[Beefcurtains]

She currently has an '01 EX250 and we are simply fed up with it. One day it will run fine, the next day it won't. I've been through the carbs myself multiple times. Last summer the bike ran great after being jetted and getting a pipe installed. Now it won't run worth a crap and niether me or the dealer can find anything wrong with it.

She is now interested in getting an EX500 or GS500F. Her problem isn't that she can't handle a b***** bike, as she has ridden my Triumph ('98 Daytona) on occasion, but she doesn't want to purchase a bike for herself that she can't stand flat-footed. She's only 5'2" and on a bike like my Daytona, she is on her tippy-toes and it makes certain manuvers (parking, backing up, etc.) difficult and potentially dangerous.

What are your thoughts on getting an older 600SS (F2, F3, FZR, etc.) and lowering it? I've been told by some people that lowering a bike is fine, others say that it makes them handle very poorly and is dangerous.

BTW, although I like them, she can't stand "standards" or naked sportbikes.

 

[Beefcurtains]

Yeah, her EX250 is really softly sprung. BTW, she's been riding it since we bought it in '01, so she has some experience on it and on my bike both. Before she started riding, she took the MSF course which is how I started before I bought my Daytona. Only difference is, I can go out any day of the week and my Daytona runs the same way it did the day before and I think thats why we find her 250 so annoying is that you never know day to day whether its going to run correctly or not.

I have tried to push her toward an SV650 before, but she doesn't like the styling. Remember, she is a woman and aesthetics seem to play a b***** role than most of us guys that would just be happy to have our own bike. Is there any lower fairings for the SV650S like they make for the new SV1000S? The SV1000S looks so complete with that lower fairing that they started offering, but I've never seen anything like it for its little brother?

 

[Beefcurtains]

a gsx-r400 or fzr400 would be a perfect fit, if you could find one.

I know the FZR was sold here for a while, but what kind of prices are on the grey-market stuff like the little gixxer? And what happens if it breaks? Are replacement parts outrageous?

I forgot about the ZZR600/ZX-6E bikes. I think she might like that idea. What years were they produced? Not really worried about aftermarket parts as long as I can get her a nice pipe and maybe a jet kit.

 

[Beefcurtains]

She must be all legs!....the 250 and 500 have the same seat height(I measured). My wife is 5-2 and I just bought a ex500 for her. Even with the preload all the way soft, she still couldn't flat foot it, wasn't comfy sitting like that, so I sold it. Sure, I could've lowered it but I hate the thought of changing the way the bike was intended to ride.

The GS is gonna have a 1 inch higher seat as well.....what to do......it sucks for short people.

Yeah, she's 5'2", but has the same 30" inseam as I do at 5'11". We're going to try to sell her 250 and see if we can find a nice ZX-6E/ZZR600 or a EX500 next spring unless we come across a killer deal in the winter.