Lowered BMW G650GS

[Anonymous]

#4439

Hi All,Long time reader, first time poster looking for some advice please.I'm looking at purchasing a G650GS for my wife who is (to be polite) "vertically challenged" at 5ft 3.  To put you in the picture a bit better, she can only tip-toe on her GN125 at the moment.She's had a sit on the 2014 factory lowered models and it still a ways off being able to get her toes on the ground.  As she is still an inexperienced rider, I'm very keen indeed to make sure she's going to be comfortable with whatever we end up buying and the more footprint we can get on the road the better.Would appreciate anyone's thoughts / comments / experiences with taking on a similar project.  There is plenty of advice out there but hopefully someone has had this work done in NZ and can comment from a local perspective.1) Kouba Lowering Links.  Good / bad / otherwise?  Looking at the 1" as 2" seems to be better suited to Dakar / Sertao models that begin life a little higher anyway.2) Seat - Shave it?  Buy a new low one?3) Boots - Seems we can squeeze another inch out with a few models but they seem to be around the USD400-500 mark.4) Front Forks - Can we gain anything by making changes here without changing the ride much?Is there anything else that anyone can recommend?Thanks for your help.CheersMike

[gary]

#18166

Hi Mike,Another possibility you may consider is a BMW G650 XCountry, low seat height as standard, BUT no longer produced.Quoted seat height is 840 mm, can be improved a bit by sliding the forks up and there is a low seat option.They come up from time to time on Trade Me.RegardsIan

[Anonymous]

#18167

If you live in Auckland or thereabouts, John Pearce, the shoe repairer in the Glen Innes shopping centre does “moon boot” conversions on your regular boots.

[Arne Rohde]

#18168

I can't help with the lowering options, but one useful resource for checking on bike ergonomics is the web site http://cycle-ergo.com/You select the bike, enter height and inseam length, and adjust any bike settings such as lowering the seat. You can then see how easily you can reach the ground, or how much your knee and, back are bent when riding the bike. They have a 2011 G650GS with standard 815mm seat height listed. I'm not sure they have all bike details correct, as the F650GS twin is listed as 840mm seat height, where the user's manual says 820mm, or 765 with lowered suspension.

[Richard Kuysten]

#18169

Cutting the seat is a good option.  I did mine on the F800GS with an electric carving knife after drawing the shape with a felt tip.  I did have to take it to an upholsterer to get the cover stapled back on as you will need three hands to do this but at $35 it was a bargin.

[Anonymous]

#18170

Yep, consider a cobbler to add an inch or two to boots.Also, for the seat, height is only half the equation, also consider the seat width.Also, the couple (Sue and Jim Denham) that run Northern Gravel Adventure Riders (NGARNZ), she had a G650GS I think, and they needed to lower it for her.

[Anonymous]

#18171

Thanks all for your comments.  Boots seem the cheap way of solving some of our issues and we'll no doubt have to get the seat shaved or replaced also.We're looking in to all options at the moment although I see a lowered F650 on TM that might be a start.  Seat heights seem to vary - even within BMW's own literature so I'm not sure if that'll be any higher or lower as a starting point but hopefully Jo will be one of you in the not too distant future!

[Anonymous]

#18172

I am also vertically challenged so visited John Pierce in Glen Innes a few years back. He added another 10mm to the soles of my boots. Word of warning,  almost dropped poor Enzo when I tried to find 2nd gear at my first attempt  😮 couldn't get my foot under the darned shifter although after some practice got quite proficient at the slide left then under then out again  😉

[Anonymous]

#18173

i had both my 2009 bmw f650gs/2 and 2010 bmw f800r lowered by 3/4-inch. the former at factory, and the latter by a local engineering outfit. i found the f650gs/2 still not that comfortable to ride, but the f800r was a near-perfect fit. guess some bikes can be lowered but should not. btw, i'm 5'2″.oh, the advice about inseam is a valid one. when i bought a honda pc800 in 1990, i had the top shaved to lower it and the sides shaved as well to make the seat narrower. perfect fit. didn't know that the suspension could be lowered back then.  😛 and have never tried the flatform boots option.

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