[Alyloves2run]

I live in Florida and I see that it’s far from everyone else on this website but this website has still been helpful to me. So…

I am only 5’0″ and really don’t want a cruiser. I’m your sport bike kinda gal. I would really like a Ninja 250R. However, I can’t fit on any sport bike, even small beginner bikes. I’ve read lowering kits are way too dangerous and I don’t want my beginner motorcycle experience to be a bad one. What should I do?

[WeaponZero]

Ninja 250R should be fine for you I think. I think the 2007 and older models had a lower seat height as well.

Being able to keep both feet on the ground isn’t as much of an issue as you might think because when you’re at a stoplight, you’ve got your left foot on the ground only. Right is on the brake.

[Alyloves2run]

I think I’m just so afraid of dropping it and not being able to pick it back up. Or dropping it in front of everyone and embarrassing myself. lol

[madjak30]

It has a 30 in. seat height before sag…depending on your weight (not asking), it may sag enough. You could also check out the Kymco Quannon 150, it’s seat height is about the same as the Ninja 250R. I know there is a lowering kit for the Ninja, not sure about the others. They will all top out around 90ish mph, which is quick enough. Maybe not for the freeway, but everywhere else they should be good, and they are all quite light bikes. Excellent for learning.

If you were here in Canada, you could check out the Honda CBR125R…my 12yo daughter who is 4’10 can touch with both feet, not flat foot (she only weighs 70lbs), but she thinks that will be her first bike…we’ll see about that one…mom may not approve at all!!

I think if you dial the preload to the minimum on those bikes, it may sag enough for you to put you feet down…

Good luck!

[WeaponZero]

The seat height on first generation SV650s was low. something like 28″. It wasn’t until second generation models they got tall.

[gitchy42]

The problem with the Hyosung is that it doesn’t have much of a dealer support network yet. However, the way to make that better is start buying it; more dealers will start carrying and supporting it. One really nice thing about it is that it is fuel injected (2010 model), some people would say that that is worth paying nearly as much as a new Ninja, for a Korean bike.

I’ve ridden the Kymco Quannon, and found it to be a fun little sportbike. I’m about 6′ and 215lbs, and it didn’t seem to complain when I turned up the throttle. This bike is carburated, and only has a top speed of about 60 (down hill, tail wind), but new, out-the-door you can get it for about what you would expect to pay for a ten-year-old ninja 250.

Anyways, those are just my thoughts.

[ranette]

If you’re concerned about dropping your bike and being embarrassed, nothing that I, or anybody else, can do about that. However, if you’re concerned about dropping the bike and not being able to pick it up, take the BRC. They’ll show you how to use leverage so that even a smaller person can pick up just about any bike.

I’m certainly not an expert but I haven’t heard about lowering kits being dangerous. They would certainly alter the geometry of the bike but many riders use them without any issues whatsoever. You’d probably find more information on lowering the bike on the Ninja 250 specific sites like ninjette.org and ninja250.org/.

[Author]

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