Posted by Amy on September 08, 2001 at 05:10:17:
In Reply to: Seat Height posted by Olpoky on September 07, 2001 at 05:53:59:
Has your friend actually sat on a Savage yet? I'm 5'0" with a very short inseam and I can flatfoot the Savage. It's one of only two bikes I've ever been able to touch my heels to the ground. The other one was my old 250 Virago. A lot of people look strictly at the "seat height" measurement listed in the specs, but as a short person I've found that the width of the seat and gas tank have more to do with it than the actual distance from the ground. A lot of people ask me why I don't ride a VLX because it has the lowest seat-height in the industry, but it also happens to have an extraordinarily wide chrome "toolbox" under the seat that makes it uncomfortable and nearly impossible to reach the ground.
The other important consideration is the reach to the footpegs and handlebars. On a couple of bikes, even if I could touch the ground it wouldn't matter because I couldn't complete a 90 degree turn!
The only other bike I could even consider would be the Honda Magna with a lowering kit. This is a pretty advanced bike but I found that I could reach the grips and footpegs, and with a drop of 2-3 inches, it would be perfect. That's my project a couple of years from now. ;)
Amy