered but I say comfort and confidence is totally key; especially with someone just starting out. I find that I know enough about motorcycles after 10 years of practice and as long as you lower one within the restrictions, (& especially for a newbie) you will NOT notice a difference in handling. I, for one, do not understand why people make such a big deal about how BAD they handle after being lowered. I...disagree. Wether you are just learning or just feel more comfortable having your feet flat foot on the ground, I say lower the dang thing! You will feel tons more confidence and more in control...like you are in control of the bike, not it controlling you, as I say. You, as a smaller newer rider will do doubt feel more in control, bottom line. AND, If by chance after a lot of riding time under your belt feel the need to take out the lowering link, by golly, you can! It's reversible. Confidence and comfort are the 2 things to keep a rider wanting to ride!
Again, just my opinion.
-Don't know if this made any sense...I am watching one of my fav movies and trying to concentrate on what I want to say here. Sorry if it repeats or has misspellings, etc.

Yeah....I think this is the right way to look at it. Since she's a beginner confidence is key. The boost to her self-confidence on the bike will far outweigh any decrease in handling. Especially since she hasn't taken it out of the parking lot yet!

[lux]

Adjusting the suspension to her weight, adjusting sag, might be an option. Or how about shaving the top and sides of the seat?

[TenaciousD]

I'm 5'4" and couldn't get my feet flat. I lowered the bike using the Roaring Toyz rear links and front risers. It made the bike 100% easier for me to ride. Now that I'm more confident I'm going to raise it back up a little, but not all the way back to stock height (yet).

I went without the Roaring Toyz kickstand. As nice as it is, I couldn't bring myself to spend $109 on a kickstand. The bike ended up resting a little too vertical on the stock stand, though, so I enlisted the help of a buddy with a welder and we shortened the stand by 2 inches. Now the bike leans comfortably on the stand.

Lowering the front and back together did not affect the handling of the bike. It does reduce ground clearance, though. Not a problem for me yet, but when I get better and start leaning the bike over more, I might need to do something about it.

[Misti]

Whatever will help her confidence the most is what you should do and if that means getting it lowered for a time then by all means do so. Just be aware that lowering the bike will change the riding/handling characteristics and while she will probably not notice a difference now, down the road it often makes sense to raise it up again if she is comfortable.

Another tip is to put only one foot down and then to turn your hips into the bike. I'm barely 5"3 and started on a CBR 600 that I could only put one foot down on, then I switched to a Kawasaki ZX6-R. I never had them lowered. Turning your hips into the bike slightly makes you much stronger and makes it much easier to hold the bike up without it wobbling. Covering the rear brake is a good suggestion as well and another HUGE help is to have her keep her eyes looking DOWN the road instead of right in front of her. Most new riders tend to look only a few feet in front and that hinders your sense of balance.

Good luck!

Misti

[adouglas]

Originally Posted by Misti

Just be aware that lowering the bike will change the riding/handling characteristics and while she will probably not notice a difference now, down the road it often makes sense to raise it up again if she is comfortable.

Not true if both ends are lowered by the same amount.

What changes the handling is altering the geometry, which happens if you lower one end more than the other.

The only thing that changes if you lower both ends equally is ground clearance.

[Snafu]

Originally Posted by OrganoMetallic

What do you guys think of this kit: http://precizzionkrome.com/shop/inde..._detail&p=8608

I have very little mechanical skill. Would I be able to pull it off?

My friend ordered the kit from precizzionkrome and it took like a month and a half before it showed up. Customer service was poor. We ordered a complete kit from Roaring Toyz and he kit was easy to install. The instruction are not the best but if you look for the thread where someone had installed the RT kit, it was much clearer on how to install the kit.

[ally99]

Originally Posted by Misti

Another tip is to put only one foot down and then to turn your hips into the bike. I'm barely 5"3 and started on a CBR 600 that I could only put one foot down on, then I switched to a Kawasaki ZX6-R. I never had them lowered. Turning your hips into the bike slightly makes you much stronger and makes it much easier to hold the bike up without it wobbling. Covering the rear brake is a good suggestion as well and another HUGE help is to have her keep her eyes looking DOWN the road instead of right in front of her. Most new riders tend to look only a few feet in front and that hinders your sense of balancei

GREAT advice! This is the same stuff I have to do on my Ninja 650. I learned quickly that looking straight ahead really helps. Don't look down or that's where you'll go!

[Alex]

Originally Posted by adouglas

The only thing that changes if you lower both ends equally is ground clearance.

Well, almost. (I think we've discussed this before. ). The geometry in fact is altered, even if the front and rear are lowered the same amount. Trail goes down, wheelbase changes, suspension characteristics can change (less usable travel, different preload characteristics in the rear).

But to your point, if the front and rear are lowered evenly a reasonable amount, the most significant difference anyone would notice on the street would be reduced ground clearance; the rest would be pretty darned minor.

[Misti]

Originally Posted by Alex

Well, almost. (I think we've discussed this before. ). The geometry in fact is altered, even if the front and rear are lowered the same amount. Trail goes down, wheelbase changes, suspension characteristics can change (less usable travel, different preload characteristics in the rear).

But to your point, if the front and rear are lowered evenly a reasonable amount, the most significant difference anyone would notice on the street would be reduced ground clearance; the rest would be pretty darned minor.

+1.

Another option is to carve down the seat. I did this on my Kawasaki ZX6R and I've done it on my dirtbike as well

Improving riding skills and visual skills will greatly help confidence in riding as well.

Misti

[ally99]

Originally Posted by Misti

Improving riding skills and visual skills will greatly help confidence in riding as well.

Misti

Thought about doing this w/ my 650. About how much height does doing this take off? About 1/2 in?

[Misti]

Originally Posted by ally99

Thought about doing this w/ my 650. About how much height does doing this take off? About 1/2 in?

I think you meant to quote the part about shaving down the seat? It depends on how thick the seat it and how much you can carve off. On my dirtbike I was able to take quite a considerable amount out over an inch for sure and I can't remember how much came off my SV but I think it was about 3/4 inch. It was well worth it for me

Cheers!

Misti

[ally99]

Originally Posted by Misti

I think you meant to quote the part about shaving down the seat? It depends on how thick the seat it and how much you can carve off. On my dirtbike I was able to take quite a considerable amount out over an inch for sure and I can't remember how much came off my SV but I think it was about 3/4 inch. It was well worth it for me

Yep! Sorry for the misquote, though it was kinda funny that I always wanted to "improve my riding skills and visual skills to help me ride confidently". Though that IS always my goal!

Thanks so much! 3/4 in would make a huge difference! Allyson