honest opinions: lowering a CB1100

[GoldOxide_imp]

What about an [url=http://www.suzukicycles.com/Product%20Lines/Cycles/Products/SV650/2019/SV650A.aspx]SV650 ABS? 785 mm (30.9 in.) seat height @ 196 kg / 432.0 lb. Pretty painted frame and classic round headlight.

(+1) Good suggestion. Seems like a popular choice with some other women.

[the Ferret]

The SV is a great bike, but I can't see getting another inch out of that thinly padded seat. It's pretty skinny though and that would help getting the feet down.

Sounds like she has a cruiser body and a sport bike mind.

[alprider]

ah yesss the SV.....clear of course......dont look the specs. ....seems high but. but just the saddle is very thin...i have a colleague she is nice short....a head shorter as me...and she feels very good..she reach the ground without problems....i am not sure is there too a official lowering kit for this bike

[baxtercat_imp]

new Kawa W800 Street has a 30.3 in seat height and accessory seat that lowers that an inch. 490 pounds, 45 horses. retro performance and almost $10K, but not a cruiser and could keep up with your CB.

[Ben70_imp]

I was going to say Royal Enfield Interceptor but looks like the seat is 31.6", with limited dealer support...

Ben

[Lord Popgun]

Webike is showing a lowering kit. I know nothing about lowering kits, but here is the link: [url=https://japan.webike.net/ps/#!&p.m=311&p.c=1085&p.sk=2]https://japan.webike.net/ps/#!&p.m=311&p.c=1085&p.sk=2

[misterprofessionality]

What about an [url=http://www.suzukicycles.com/Product%20Lines/Cycles/Products/SV650/2019/SV650A.aspx]SV650 ABS? 785 mm (30.9 in.) seat height @ 196 kg / 432.0 lb. Pretty painted frame and classic round headlight.

(+1) Good suggestion. Seems like a popular choice with some other women.

(+1) Good suggestion. Seems like a popular choice with some other women.
this one is on **my** list of good options for her, but i have yet to convince her that she should consider it. it's another situation where the seat is so thin, that we won't be able to reduce the height at all by changing the seat, so it all has to come out of the suspension.

SR400 is slower than the S40 Savage. The S40 gets over 60 mpg, the Triumph Bobber about 45-50, so range would be the concern.

she's been very vocal about not wanting an SR400. she loves the way it looks, but she does not want to be kick starting things.

new Kawa W800 Street has a 30.3 in seat height and accessory seat that lowers that an inch. 490 pounds, 45 horses. retro performance and almost $10K, but not a cruiser and could keep up with your CB.

i legit did not know this about the w800. do you have a link to the accessory seat? it was a bike i'd made a point to show her in person, but she found the seat really uncomfortable, so she said she'd rather have a Bonneville instead, since they're basically the same thing, but the bonne is better. The problem i see with the W800 is that they're only making this one year, and after that's over with they 're going to be scarce as heck. you won't be able to find one used i don't think.

Webike is showing a lowering kit. I know nothing about lowering kits, but here is the link: [url=https://japan.webike.net/ps/#!&p.m=311&p.c=1085&p.sk=2]https://japan.webike.net/ps/#!&p.m=311&p.c=1085&p.sk=2

there are certainly lowering kits for almost everything in existence. i'm more worried about how it will affect handling than whether or not it exists.

The SV is a great bike, but I can't see getting another inch out of that thinly padded seat. It's pretty skinny though and that would help getting the feet down.

Sounds like she has a cruiser body and a sport bike mind.

correect. but, you know what? she's right. it's not fair. there's no reason they can't make sport/standard bikes with 28" seat heights. Buell made one with a 27" seat right out of the crate, and it handled marvelously. i'd buy her one of those in a heartbeat if they weren't all old pieces of junk nowadays. the motorcycle market is really not fair for people her size.

[Henrik_imp]

My nephew who is new to motorcycling, and is not very tall, was looking for a good bike to start out with. I had narrowed it down to the SV650, and actually had a go on it myself to see. I thought it was the perfect bike and tried to convince him.

Alternatively I suggested the Kawasaki W800, another bike I have tried and really like. Low, very easy to ride, great looks etc.

He ended up going for a Honda CMX500 Rebel. He loves it, and is extremely happy with his choice. Yes, it has a cruiser look to it, but at least the footpegs are pretty straight down. To be honest, I would not have recommended it as I personally do not like them, but if he is happy...

As to lowering the CB1100, I would not try to do that. As you have pointed out, there are a lot of things that will have to be changed that are also likely to upset the perfect balance of the bike. With the high centre of gravity, it is still likely not to be particularly easy to handle even after the changes.

[misterprofessionality]

her inseam is 28" and some small change. she's also got thighs, so the key is going to be picking a bike with a narrow, waspy waist.

the SR400 is honestly a good suggestion for anybody else. i originally showed it to her for the same reasons, and she really loved the way it looks, but completely shut the discussion down when she found out about the kick starting. i'm happy to comply...for the money she could get a z400, and that's got ABS instead of old timey drums.

The RE is very cool, but it's going to be another availability issue. she loves the idea of a triumph, but there are zero triumph dealers within 100 miles of us. support does not look good. there's an RE dealer in town, but they're kind of fly-by-night. i don't know if i can trust them to keep carrying RE. then again, there's the money in question. for the same cash, she could get a Ducati Scrambler, just as you've suggested, and it's a very good one.

Thanks for that input on lowering the SV. it's very encouraging to know that i can lower it that much without a serious detriment to handling. it means i can do much the same to most any other bike, and that will ease her mind a lot.

Thanks to everybody's input i think i can safely put to bed the idea of lowering a CB for her. there's just no reason to do it, when she can just as easily get other bikes lowered that don't require such drastic changes.

[baxtercat_imp]

new Kawa W800 Street has a 30.3 in seat height and accessory seat that lowers that an inch. 490 pounds, 45 horses. retro performance and almost $10K, but not a cruiser and could keep up with your CB.

i legit did not know this about the w800. do you have a link to the accessory seat? it was a bike i'd made a point to show her in person, but she found the seat really uncomfortable, so she said she'd rather have a Bonneville instead, since they're basically the same thing, but the bonne is better. The problem i see with the W800 is that they're only making this one year, and after that's over with they 're going to be scarce as heck. you won't be able to find one used i don't think.

here's the seat:
https://www.kawasaki.eu/en/accessories/m...l5bClgLCl8

I expect they'll continue to make them after this year, but not necessarily bring them to the US. But you are not doubt correct that will be easier to find used Bonnevilles in the future.