Help, XT225 is obviously too tall, now what...?

[iyeager]

Well,

I had hoped my wife's next bike would be an XT225 as her smallish 5'3" frame should fit perfect, but after seeing a picture of another inmates wife tippy toeing it and she's 5'6" I've come to the conclusion that's it's just too tall. Anyone know if they make lowering kits for these? Lower seats? Something??? Or of any other low seat height dual sports?

I know that sag plays a big portion, but in addition to short, she's also light, so sag is usually minimal. She loved her XR100, but I think it's holding her back by being slow, and not able to dualsport it is a big flaw as well. Her being able to get toes down is very important, as she's still new, and not completly confident yet.

Any help would be appreciated.

Ian

[SnoDrtRider]

Taller Wife?

[ADVmouse]

That's a toughie. Cheapest is to cut down the seat (or a spare seat so you can keep the stock one).

It's real expensive to replace the rear shock, but it's the only way I've found. You can lower the front end a little by raising the fork tubes in the triple-clamp, but I wouldn't want to do that without lowering the rear.

And if you buy Lady Daytona boots ($$) or Doc Martens you can get some more height with a thicker sole.

I believe the XT225 is the lowest seat height out there.

I don't see why the seat height has to be so high on modern dualsports. You sure don't get it with modern Trials bikes! I thought of buying a 1970's Yamaha DT, with a wondefully low seat height, but just couldn't go back to ignition points :-) and 30-year-old reliability.

good luck, and let us know what you decide,
Chris

[Bad Company]

Tw200?

[iyeager]

Does the XT225 have a dogbone-style linkage for the shock? I machined lowering dogbones for her EX250 when she had that, I'm sure I could do something like that for an XT.

Ian

[Gregulator]

Atleast go sit on it! Height isn't everything. My girlfriend is 5' 3" but her legs are almost exactly as long as mine (5' 9"). (Trust me, when you are sparring a black belt you really want to know how long their legs are -_- ) My brother is 5' 11" but his legs are a few inches shorter than mine. So that other person's wife could have short legs and a long torso, ya never know. Just remember to look at the arm reach as well as the feet. My girlfriend can get solid foot placement on some bikes, but she's leaning way forward to reach the handlebars.

[Cornbread Red]

Outside of cutting down the seat foam, I'd suggest getting her another bike.

The XT is great for most smaller riders, but past a certain point, you're looking at a kid's bike.

Chip

[green hell]

yeah, go try one out. i'm 5'4" and the seat height on my dr200 is 31.9". no problem with all the suspension sag and the narrow seat.

[acejones]

What's her inseam ? I've got a 29" inseam and the XT225 is easy for me. where are you located ? If you're anywhere near she can try my XT. If it fits she can buy it.

[blimpman]

I'd suggest cutting the foam in the seat and dropping the fork tubes an inch or two. Bout the lowest seat height on a street legal Dual Sport. The TW200 might be lower..... not sure. Just gotta go try them on for size. Hard to find a TW200 in the showroom. I have only seen one in three years.

[WoodsChick]

If you are adept at servicing your own shock and forks, you can easily install a RaceTech lowering kit. I did this on my KTM 450 EXC and it worked great. I'm 5'1" with short legs so every dirtbike I own has been lowered to some extent. It lowers the forks and shock internally so there is no resulting weirdness in the handling, just less travel. I strongly advise against moving forks up in the triple clamps as it affects the handling in a not-good-for-a-beginner way (i.e. less stability.) I also don't think it's such a good idea to lower the rear only. Just my opinion, though. Whatever you can do to make her feel comfortable in a safe manner is the way to go.

By the way, I'd damn near give up my right arm to be 5'3"



WoodsChick

[foster]

I am sure you can get some relief with reducing sag, moving the forks in the triple clamps and cutting down the seat. That said, I just bought my wife a nice used TW200. It is lower than a DR200 or XT225. She's 5'4" with short legs and still can't flat-foot the TW but is in a better position than the other bikes put her in. She did really well with it in the yard and running around the garden and barn. I think she will do well enough to learn to ride dirt on it and hope she gets comfortable enough to graduate to a taller bike like an XT225 or DR200 after a while.

The good: I took the bike out yesterday for a trial run and it goes like stink on a gravel road. Completely controllable, forgiving and plenty fast if you use the gearbox. It also does really well on twisty pavement. We're in the mountains and by twisty, I mean really twisty stuff. Sticks like glue and flies through the corners if you keep it in the right RPM range (goes way faster downhill than uphill)

The bad: I suspect a significantly lower top speed than a 6 speed XT225. It will go faster but seems most comfortable cruising at about 55mph with a 45 tooth rear sprocket (I think 50 tooth is stock).

Good luck - been there, done that and hope it works for my wife...

[Hayduke]

My wife is 5foot zero inches and with sliding the fork tubes up, reducing the shock preload, and cutting the seat down, she can nearly flat foot her XT225.

The TW200 is lower, but it is also wider.... Tami has ridden both and finds the XT easier to handle.

LOOKIT! 5 foot nuthin'- if you can't make an XT225 fit a 5'4" person you ain't trying hard enough.

[viverrid]

Originally Posted by iyeager

...after seeing a picture of another inmates wife tippy toeing it and she's 5'6" I've come to the conclusion that's it's just too tall.

Don't conclude before she's tried it. Proportions vary even among people of the same overall height. And have her try it for fit WITH HER RIGHT FOOT ON THE PEG AND ONLY HER LEFT FOOT DOWN. Too many people try to flatfoot both sides at once and if they can't, they think the bike is too tall.

I am 5'-10" and can't flatfoot BOTH SIDES at once of any of my (full sized) dirt bikes. (And usually, I don't flatfoot them at all.)

I know that sag plays a big portion, but in addition to short, she's also light, so sag is usually minimal.

Uhh, something is off there. Sag should be adjusted to try to make at least the "rider sag" the same for any weight of rider of that bike (though one might conceivably run out of adjustment range). Now, for an ultra-light rider (my wife also weighs 100 lbs.) to get sufficient "rider sag", the "free sag" (with no rider aboard) will probably be too much unless the spring is changed (to a softer one). But I'd suggest doing the rider sag first.

[viverrid]

Originally Posted by WoodsChick

...I did this on my KTM 450 EXC and it worked great. I'm 5'1" with short legs...

WoodsChick,

I think it would be amazing to see someone your size riding a full-sized bike big bore thumper like the EXC in the woods. (Not that that is likely being as we are on opposite coasts.)

(In other news, I'm currently riding a GasGas 200EC instead of my former DRZ. The GG weighs about 220 vs. about 290 for the DRZ. I crash the GG just as much, but it's a lot easier to pick up when I do.)