Flat-footin' it
BeeElMarvin
Posts: 2,086 Member
OK, just to wake things up in here a little bit (Nobody's posting!)... in one post in the group folks are talking about needing to flat foot on their ride (put their feet down flat on the ground when they stop). In my riding experiences, on the older bikes from the 60's, 70's and early 80's all the japanese and brit bikes - in fact all that I can think of from that era, except HD's, were set up pretty damn high. You basically had to tippy toe on 2 feet or lean to one foot when you stopped. Anybody?
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My bike (05 zx10r) has a seat height of 32.5 and while sitting I can brush my tippy toes. I just shift my *kitten* right off the seat and set 1 foot down solidly. You have to pay attention to the area you plan on stopping tho, just a little more attention and pick a side. Honestly I've dumped it mostly due to stupidity and not paying enough attention (and maybe stalling it), nothing I couldn't recover from tho. I don't like adjusting the height of a bike, the engineers designed it a certian way for a reason, sport bike especially it lowering them screws with the handling.
I know a girl who is even shorter than me when she first started riding she lowered her bike so far the belly pan was almost dragging, she rode like that until she was comfortable and now she is a racer. Actually I know a few girl racers who can't touch at all and still manage (and are awesome!)
Do whatever it takes to make you happy and comfortable and screw what anyone else says/thinks.
I always wear all my gear all the time and there is a whole group of people who think that is stupid.0 -
I'm able to flat foot my 99GSXR600 which is nice since sportbikes tend to be top heavy. I haven't lowered it at all but have adjusted the rake a few mm for handling but it's not enough to notice a difference in ride hieght.0
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When I got my bike, Harley Dyna Superglide, it was too tall for me. I had difficulty stopping and starting up again because I had to lean too far to keep it up. It is too heavy for me to keep at such an angle. I dropped it a couple times at stop signs trying to keep balanced. It was frustrating, and I almost hated riding at that point. Everyone suggested cutting my saddle, but even though it's stock, I like it. It's comfortable. One of the Harley parts guys suggested progressive shocks to drop the bike about 2 inches without compromising performance. Once they were on my bike, I was so much happier! I'm flat footed and feel safer.0
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I have long legs so I don't have an issue "Flat-footing it". I usually only put one foot down when I stop and start anyways so I am not sure why that would be an issue?0
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Do whatever it takes to make you happy and comfortable and screw what anyone else says/thinks.
I always wear all my gear all the time and there is a whole group of people who think that is stupid.
I wasn't talking about making anybody happy or people thinking anything was stupid, just asked a question and stated that, at 6'1", I was, on many bikes in the early days unable to put both feet down flat. The way that you adjust yourself on the seat is just how we had to do it on the high seated bikes). I wondered why it was so important. Some folks have written that the bike they rode was just simply too heavy for them to do that with. Explanation accepted and understood.0 -
My bike (05 zx10r) has a seat height of 32.5 and while sitting I can brush my tippy toes. I just shift my *kitten* right off the seat and set 1 foot down solidly. You have to pay attention to the area you plan on stopping tho, just a little more attention and pick a side. Honestly I've dumped it mostly due to stupidity and not paying enough attention (and maybe stalling it), nothing I couldn't recover from tho. I don't like adjusting the height of a bike, the engineers designed it a certian way for a reason, sport bike especially it lowering them screws with the handling.
I've got a 2006 Daytona 675...I'm 5'7 lol. It's got a 33" seat height (it's been raised slightly to stabilize the steering for racing)...BUT, the bike is substantially narrower than your Ninja. I can get both feet down on tip toes...but 99% of the time I just put the ball of my right foot down. I DO like that I can get both feet down if necessary though.
This is my first bike...and yep, I definitely wanted one that I could touch down reliably on. I'm seriously glad I held to that requirement though, due to the fact that my Daytona (which I picked partially because of how it fit me, partially because it's different), walks every other sport bike I've ridden in its class...and keeps up with most liter bikes. I originally had my heart set on a gixxer 600...but then what?
I'd have been one of THOSE guys (glances up at 600racer) =p.
=D0 -
I'm 5'4" and have a relatively low bike. I can be flat footed but usually I just stop on my tippy toes.
I'm lucky enough that the previous owner put a different seat on it and its 2 inches shorter than the one on their now. Its hard (according to the guys who have ridden it for me) BUT...my butt doesn't fall asleep and I don't notice it.0 -
I'm 5'8 and I can flat food my 08' gsxr 6000
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I'm 5'8 and I can flat foot my 08' gsxr 600
I'm 5'7 and I can barely tip toe (on ONE side!) an '08 gixxer 600 lol, you've probably got a good bit longer legs than I do. I mean, the inseam on my pants is about 30"...then 7" in hips etc, and then about 30" of upper body. Like I said above, even on my bike which is substantially narrower than yours, I am on tip toes on both sides, or the ball of my foot on one side.0 -
My R1200GS Adventure with the suspension set on comfy (lowest it can go) it sits with A seat hight a whooping 36" if I set on it highest setting 43" I have never been able to flat foot it but I have rode dirt bikes my hole life I wouldnt own a bike that sat low0
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I can flat foot it on my boulevard (suzuki) and that is the way I like it. I've had a couple of bikes that I was always tippy toeing it. (I'm a huge 5'3") i feel safer on stops etc.. if I can flat foot and knees flex a little. I think a lot of it is also upper body strength - men have more upper body and can handle a bike leaning more on a stop. Just my opinion............0
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So...just to add to this, I consciously made an effort to check today, and I can actually get the balls of both feet down on my Daytona 675 (thin soled shoes as well). I also tried flat footing on one side...and it ain't happening without seriously holding the bike up lol. That's 5'7", with a 30" pant inseam.0
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I'm 5'8 so I flat-foot on just about every bike I ride
except my new crf450.. she's a bit tall..
When my gsxr is lowered though, I'm more than flat footed, my knees are at a 90° angle lol.. im pretty tall & don't mind it one bit!0 -
I'm 5'10" and have no problem on my 1997 Royal Star. Had a couple bikes in the late 60's and early 70's that I couldn't flat foot it on.
Had a VW Custom Trike in the late 70's that I didn't even have to put my feet down on.0
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