Help!!! Wife's too short to ride her scoot!!! By jazzfreedom (Read 7,788 times)

[jazzfreedom]

Hey guys I need your help. You see I made my wife a deal. I told her she could have my 2009 Lifan 150cc scooter if I could buy a 2008 Roketa MC-54-250B. My wife is new to riding, and when I started teaching her we found out the darn thing is too tall. Now I figure I've got a few choices. Sell her scooter and buy her a Trike, lower her scooter, or break both her legs and have'em surgically stretched. I don't really have the funds for a Trike right now, and she's a little hesitant about the surgery, so I guess it's lower the scoot. Anyone have a clue about the best way to do this? Should I shave down the seat? Lower the front forks? Let the air out of both tires and tell her to ride on the rims? Any help is greatly appreciated.

[runningslow]

Aug 3, 2010 12:32:51 GMT -6 jazzfreedom said:

Hey guys I need your help. You see I made my wife a deal. I told her she could have my 2009 Lifan 150cc scooter if I could buy a 2008 Roketa MC-54-250B. My wife is new to riding, and when I started teaching her we found out the darn thing is too tall. Now I figure I've got a few choices. Sell her scooter and buy her a Trike, lower her scooter, or break both her legs and have'em surgically stretched. I don't really have the funds for a Trike right now, and she's a little hesitant about the surgery, so I guess it's lower the scoot. Anyone have a clue about the best way to do this? Should I shave down the seat? Lower the front forks? Let the air out of both tires and tell her to ride on the rims? Any help is greatly appreciated.

I, too, have debated having this conversation with my wife. I had many times considered letting her have my Matrix, while I upgrade to a 250. However, my Matrix has a 35" seat height! So, it fits me great (I can sit on the seat and place my feet flat on the ground), but I'm 6'-2" and my wife is 5'-3". The few times she's been on it, she could barely reach her tip toes to the ground. She'd have to slide forward off the seat to put her feet down and safely stop. Not good.

I'm not an expert by any means. Aside from shaving the seat, I can really only think of one way to lower a scoot, that doesn't involve cutting. I've seen these small blocks that you attach at the lower rear shock that move the lower shock mount further rearward. Supposedly lowers the rear of the scoot about an inch and half.

Here's a link to what I'm talking about: www.ecrater.com/p/5952317/ncy-gy6-lowering-shock-mounts#
(I don't endorse the company, its just the first link that came up in Google.)

[runningslow]

Aug 3, 2010 13:06:09 GMT -6 runningslow said:

Here's a link to what I'm talking about: www.ecrater.com/p/5952317/ncy-gy6-lowering-shock-mounts#
(I don't endorse the company, its just the first link that came up in Google.)

I didn't actually notice until now that the listed seller on the link I provided is enviromoto. I would endorse them, since they're in our vendor section on the forum.

[jazzfreedom]

Thanks for the info runnningslow. I'll look into the new shock mounts, but I don't think they will be enough to do the job. Short of asking my wife to gain 500lbs so she can bottom out the suspension I think my only other option is to cut the forks. Anyone have an idea as to what all is involved? I'm pretty good at mechanical things and believe with a little knowledge I can handle the job.

[jrryan]

OK I've got the solution so here goes as my wife is 5'-1" tall and this worked for me! Are you ready?

Present 150cc scooter = columbus.craigslist.org/mcy/ =

www.killermotorsports.com/250cc_Cruiser_Gas_Scooter_w_Trunk_Alarm_p/roketamp250b.htm

+






=






Problem solved! Dr. JR

[ccprof]

The guy I sold my UM Matrix 150XX ended up giving it to his wife because she liked it so much. It looks like yours is an identical scoot. She had the same problem - scoot was too high. He had a local car upholstery shop cut the seat down and repad it and it's fine now. Cost him about $150. I have a friend who had the same problem with her Vespa (She's 5'1") and had it done from Pirate Upholstery with custom cover - cost $450. JR's right tho - the thick soles help too.

[jazzfreedom]

Thanks for the suggestions guys, but I think I'm stuck lowering the scoot. You see the wife doesn't like the shoes, her exact words were..."I'm not wearing those ugly shoes!!!" I'm concerned that if I lower the seat it will be uncomfortable, and hinder my ability to sell it in the future when my wife loses interest. I think lowering the forks and rear shocks, though harder, will make the bike more custom looking and may help when selling it later. So, anyone got experience with lowering a scooter's suspension? Again any help is greatly appreciated. ;D

[jrryan]

What?? Ugly?? Man those shoes are as stylish as they get now!! LOL Well I've only one option left?



Also all kidding aside your 250 is lower and my wife is 5'-1" tall and she rides a 250 like yours and mine. Dr. JR

[kiwiscoot]

Some of the issues with lowering suspension are:
1.) difficult, especially front
2.) potentially unsafe as it changes the whole geometry of the suspension.
3.) unsafe side effects like bottoming out on bumpy roads
4.) scoot bottoming out over speed-humps
5.) scoot's bottom catching during turns upsetting the scoot and throwing the rider.
6.) costs as one mod needs another, then another.....

IMHO, get another secondhand seat and modify it. Then come selling time you can sell it to a wider market, custom market and factory standard market.
just my 2c....
hey same thing happened to me - now I'm on a SYM Citycom 300i
Kiwiscoot
PS - time for education on those boots too - as one don't wear shoes/boots to look pretty on a scoot, but to protect your feet and ankles should things turn nasty. Nothing wrong IMHO with those boots - only few years ago the rage in fashion looked like that around here.

[scootaway]

Those shoes sure have sole I just would be careful in annoying the better half

[jazzfreedom]

Shhhhhhh jrryan, don't tell my wife the 250 is lower. She'll want me to trade scooters and I've gotten comfortable with the added leg room. I appreciate all the feedback guys, and I think getting another seat and modifying it may solve my problem. I'll have two seats (his and her's) if I decide to sell it later. Thanks guys. Problem solved. Now I just have to convince the wife that it was her idea, and she'll be on-board to spending the extra money on another seat. Wish me luck.

[jrryan]

no No NO! Craigslist on the 150, here's the strategy, but baby the money we spend on fixing the 150 could go to the new 250 from Killer.......and the Crasigslist money too. Just think you could get a pretty new RED scooter just like the most popular forum guy out there Dr. JR......and we all know that RED is faster so there's no way I could keep up with ya!

See!



Just tell her ya going to spread the love!



Now don't sit down;



Hop to it!! LOL Dr. JR

[ccprof]

Getting another seat is a good idea. You can actually do the cutdown yourself. Somewhere (on here, Scootdawg?) the process is discussed. They really aren't all that expensive. Kiwi's got a good point about boots too. They are a safety issue.

[mflorek]

I would like to suggest that you have your wife sit in a rider’s position while and you measure with some certainty the amount of seat height you need to loose. This might require a third person to steady the bike. Modifying the seat means removing the existing air box. The air box is why the seat has that saddle horn in the front. Lastly, and with all due respect – I do not agree with some of the projected issues Kiwi mentioned.
1.) Difficult, especially front
Lowering the front is actually easy. The fork tubes are clinched by bolts at the tree. Alignment problems can be avoided by keeping the front wheel assembled and slipping both at the same time. The axle will keep both tubes true to each other.
2.) Potentially unsafe as it changes the whole geometry of the suspension.
If you do to the front as you do to the rear, the geometry hasn’t changed, it’s just 1.5 inches lower.

[jct842]

one other problem with lowering the frame is the kick stands will no longer work as intended. john