Hello. I'm a 5'0", inexperienced rider and the seat height on the Honda CBR250 is still a little high for me. Has anyone lowered the bike? How much can it be lowered? There isn't a local Honda dealership in my area, so I haven't sat on one yet. Plus, I don't know if they've gotten it in yet. I have sat on the Ninja 250 and it is a stretch for me. Thanks for the input, in advance!
Loweringa Honda CBR 250 for a Shorty?!?
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I am not confident you will be able to safely lower the CBR250...the Ninja which you found a stretch is exactly the same seat distance from the ground. You could wear boots with thicker soles...depending on how much you are on your tiptoes...one advantage of the 250 is its light weight...so if you lean it some you can hold it up........come to a final stop with your right foot on the brake...put your left foot down.
At the lowest preload setting the seat height is about 31". My wife also needs to have hers lowered a little bit so I'm going to pull the rear shock and measure it eye to eye. For now I think that the only real option is to shorten the shock a bit or lighten the spring to get a little more sag until the aftermarket kicks in with some linkage mods. Sometimes I wonder what honda is thinking. That bike should have come with a lower seat height since it's a beginner bike. I think they've lost the plot. Other than that it's a great, fun little bike.
KVR! I don't think Honda has "lost the plot". 31 inch seat height is very low...the bike needs some road clearance for the curves and as you lower the seat height....the pegs get closer..and the rider triangle gets that much more cramped..you also need some room for the suspension to be able to compress..with all these considerations...31" is very beginner friendly. To get lower you could go to a cruiser style bike.....I think lowering the CBR is going to compromise its handling drastically and could become less safe to ride.........just my thoughts for you...
Xplorguy. I've looked this bike over pretty carefully and I think was room for a lower seat to be designed in. I don't think 31" is very low for a beginner bike. There are a lot of small women that would love a lower seat on this bike and fit it just fine. My K1200s seat is only 32" high and that bike was designed for 6 foot tall Germans. On the Ninja 250 I can get both heels down on the ground at rest. On this one I'm not even close. At the very least they could have made the seat narrower at the tank junction, it's wider than both the K12 and my CBR1000RR. I don't think lowering it a bit is going to make too much difference to the handling as long as the rear axle stays below the swingarm pivot. It also surprised me how stiff the suspension is. I'm not sure I could get the right sag numbers on this let alone my wife. I guess that's why the big guys can ride it.
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Lowering the bike should be no problem with handling, especially because this bike won't be ridden to the extremes, especially with new riders. The shock link looks pretty straight forward. To get one lowered, someone will need to donate their newly purchased unit to a company that makes them. Most likely they will give you the parts for free in exchange for the time with your bike. That goes for lots of other types of aftermarket parts too!
KVR! Now that I have a little more information..I may be changing my tune..some anyway. First of all, I have yet to see my first CBR250 much less looked it over carefully! So also no comparison from me with the Kawi other than what I have read. All the articles say they are identical height but you and others say its not so! I'm also surprised to hear your report on the stiff suspension...some articles make reference to softer, more compliant set up. I hope you can make it work and work well for your wife.........
The rear shock has 5 settings.
The tool to twist it comes in the toolbag that's under the seat.
Should take about a minute to do.
In Thailand it's set for a 70kg rider. I'm 75 kg and everything is comfortable so haven't played with it yet.
I'm 175cm tall btw.
The tool to twist it comes in the toolbag that's under the seat.
Should take about a minute to do.
In Thailand it's set for a 70kg rider. I'm 75 kg and everything is comfortable so haven't played with it yet.
I'm 175cm tall btw.
When I looked at it the seat sits up pretty high on rubber bumpers and the plastic molded side panels stick up above the subframe rails a little bit with some room to lower the seat if you cut the plastic and shave the rubber bumpers. The real problem though, seems to be the way the seat pan and tank interface. I'm not sure I could do something about that easily or without a custom seat pan. I was surprised to find that my wife was able to get some good rider sag #'s (F 35-40mm, R 30-35mm) and I dropped the front 10mm. She felt better with her foot contact but could tell the bike was tipped forward a bit. I think I'm going to shorten the shock at the top eye and shave the seat edges a bit. If I take a little bit from a couple of different areas I think it will add up to a significant difference in her comfort level. Of course, as she gets better she'll probably want me to put it all back, but by then I'm sure Ebay will have some spare parts cheap.
KVR! You are on the leading and experimental edge of lowering seat height on the CBR250! How do you shorten the shock at the top eye? Too bad it is not practical to just shave those rubber buttons on the bottom of the seat pan. It would be nice to lower the rear suspension equal to your 10mm drop of the front fork. I am not sure if this would require a change in the control arm as well as the connecting rod. With time, the after market will provide many of these components..as this is going to be a popular world wide bike with big numbers.
Please keep us posted as to your changes and results as there are probably many forum members who would like to get the same results you looking for.
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