Concerns about seat height

[NeilW]

9 hours ago, WingVetteStrom said:

Thanks.  Unfamiliar with Yamaha manuals.  Last Yamaha I owned was a 1979 Special 750.   

 

Slightly off topic:  I'm on a list for a T700 here in WA. State, USA, but primarily worried about seat height given my 30" inseam.  I know you can lower the bike, but one of the main reasons I want a T700 vs. my VStrom is ground clearance.  A lowering kit would knock off substantial ground clearance I'd think.  Not sure how comfortable a slimmed down seat would be for really long days.

The lowering kit lowers less than an inch off the ground clearance. What do you expect to be riding your 450# bike over that has 8" obstacles to only go over and not around? I am convinced the problem with the stock seat is width. The Seat Concepts replacement is 10.5" wide where you normally sit. The stock width is 7.5". What a difference ! I have a 30" inseam with OEM lowering kit with Camel ADV  shorter kickstand. I wear thick sole adventure boots and touch with the balls of my feet, not flat. Wish I was flat footed, I would literally not have dropped the bike 10x since August. Tip overs all. Suggest when you get it you practice lifting the bike on your front lawn. It really isn't hard to lift  on level ground using the proper technique for your strength  and age. Personally I use the butt to the seat with my back to the bike and walk it backwards to upright. Here is a lady lifting a bike heavier that an T700   

Seat Concepts Comfort Seat Review [Yamaha Ténéré 700 Project Bike]

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Seat Concepts Comfort Seat Review: A one-piece design, this saddle offers all-day comfort for motorcycle adventure sport-touring.

 

Edited March 31, 2022 by NeilW

[WingVetteStrom]

9 hours ago, NeilW said:

The lowering kit lowers less than an inch off the ground clearance. What do you expect to be riding your 450# bike over that has 8" obstacles to only go over and not around? I am convinced the problem with the stock seat is width. The Seat Concepts replacement is 10.5" wide where you normally sit. The stock width is 7.5". What a difference ! I have a 30" inseam with OEM lowering kit with Camel ADV  shorter kickstand. I wear thick sole adventure boots and touch with the balls of my feet, not flat. Wish I was flat footed, I would literally not have dropped the bike 10x since August. Tip overs all. Suggest when you get it you practice lifting the bike on your front lawn. It really isn't hard to lift  on level ground using the proper technique for your strength  and age. Personally I use the butt to the seat with my back to the bike and walk it backwards to upright. Here is a lady lifting a bike heavier that an T700   

Seat Concepts Comfort Seat Review [Yamaha Ténéré 700 Project Bike]

---

Seat Concepts Comfort Seat Review: A one-piece design, this saddle offers all-day comfort for motorcycle adventure sport-touring.

 

 

[WingVetteStrom]

2 hours ago, WingVetteStrom said:

 

Thanks for your reply. 

 

To answer your question- I do a lot of riding in Latin America.  Mexico and Central America have huge speed bumps called topes in Mexico and tumulos in Central America.  You wouldn't believe the size of some of these.  Usually there are warning signs for them but not always.  If you hit one accidentally at speed, well...you can imagine the potential damage.  I've also on several occasions had to ride over steep curbs and up a couple stairs to park the bike in secure locations in hotels.  I upgraded the front forks on my VStrom including stiffer springs, but still have heard a couple of gut wrenching bangs hitting those things by accident.  For this reason I'm looking for as much ground clearance as possible.  Due to some mods my VStom currently has 7" below the skid plate, but that's not adequate.  Not sure how much better just one more inch would be.  

 

As far as your wider seat recommendation, does the wider seat you mention inhibit your ability to get your feet as close to the ground as possible? 

So I think you're saying you've dropped the bike 10x due to parking lot tipovers because you can't reach the ground flat footed?   Yikes.

 

Thanks again.

Edited March 31, 2022 by WingVetteStrom

[Ray Ride4life]

 

[NeilW]

1 hour ago, WingVetteStrom said:

Thanks for your replay. 

