PsychoMedic 10-06-2002, 11:31 AM For the first month or so my girlfriend had her bike she was always dropping it, had problems with confidence etc. I found myself wondering if this was such a good idea...Now she's only 5'3" but I didn't think that her 250 would be too tall for her. Turns out she could only touch her tippie toes on the ground. So I found out how to lower the front end a bit by dropping the forks up into the bars. Since then she's been riding great and her confidence has shot waaaay up. Well we went riding yesterday about 100miles with another buddy of mine who I sold my bike to. She did really well, I was proud of her. We got up this morning and went riding again...about 115 miles this time. The exit off the highway to our house is a 360 degree "clover-leaf" type exit. I love this exit with a passion...so much fun, the best part is when you get to the bottom you go back under the overpass so your exhaust echos like mad!! Well she was in front of me and I thought to myself "Self, you just sit back and check out her technique....well next thing I know I'm having to watch my own technique cause we're doin about 60-65 passing the apex. I was amazed..she looked great, totally leaning into it and everything, looking very far ahead into her turn. I even touched a peg down just trying to keep up with her. Needless to say, I am very, very proud of the progress she's made and enjoy riding with her more and more everytime we get out.
Oh yea, this was on stock EX-250 tires which are about as hard as anything out there. Just for refernce, I have 10,000 miles of experience and she has about 2,000.
Great riding this weekend guys/gals....I'm stoked.:draggin
karl_996 10-06-2002, 11:37 AM that is awsome dude!
is she a member here, yet?;)
PsychoMedic 10-06-2002, 12:03 PM SHHHHH!!!!
Hell no man, I'd have to fight her for access!:redflip
Sandman5.56 10-06-2002, 12:49 PM Hey man you should count your blessings, my ex hated my bike so much she tried to sell it on me! (notice shes now an ex ;) )
Get her signed up here....just keep her away from the leg humpers :redflip
101Lifts2 10-06-2002, 03:16 PM Pyscho, I don't know what your talking about. Everytime I rode with your g/f, she was awesome.:laughing
RoadRashed 10-06-2002, 03:32 PM Congrats on the find.......I wish I were as lucky. I bought my wife a VTR250 last Christmas for her to learn on. She even took the MSF course and passed. Her total mileage for the year? Around 125............ She keeps telling me she is interested, just doesn't have the time. Funny......I seem to find PLENTY of time to ride. I just need to sell "her" bike and do some mods on the WRX.........
Hopefully, your GF will stay active and safe!
Teabagger 10-06-2002, 03:32 PM Psycho,you are lucky,I offered to buy my wife a bike,father-in-law offered to buy her a bike.Noway she likes to "look around".I couldn't get her off the bike even if I shit myself twice in the same ride.
you are paramedic? I am,near Pittsburgh
Sendero 10-06-2002, 04:42 PM Wow, she must be a quick learner. That really cool that you were able to make some changes to her bike to make her comfortable. Makes a big differnce in your confidence level.
Are you the person who was looking for an XXS helmet? Any luck finding one?
StrickSVS 10-06-2002, 04:54 PM That is awsome dude. Hell I can't even get my wife to sit on one in the garage. Once she gets comfy get her to track so she can really tear it up.
urameatball 10-06-2002, 05:54 PM Well, you just gotta realize that some people learn VERY quickly. You'd better get in some more practice laps at that cloverleaf you're talking about unless you wanna get overtaken by your girlfriend:redflip
PsychoMedic 10-06-2002, 05:59 PM Originally posted by 101ZX9rdude
Pyscho, I don't know what your talking about. Everytime I rode with your g/f, she was awesome.:laughing
You're a dick man, I just shot Pepsi out my nose and onto my screen:laughing :laughing
PsychoMedic 10-06-2002, 06:00 PM Originally posted by Sendero
Wow, she must be a quick learner. That really cool that you were able to make some changes to her bike to make her comfortable. Makes a big differnce in your confidence level.
Are you the person who was looking for an XXS helmet? Any luck finding one?
Yea I'm the same guy, the HJC she has now moves around quite a bit on her head. On that thread I was told I can special order an Arai in XXS or XXXS, but do I really want to pay $400-$500 for a helmet she can't try on first?
Teabagger...I'm not a full blown medic, but PsychoEMT-B just didn't sound right!! I volunteered for a year but the dept I was with screwed me over, and I don't go into burning buildings for no pay with people that lie to me. As of now I'm not old enough to work on an ambulance, so I'm going to take the Intermediate course and hopefully start working next year
101Lifts2 10-06-2002, 06:40 PM Originally posted by PsychoMedic
Yea I'm the same guy, the HJC she has now moves around quite a bit on her head. On that thread I was told I can special order an Arai in XXS or XXXS, but do I really want to pay $400-$500 for a helmet she can't try on first?
Teabagger...I'm not a full blown medic, but PsychoEMT-B just didn't sound right!! I volunteered for a year but the dept I was with screwed me over, and I don't go into burning buildings for no pay with people that lie to me. As of now I'm not old enough to work on an ambulance, so I'm going to take the Intermediate course and hopefully start working next year
Dude, does the pepsi taste any different coming out of your nose?:D
Get a Shoei small with replaceable pads. They will replace them for free (shipping too) if they are too large. Just make sure you can get an XS size. I had mine exchanged on my X-tec.
