RVF seat height

[possum]

Hi all.... I'm putting together a RVF 400 .. I'm fortunate in having plenty of mainly track spares .. Few questions ..best place to get reasonably priced road fairings ... 2nd most important any suggestions as to how to lower the seat height without affecting ride . The bike is for my daughter who is about 5' and 8 stone dripping wet ... considering having Hagon shock built but wonder if anyone out there has done same job. cheers

[magg]

Someone from this forum may be able to confirm, but might the rear suspension link from an NC30 fit. Given that the NC30 has an 18" rear wheel, it could have a link that will lower the rear ride height when compared to the std NC35 (17" wheel) rear link.

[bodge]

Lowering a bike will always upset / ruin the handling. Im only jumping in to say this as im 5.4 but ride a ktm 13 plate 450 in supermoto trim. The seat height is about 12" + heigher than the nc30 but i get on fine with it . Are you sure she really needs to lower it?

[arsey30]

The NC30 bottom link reduces ride height by around 13mm, the forks could be raised by a similar amount to retain the geometry but ground clearance will be reduced.
Need to consider if it is better to ride it with reduced handling quality or leave it too high so risk dropping it or being nervous of dropping it and then end up not riding it at all
Fit a softer spring and set the preload for her weight so that the dynamic sag is correct, that will also drop the rear height.

Failing that, let her choose a smaller lighter bike, more fun to be had on a bike that you are confident with.

[speedy231278]

I'd also be wary of dropping the forks very much. Mine don't have the circlip that locates against the underside of the clip-on to set the correct height, so I have to judge it by eye, going from pics in the Haynes and of other people's. I did once find signs on the v-piece of a tyre rub despite them not being very far through the yokes!

[bodge]

I understand how much it can ruin your confedence riding a high bike. Off roads its even more of a nightmare as you have to dab the floor if your not very good.

All it takes to keep at bike upright is one tiptoe and ballance. Once your moving you never touch the floor. Shes not going to hurt her self dropping the bike while staionary. Where as riding a bike which doesnt handle correctly is probaly more dangours

What im saying is if shes grins and bares it for the first few months it will be totaly natural, stopping in traffic ect. Plus she will then be able to ride what ever she wants in the future.

Some fairing protection on the NC30. Not the most exspensive bike to drop.

Off road I have to slide off my seat so the seats under my right knee to touch the floor.

[Davez29]

Myself being a shortass in the extreme can give my thoughts.

Well im on my tiptoes on my 29 and to be honest its the biggest heaviest bike i have rode and by all accounts it is the smallest of the 400s. My worries include cambers while stopping and especially junctions that drop away on a hill either side. Stopping on these types of road requires planning as i lose even more ground.. To me, the one foot tippy toeing sometimes feels very worrying, so when ever possible its both legs down. Its not just leg length its the fact i lean forward and this alone stretches my legs and im further from the ground. I tried a friends fzr and couldnt touch the ground. There are times its hard to put the stand down and get off the bike if the camber is too much either way. The one good thing about the 29 is that the seat tapers in and this helps by not splaying my legs as far. I have never been on a 30 or 35 but just looking at them at bike meets I gauge them to be too high/wide. I know if i was sitting upright with wide bars it woyld not be half the problem, even with the weight. But I suppose I have been riding my bike for a few years now and dont let it bother me too much and I use the bike everyday, not just on any Sunday.

[Neosophist]

I'd also be wary of dropping the forks very much. Mine don't have the circlip that locates against the underside of the clip-on to set the correct height, so I have to judge it by eye, going from pics in the Haynes and of other people's. I did once find signs on the v-piece of a tyre rub despite them not being very far through the yokes!

51405-MB4-003

They are only 3 quid from DSS, they are in stock but discontinued so wont be about forever makes getting the forks the right height easy.