[smorg]

My 17 year old son has a 2001 Honda Rebel 250….he is over 6 feet tall and is finding that his legs are a bit cramped.

Given that he cannot afford insurance on a larger bike, I was thinking that forward controls may possibly allow him a little more leg room.

Has anyone experimented with this idea?

Thanks

[briderdt]

I have my policy with Safeco, for two bikes (an 800cc Suzuki C50 and a Suzuki SV650S) it’s about $85 a month (both bikes included). But the deal was that the amount made just small, incremental increases until it hit 1000cc’s, and then it started making big jumps.

So I guess what I’m getting at is that something more stature-friendly, like a DRZ400 dual sport, might not be much more insurance-wise, than the 250 rebel.

I know there are plates for the SV650 that will move the controls up and back (1.5″ up and 1″ back) that some have mounted in reverse to move the controls down and back, or down and forward (check eBay for svracingparts). Don’t know if that sort of thing is available for the Rebel though.

The real disadvantage of forward controls, to my mind, though, is that you can’t unweight the seat for bumps…

[Dagger]

As far as the insurance goes, anything 650 or smaller should be reasonable to insure. My ’02 Yamaha V-Star 650 Custom costs me about $350 a year to insure.

As for the leg room.. I’m 6’1 and felt cramped on the 650 after about two weeks of riding it. Especially on longer rides my knees would start to hurt. After I put the forward controls extenders on it, it’s been like night and day. It’s amazing what another 3″ will do.
I know I had a hell of a time on the 250 cruisers at my BMRC.. Not only were my legs bent to my chest, the rebel also sits about 3″ lower than my 650.. So even when my feet weren’t on the pegs I felt like I was trying to walk a clown bike.

Dagger

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