Considering a change

[XS1100 Newbie]

Last year i purchased a 1991 Honda CBR1000F Hurricane. Love the bike, but it has become appearant that the riding position, while not like a crotch rocket, is not going to fit me. My legs, and hip cannot take the bike for more than about two hours. I am considering selling her, and putting the money into my MNS. The problem is, i will be modifing the bike. Handle bars go, stock shocks go, stock turn signals go, tank goes, front springs go, airbox goes, and hopefully the exhaust goes. At this point i am attempting to modify the riding position on the Honda to accomodate me. I will make a final decision after my trials. The good news is that nothing will be modified, that cannot be put back. I will save the parts for now, with the exception of maybe the black chrome exhaust. I am going to attempt to make the bike more stable in the corners, and easier to work on, and not so bulky. I hate to go through this mod, but when you are like a trex with short arms and legs, it causes a problem fitting any bike. The only bike i have found that i can flatfoot, is a damn Hardley. Even a little TW200 is to tall. Depending on how this turns out, i may end up selling all the parts i take off, so be ready for maybe some MNS parts.

[dpotter58]

Sell the MNS whole and buy a beater to modify.

[D0wn5h1ft]

Last year i purchased a 1991 Honda CBR1000F Hurricane. Love the bike, but it has become appearant that the riding position, while not like a crotch rocket, is not going to fit me. My legs, and hip cannot take the bike for more than about two hours. I am considering selling her, and putting the money into my MNS. The problem is, i will be modifing the bike. Handle bars go, stock shocks go, stock turn signals go, tank goes, front springs go, airbox goes, and hopefully the exhaust goes. At this point i am attempting to modify the riding position on the Honda to accomodate me. I will make a final decision after my trials. The good news is that nothing will be modified, that cannot be put back. I will save the parts for now, with the exception of maybe the black chrome exhaust. I am going to attempt to make the bike more stable in the corners, and easier to work on, and not so bulky. I hate to go through this mod, but when you are like a trex with short arms and legs, it causes a problem fitting any bike. The only bike i have found that i can flatfoot, is a damn Hardley. Even a little TW200 is to tall. Depending on how this turns out, i may end up selling all the parts i take off, so be ready for maybe some MNS parts.

Come buy my bike when the tank and side covers come back from paint . But really though, I feel your pain. I'm not short by any means (5'10", I guess that's short to some) and I hate how high up I was on the stock seat and 12" shocks. Part of my mod was trying to make this behemoth more manageable, that's why I put virago shocks (11.5" $40) and that 883 sportster seat on it which dropped it down even further. Bike feels great now and I don't feel like I'm about to tip over at low speeds or at the stop light anymore.

[crazy steve]

You might want to look for a '82 XJ. A number of changes were made to this bike from the XS to get a lower seating position, with the big one being about a 1" 'dip' in the upper framerails between the tank and rear shock mounts. Modify the seat foam for a bit more gain, then a slight lowering and you could gain up to 3" without compromising ride/handling too much.

The XS is a 'tall' bike and if you're 'height challenged' there's not a lot of choices out there.

[Schming]

'84 and up Viragos are very managable for folks with shorter inseams.

[mikubuilder]

I second that ,Viragos are very low. ..

[Tat2demon]

Im tall (6'4") but I still found the 11 to be overly tall. While working on my carbs I sat on the frame and found that to be exactly what I was looking for. Having the seat re-done dropped a lot of height off it.

[MarkD]

I am finding this height discussion interesting. I had a VN800, and a '91 K75, and I found the Kawasaki far more comfortable than the BMW. I am 6' 4 1/2'', but my legs are pretty long. I really like the uprightness of my F. Would be good if there was even more 'legroom' on it, though. I do have highway pegs that I took off, and can put them back on if I go on a long trip.

[Tat2demon]

I went with TC Bros forward controls on mine. I really like them.

[jetmechmarty]

I am finding this height discussion interesting. I had a VN800, and a '91 K75, and I found the Kawasaki far more comfortable than the BMW. I am 6' 4 1/2'', but my legs are pretty long. I really like the uprightness of my F. Would be good if there was even more 'legroom' on it, though. I do have highway pegs that I took off, and can put them back on if I go on a long trip.

I suffer the same issue. My inseam is 36" and every bike is too short. Forward controls are out because my feet belong under my butt to help control the machine. The pegs can't go lower because they'll drag. What's bigger than an XS1100? I haven't found it.