How low can you go!

[AndyS]

My daughter is contemplating buying an F650GS.

Unfortunately she is vertically challenged being 4'11" (she says 5'!)

What are the best solutions - if any - for getting this bike low enough for someone of her stature to ride and keep it comfortable for touring trips (we are concerned about the comfort of thin seats).

Thanks for your help

Andy

[Boffin]

Andy, there was a factory lowering kit for the F650 - basically a different rear subframe - so I would look specifically for one of those as a start.

 

I suspect that you would need the whole bike, as a retrofit would be quite a task.

 

Andy

[Bullett]

Andy, take a look at a factory lowered bike if you can.

 

I'm 5'2" and can get the balls of my feet down on the non-lowered F650, but not the Dakar, which sits higher.

 

I suspect the factory lowered bike would work well for your daughter.

 

Take her to the dealer to sit on some bikes--that will give you a better idea. Also keep in mind that if you load the bike, the shocks will compress a bit more. On my bike, that translates from tippy toes to balls of feet from unloaded to loaded for a trip.

 

As far as the thin pad on the seat, I don't have an F650, but rather the R12 low seat, if your daughter is fairly light, the amount of padding may not be too big a deal. I actually find my low seat quite comfortable.

 

If your daughter has been riding dirt bikes, the seat height might not be too big a deal to her. I'm not as short as she is, but except for my cruiser, I've never been able to flat foot any bike.

 

Good luck!

[baggerchris]

Go for the factory low frame; then get the kouba lowering links; then get the low seat. This should get you low enuf. Maybe you can even eliminate the low seat, or the kouba's. Go over to the chain gang and search the faqs. If you need to, go on and ask the question over there. Be sure and tell them the same as you said here. They have a ton of knowledge over there. There are quite a few folks around 4:11 that ride the wonderful GS.

[magnum]

Factory lowered version, standard version and Dakar all have the same frame. Differences are fork tube length, side stand,center stand, rear shock and seat. Low and standard height GS fork tubes are indentical except the lower version has an internal spacer to keep more of the tube inside the lower fork leg. Dakar tubes are a bit longer. Lower fork legs are indentical on all three versions.

 

So to lower your bike:

 

1)buy the spacers and put them in the fork tubes. You can also slide the forks up half an inch in the triple tree before the steering angle change makes it fall into corners.

2) Chop and re-weld center and side stand.

3) Find a low version rear shock.

4) Find a low version seat.

 

If you do a bit on checking on the various BMW sites, you will probably find somebody wanting to convert from lower to regular height and eager to swap parts. Failing that, lots of parts come up on EBAY if you are patient.

 

I would not bother with the Kouba links. Note that the low version GS will drag the sidestand and center stand on corners way too soon if the rider weighs more than about 150 lbs and rides somewhat joyously unrestrained.

 

Cheers