 

To answer your question- I do a lot of riding in Latin America.  Mexico and Central America have huge speed bumps called topes in Mexico and tumulos in Central America.  You wouldn't believe the size of some of these.  Usually there are warning signs for them but not always.  If you hit one accidentally at speed, well...you can imagine the potential damage.  I've also on several occasions had to ride over steep curbs and up a couple stairs to park the bike in secure locations in hotels.  I upgraded the front forks on my VStrom including stiffer springs, but still have heard a couple of gut wrenching bangs hitting those things by accident.  For this reason I'm looking for as much ground clearance as possible.  Due to some mods my VStom currently has 7" below the skid plate, but that's not adequate.  Not sure how much better just one more inch would be.  

 

As far as your wider seat recommendation, does the wider seat you mention inhibit your ability to get your feet as close to the ground as possible? 

So I think you're saying you've dropped the bike 10x due to parking lot tipovers because you can't reach the ground flat footed?   Yikes.

 

Thanks again.

Wow interesting  information about the street riding obstacles.  The seat concepts seat is wide where your butt goes but narrows when you slide forward and stand at a Stop light. All 10 of my tip overs are in the dirt NOT on pavement. They are all on trails where I have been cross rutted or messed up a banked turn with boulders to bounce over. Level ground and parking lots and streets and gravel roads I have no issue with. Probably 2000 miles of gravel roads and no tip overs when stopped. It is only when I am tipping from a high side and over I go. After dropping the bike 4x on one single track trail I swapped bikes with my partner. He has. 33” inseam and even though he had never ridden the Tenere I could see that him being able to put his feet down in ruts, boulders, mud puddles etc he was able to ride it out without ever dropping it. I started out with the bike lowered but with the OEM tall rally seat- which brought it back to stock seat height. I was tip toes on level ground. But if I was only doing pavement riding it would not have been an issue. If you are going to stop 1/2 way up a 6” curb with your front tire up on the sidewalk and your rear tire on the street, you won’t be touching the ground with anything but your hands and knees unless you are much much taller.    The T7 doesn’t give much lean angle from vertical before it is too heavy to bring back to vertical- and down it goes. Note: I am your average, fun seeking, weekend rider. If I was an enduro racer or trials rider I would not have dropped the bike because I wouldn’t have stopped where I stopped. I stopped where I stopped and tipped over due to my lack of skills for the situations. Having a taller inseam on a t7 compensates for lack of talent. Hope this clarifies. Buy the bike, you will love it. Have you noticed that you never see someone say “the T7 sucks!”  Everyone loves it. That is why they are so hard to find to buy. 

[WingVetteStrom]

37 minutes ago, Ray Ride4life said:

 

Now that's really funny!.     Maybe I could attach some flashing disco lights to them?  What do you think?

[WingVetteStrom]

13 minutes ago, NeilW said:

Wow interesting  information about the street riding obstacles.  The seat concepts seat is wide where your butt goes but narrows when you slide forward and stand at a Stop light. All 10 of my tip overs are in the dirt NOT on pavement. They are all on trails where I have been cross rutted or messed up a banked turn with boulders to bounce over. Level ground and parking lots and streets and gravel roads I have no issue with. Probably 2000 miles of gravel roads and no tip overs when stopped. It is only when I am tipping from a high side and over I go. After dropping the bike 4x on one single track trail I swapped bikes with my partner. He has. 33” inseam and even though he had never ridden the Tenere I could see that him being able to put his feet down in ruts, boulders, mud puddles etc he was able to ride it out without ever dropping it. I started out with the bike lowered but with the OEM tall rally seat- which brought it back to stock seat height. I was tip toes on level ground. But if I was only doing pavement riding it would not have been an issue. If you are going to stop 1/2 way up a 6” curb with your front tire up on the sidewalk and your rear tire on the street, you won’t be touching the ground with anything but your hands and knees unless you are much much taller.    The T7 doesn’t give much lean angle from vertical before it is too heavy to bring back to vertical- and down it goes. Note: I am your average, fun seeking, weekend rider. If I was an enduro racer or trials rider I would not have dropped the bike because I wouldn’t have stopped where I stopped. I stopped where I stopped and tipped over due to my lack of skills for the situations. Having a taller inseam on a t7 compensates for lack of talent. Hope this clarifies. Buy the bike, you will love it. Have you noticed that you never see someone say “the T7 sucks!”  Everyone loves it. That is why they are so hard to find to buy. 