EpyonXero 10-06-2002, 06:47 PM Originally posted by Sandman5.56
Hey man you should count your blessings, my ex hated my bike so much she tried to sell it on me! (notice shes now an ex ;) )
MAN that would piss me off so much:flame
Just like the commercial where the guy's working on his car and menwhile his wife/girlfriend is trying to sell all his stuff:mad: :mad:
Nistilian 10-06-2002, 07:12 PM Originally posted by Sandman5.56
Get her signed up here....just keep her away from the leg humpers :redflip
And that would be about 99.9% of the males here. Hell, maybe even some of the women! :toothy
PsychoMedic 10-06-2002, 07:18 PM Here's a pic of her bike...I'm gonna start callin it the Bandit slayer!! hehe
scorpion 10-07-2002, 01:35 AM Hey Psycho? How far down did you lower the forks? Too much of a difference and it affects handling, and I've heard that a ex250 is kind of crappy in the handling department anyways...
PearlBlueSoul 10-07-2002, 01:41 AM You wanna take up a bet on that? ;) I got you covered in Angeles Crest. :redflip :cool:
But yeah, any handling improvement with the lowered forks? I hadn't actually thought to try that on my bike yet.
Casket Crew 10-07-2002, 05:09 AM MY girl droped her bike but it was a situation where anyone could have done it just in the wrong place at the wrong time!
Korwen 10-07-2002, 05:43 AM I'm gonna be taking my girl as pass on my bikes, I just hope I'll do well with her on back. Maybe if she likes riding bitch, she'll like it soo much she'll get her own :D
projekt7R 10-07-2002, 06:16 AM Yeah it feels good to see your loved one prgress fast in the twisties. This weekend I rode with my wife to the Rockstore and she was kickin ass going up Mulholland from the PCH! (love that road) Id hit two turns in a row and slow and wait for her, but this time evertime id look in my mirror id be liek oh shit shes coming fast!! *twists throttle hard* hahaha. Its nice to see them progress and at the same time, its good practice and its nice to know this is helping their skills. Have fun and ride safe all!!!
Girl Wonder 10-07-2002, 01:32 PM I started out this season & dropped my bike 4 times because I couldn't touch the ground well enough. I then dropped my forks about 1/2" and haven't looked back since. My confidence is high, just knowing I'm not going to fall over at any give stop. This has let me concentrate on riding and not worrying the whole time about the next stop.
Glad she didn't give up, like I was about to..
Deuce 10-07-2002, 01:46 PM Dude consider yourself lucky. Every chick i'm ever with has a jealousy issue with the bike. Their okay with it at first. Then it becomes a little problem. Then a big problem. Then they get the boot. I tell every one of 'em that the bike will be here long after your gone. :D
Deuce
PsychoMedic 10-07-2002, 03:12 PM Originally posted by scorpion
Hey Psycho? How far down did you lower the forks? Too much of a difference and it affects handling, and I've heard that a ex250 is kind of crappy in the handling department anyways...
I lowered them enough to allow her to go from tippietoes to flat-footed. I really couldn't tell you how far I lowered it. To tell you the truth when I first did it I didn't think it worked....then when she sat on it, there was a huge difference. If it does handle worse now than before she didn't notice it...and neither did I. It seems to want to dive into turns faster than before. The 250 has a tendency to be wobbly in turns, but if you know what your doing and you execute your turn perfectly then it sails smoothly through just about anything. Thats why it makes such a good beginner bike, it doesn't throw you off if you screw up, but it does let you know. I consider it a motorcycle training its rider.
The final verdict for lowering the front from my point of view is...it does turn in easier, doesn't lose any suspension travel, and allows vertically challenged folks to reach the ground easier. Great improvment for free and 5 minutes of my time.
KLRBE 10-07-2002, 05:37 PM my wife also wanted me to buy here a bike to bad she picked out a ducati 996s i told her no way you get a triumph or you keep riding on the back.:D
cappy 10-07-2002, 08:02 PM That's cool as hell man. My wife won't even ride pass.:(
Just thought I'd tell ya, you didn't "Lower" the forks....You RAISED them. And when you raise the forks in the triple clamps, you make the steering mcuh quicker. And the EX series are notoriously "Slow" turners. Not only did you lower the ride height, but you increased the handling performance. Good Job Man:thumb
Reyndogg 10-07-2002, 08:09 PM cool dude :thumb
Women seem to pick it up really fast, which is great! We need more women riders out and about !
X-pLoDe 10-07-2002, 08:10 PM Thats great your GF is fast she must be a natural after you adjusted her bike just watch out she mite blow by you or leave you in the dust on the clover or even start stunting doing wheelies:laughing
Well you guys ride safe.
PsychoMedic 10-07-2002, 08:13 PM Originally posted by X-pLoDe
Thats great your GF is fast she must be a natural after you adjusted her bike just watch out she mite blow by you or leave you in the dust on the clover or even start stunting doing wheelies:laughing
Well you guys ride safe.
mmm....this is still a 250 we're talking about. I guess I could modify the rear end with 200lb weights for wheeiles:laughing
ZoomByU 10-07-2002, 08:57 PM i wanna meet a girl like that, you a lucky man
TT_Tyler2001 10-08-2002, 05:11 AM Originally posted by KLRBE
i told her no way you get a triumph or you keep riding on the back. :D
Exactly!! :redflip
1fastchick 10-08-2002, 07:28 AM Yea I'm the same guy, the HJC she has now moves around quite a bit on her head. On that thread I was told I can special order an Arai in XXS or XXXS, but do I really want to pay $400-$500 for a helmet she can't try on first?
Suomy sp? Helmets run pretty small and I believe you can get an XS in them.
Rachael927 10-08-2002, 08:23 AM Thats awesome that your gf rides and thats she picked it up pretty quickly. :D
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