tbh I wouldn't buy a bike I couldn't get my feet flat on the floor.
That doesn't limit my choice by much, but i guess it would for some folk.
But I'd go down the lowering route before I looked at stabilisers.
If they're the only answer, for some, fair enough, getting out there and having fun is what it's all about.
I'm not sure why I've fallen off as many times as I have but it's not because the bikes have been too tall for me.
Thinking about it, almost all the times I've dropped my bike, I've been coming to an unexpected halt, usually in the middle of a turn. Lack of confidence is why I've halted during a turn, if I'd just keep the revs up, look up and where I want to go and GONE I'd have dropped my bike far less times than I have but I bottle it.
Twice I've fell off whilst stopping, it's nearly always as I'm setting off into a turn that I then bottle.
I've fell off once trying to ride in snow, pure inexperience there and stupidity!
I agree with a lot of what wanna says, but its not only the height (I have seen may a rider on tippy toes able to handle thier bike) its also the weight & power of a bike & how confident you are at riding.
One of the reasons for doing a DAS is so that when I do my MOD2 I will have the confidence as well as the ability to be able to ride a big heavy bike & not have the sudden shock of going from a lil 125 to my big SV.
So far I have been lucky (touch wood) & falling off has not been an issue for me, I have found myself quite able to balance well on all the bikes I have ridden, tho I can see why some would have issues I still do not think that stabilizers on a motorbike are a good idea, they are bad enough on a push bike (have you ever seen lil Johnny trying to do a U turn on his 1st bike fitted with them )
Sorry i will endeavour to stop my brain coming up with such wierd and wonderful stuff, not sure if it will work, but hey i'll try (or is that i am trying!!!)
I've never had a bike that I could put both feet flat on the floor with. I don't like cruiser style bikes, never have and with every other type of bike having seat heights greater than my inside leg that's left me with a problem.
But the fact is that we adapt. I have learnt to deal with only having one foot on the floor, quite often only the ball of one foot. And yes, I have toppled on more than one occasion, loose gravel or similar, sudden stopping half way through a U-turn or setting off from a junction for whatever reason and twice through setting off with a disc lock on. But apart from the first twelve months or so of riding I've never toppled because I couldn't get my foot down, although I have had a couple of close calls.
I've learnt to ride at very slow speeds without needing to put my feet down. I've learnt to judge cambers very well so I know where and when I can stop in car parks and the like. And I've learnt how to make sure the bike drops to whichever side I need to put my foot down when I stop.
I quite happily take pillions. I have no problem with someone using me and the bike as leverage to lift themselves up on the pillion peg, despite me only having the ball of one foot on the floor. If they're not particularly graceful in climbing on and off or if it's the first time I've taken them then I make sure they get on from the left and I keep the sidestand down just in case. So far I've only needed it's support once.
I've toppled twice on the CB. Once was paddling it back in a car park and lost my footing on gravel and the most recent was the setting off with a disc lock on event. But this is one of the biggest heaviest bikes out there today, so just because you are short of leg does not preclude you from riding what you want.
You just need to give yourself time to adapt. There is no need to shy away from a style of bike because your inside leg measurement isn't particularly big. Just give yourself time to adapt on smaller, lighter machines and the skill (and physical shape) to ride bigger, heavier bikes will come.
If anyone requires further proof then just ask and I'll show you what 20+ years of reaching down to find ground and then balancing a big bike on the ball of your foot does to calf muscles lol.
Geoffb said: If they're not particularly graceful in climbing on and off or if it's the first time I've taken them then I make sure they get on from the left and I keep the sidestand down just in case.
Isn't it usual for pillions to get on and off from the left anyway?
Skipping to the end after just reading most this thred The sidewinder was a tray on a leaning wheel, and yes is did take advantage of the loophole in the law the artical I remember seeing on it it was atttched to a Z1300 in Bike magazine (front cover too if I remember rightly) We are talking 29ish years ago too, it came out before the 125 law.
The idea of a person without use of both legs on a solo bike to me just gives me a feeling of doom............... He/She cannot be "safe" on the bike you need the use of your legs for balance on the bike gripping the tank with them whilst cornering/cambers can catch the most able bodied of us out on occasion too. And if you have no control over your legs what's to stop a foot slipping off the pegs? (With desaterious conciquences!) I know I know there are ways around all these points but I still do not think it's a good thing a disabled rider re enables themselves this way. Take my hat off to people who refuse to just roll over and be wheel chair bound, he is a bit of an inspiation on one hand but I still see him as potentially becoming hurt again due to his lack of limb use! Maybe i'm just being too concerned for my fellow man who knows, I do beleive in freedom of choice and anyone who really knows me would agree on that.
The Triumph dealer where I bought my bike did a conversion for a disabled lady rider.She had a Bonneville T140 fitted with a converted sidecar that could take her wheelchair and all the controls normally associated with the feet (brake and gearchange) were on the handlebars.It was quite amazing to see her ease off the bike,into the wheelchair and off the sidecar with no fuss at all.Good for her I say!
As for the stabilizers,in my opinion,I have never heard of such nonsense in my life
I believe anyone, disabled or otherwise, should be able to take advantage of stabilisers on motorbikes as well as pushbikes, without worry of being ridiculed by the public or being 'ripped off' by companies making such stabilisers. I've been looking into some stabilisers for my son's forthcoming new bike and am appalled how much websites are charging for their wares, nearly half to two thirds the price of a bike - so goodess knows how much they would be for motorbikes.
![Motorbikes with stabilizers ??? (4) - Forums [Biker Match]](/images/backgrounds/strips/8mobileLQ.jpg)
![Motorbikes with stabilizers ??? (4) - Forums [Biker Match]](/images/backgrounds/strips/8desktopLQ.jpg)