I don't do single trail gnarly stuff.  (Well once in Mexico in the Copper Canyon where I got in over my head solo, and on a trip to Tuktoyaktuk on the Arctic Ocean where there was no turning back due to fuel requirements)  I'd say most of my trips in Latin America are 90% pavement, and 10% dirt/gravel roads.  Suppose if things get gnarly and my vertically challenged 30" inseam becomes a problem I'd just have to backtrack.  Really am impressed by all the reviews except for the reported top heaviness, height, and difficulty picking up.  (And a few other minor reports about the exhaust mounting, front wheel plastic, fuel capacity (Get Acerbis tank?), and supposedly under-sprung rear shock, which as you said shouldn't be a factor for my type of riding.

[Ray Ride4life]

15 minutes ago, WingVetteStrom said:

Now that's really funny!.     Maybe I could attach some flashing disco lights to them?  What do you think?

If you feel kinky they're also available with stiletto heels

[NeilW]

11 minutes ago, WingVetteStrom said:

I don't do single trail gnarly stuff.  (Well once in Mexico in the Copper Canyon where I got in over my head solo, and on a trip to Tuktoyaktuk on the Arctic Ocean where there was no turning back due to fuel requirements)  I'd say most of my trips in Latin America are 90% pavement, and 10% dirt/gravel roads.  Suppose if things get gnarly and my vertically challenged 30" inseam becomes a problem I'd just have to backtrack.  Really am impressed by all the reviews except for the reported top heaviness, height, and difficulty picking up.  (And a few other minor reports about the exhaust mounting, front wheel plastic, fuel capacity (Get Acerbis tank?), and supposedly under-sprung rear shock, which as you said shouldn't be a factor for my type of riding.

My other bike is a 2007 Yamaha Venture - weighs 900# ,410Kg,  go much off center with that and down she goes. in 9 years and 50,000 miles I have dropped it only 1x. and it is very top heavy. One time my wife was sitting on the back when getting gas and when I mounted back up, straightened the bike to vertical and used my left boot to sweep the kickstand up, - at that exact moment she shifted her weight left and since I didnt' have my foot down, it went down.  Used the same technique to lift it as the Tenere - back to bike, butt on seat and walk it up to vertical. I am 5'10 194# ...and an old guy.   about fuel capacity - how far do you have to go between gas stations? I easily get 180-200 miles to empty.  easy to carry extra fuel for emergencies instead of spending  your money on a larger gas tank - un less you always need the extra fuel on every trip. In the USA, 200 miles passes many gas stations. I just mounted SW motech crash bars and will be laying it down to see how much it protects. I will try to post a video of this old guy picking up my T7. Like I said I have done it 10x

[NeilW]

4 minutes ago, NeilW said:

My other bike is a 2007 Yamaha Venture - weighs 900# ,410Kg,  go much off center with that and down she goes. in 9 years and 50,000 miles I have dropped it only 1x. and it is very top heavy. One time my wife was sitting on the back when getting gas and when I mounted back up, straightened the bike to vertical and used my left boot to sweep the kickstand up, - at that exact moment she shifted her weight left and since I didnt' have my foot down, it went down.  Used the same technique to lift it as the Tenere - back to bike, butt on seat and walk it up to vertical. I am 5'10 194# ...and an old guy.   about fuel capacity - how far do you have to go between gas stations? I easily get 180-200 miles to empty.  easy to carry extra fuel for emergencies instead of spending  your money on a larger gas tank - un less you always need the extra fuel on every trip. In the USA, 200 miles passes many gas stations. I just mounted SW motech crash bars and will be laying it down to see how much it protects. I will try to post a video of this old guy picking up my T7. Like I said I have done it 10x

Check out this video of a very short person and how they stop and start out- pretty impressive. 

