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#1
26 Jan 2013
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KLR650 - lowest seat height possible
Getting ready to drive North to South across the Americas with my girlfriend. We'll each ride bikes, and are looking at KLR650s. I'm 5'11", but she's 5'2", so we're worried about the standover height.
From what I can tell, we can gain up to 3" by lowering the suspension, and installing a thinner seat. She could gain an inch or so with solid boots. Will she be able to use the bike like that? Or should it be even lower? Unchanged, she can't use the bike well - its heavy for her, and tips to the side too much when she puts a foot down. First post. Have read the forums and can't find an actual answer for this. Thanks 
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#2
27 Jan 2013
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You may want to start by backing up the decision making tree a bit. Starting from scratch, I'd make a list of bikes that are commonly used by smaller riders. A person can gain quite a bit on the safety and security front by starting with a properly fitted bike.
You'll see more than a few couples where the wife/girlfriend rides a F650. As one example, you may want to read the blog of Ekke & Audrey and fire off any questions to her about how she finds her bike. She is very experienced and has ridden long trips in Africa on the old model and now in Asia on the new model. Another blog to look at would be the two motos kiwis who were both on DR650's but have recently switched to two up on a KTM. Not sure if you are considering the older model KLR or the newer model, but I don't think that they would make that list and you wouldn't have to spend so much time and energy to retro fit the bike just to make it an ok solution. Once you do find the best match for her, then you can try to look for another bike for you that ticks some of the items on your list of secondary wants, which I assume includes the desire to have a similar manufacturer so that the possibility of sharing some parts and maintenance exists. Anyways, just my two bits.
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#3
29 Jan 2013
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Thanks for the reply. And smart idea for me to back up the tree a little.
Tomorrow we're swinging by the BMW store to have her sit on some bikes and get a sense of what standover height works. Will check out the blog you recommended also.
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#4
4 Feb 2013
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KLR 650 lowered seat
Hi,
Early last year I rode KLR 650 model 2009 from Colombia to Ushuaia, ARG and return to Colombia. I am small size and shape (5ft 4 inch). I lowered the front fork by about 1" and cut the seat about 2 " by local a Colombian motorcycle shop in Cali. With normal riding boot, side panniers and top bag loaded, I can flat foot. The bike served me well and suffer no altitude problem when I rode into Bolivia ( La Paz). I am planning to ride my KLR from Germany across Russia in 2015.  Pic - Me and KLR. The cut seat height in relation to my height.
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#5
4 Feb 2013
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This past summer I spent several thousand km. touring on a Kawasaki KLX250s which in stock from is just as high as a stock KLR 650 (the seat height is 35"). In the past I avoided high bikes and, in fact, cannot flat foot the KLX.
Yet I was completely comfortable and secure on the KLX and this was because it is so light (100 lb. less than an KLR). So my observation, for what it's worth, is that weight can be just as important as height if not more so. A lowered KLR is still a heavy machine for someone 5'2'' and doesn't seem like an ideal choice. Good luck. Norm
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