 

 

This is a video of a guy instructing about moving your butt over to flat foot on a tall bike. All about technique

 

[Dougie]

19 minutes ago, NeilW said:

Check out this video of a very short person and how they stop and start out- pretty impressive. 

 

 

This is a video of a guy instructing about moving your butt over to flat foot on a tall bike. All about technique

 

Hats off to the little guy. That’s fantastic. Adapt and overcome.

[Hibobb]

This guy filmed a short video of how he deals with short legs.

 

 

The same guy (and bike) did a great job documenting a trip on a single track trail out in Montana.

20+ minutes but well worth watching the whole thing.

Short legs, muddy TOUGH single track, 50/50 tires..... You can imagine the rest.

We can all feel his misery!

I salute him for posting the video... he is a cool guy!

 

 

[Eric W.]

4 hours ago, Ray Ride4life said:

 

Oh man that was awesome.  My laugh for the day!

[Hibobb]

@WingVetteStrom Sorry we hijacked your thread.... these things happen sometimes.

[NeilW]

32 minutes ago, Hibobb said:

@WingVetteStrom Sorry we hijacked your thread.... these things happen sometimes.

He started it Daddy!          :   Slightly off topic:  I'm on a list for a T700 here in WA. State, USA, but primarily worried about seat height given my 30" inseam.  I know you can lower the bike, but one of the main reasons I want a T700 vs. my VStrom is ground clearance.  A lowering kit would knock off substantial ground clearance I'd think.  Not sure how comfortable a slimmed down seat would be for really long days.

[WingVetteStrom]

36 minutes ago, Hibobb said:

@WingVetteStrom Sorry we hijacked your thread.... these things happen sometimes.

Well, I'll take responsibility for that with my high seat comment.  Haha.

[Charles De Mar]

My 30” inseam needs crash bars. I come from an enduro/ trail background and seat height is always a challenge. I usually pull off the seat cover shave the foam down and staple the cover back on. However, that style of riding requires a stand up position most of the time. I have considered shaving the seat on the T7 but have yet to do so. I had a heck of a time on a sloppy slick old forest road (not a real road)over the mountains  after a fresh rain storm. It was miserable but a fun adventure. I was down 4 times. I started riding off the trail as much as possible. I’m getting a Rekluse for the T7. 

[Hibobb]

42 minutes ago, Charles De Mar said:

My 30” inseam

Charles, You have a YZ250X and a KDX200, both great bikes, and yet you chose to ride a 450 pound behemoth  on sloppy/slick trails. A Rekluse clutch is not the answer, you need a frontal lobotomy. (Just Teasing)

[Charles De Mar]

2 hours ago, Hibobb said:

Charles, You have a YZ250X and a KDX200, both great bikes, and yet you chose to ride a 450 pound behemoth  on sloppy/slick trails. A Rekluse clutch is not the answer, you need a frontal lobotomy. (Just Teasing)

Probably 

[Landshark]

4 hours ago, Hibobb said:

Charles, You have a YZ250X and a KDX200, both great bikes, and yet you chose to ride a 450 pound behemoth  on sloppy/slick trails. A Rekluse clutch is not the answer, you need a frontal lobotomy. (Just Teasing)

A frontal lobotomy?  Or a bottle in front of me?

[Charles De Mar]

Are you guys making light of my addiction? I’m willing to stick my neck out again!

 

Edited April 2, 2022 by Charles De Mar

[Landshark]

7 hours ago, Charles De Mar said:

Are you guys making light of my addiction? I’m willing to stick my neck out again!

 

I hope the bottom pic isn't you.  Worst sliver I've ever seen.

[Charles De Mar]

1 hour ago, Landshark said:

I hope the bottom pic isn't you.  Worst sliver I've ever seen.

That would be me

[Landshark]

1 hour ago, Charles De Mar said:

That would be me

That's quiet the infliction.  When you get a moment, please tell us the story.  It just looks ugly and sore.  

Get well soon.  

[Hibobb]

9 hours ago, Charles De Mar said:

I’m willing to stick my neck out again

Ouch! Reminds me of being at a gas stop when I found a roofing nail in my back tire. It was holding air until I pulled it out....