I recently traded in my sportster custom for a dyna lowrider (07). I am finding it hard to adjust to so far as the bike is much wider and heavier than my sporty. I also sit a little wider and just dont have the same slow speed control, manueverabilityand confidence I had.

Reading all the posts here, I have seen folks adjust to the HD Reach Seat (not highly rated) or lowered the shocks to 11.5 progressives. The lowrider is currently at 12" shocks, so I am not sure if the 1/2 adjustment will make that much sense or not. Thoughts? I am also considering the Le Pera Up Front seat and open to other suggestions if you found success here.

I am 5'4" with a 30" inseam.
Any advise from those of you who faced the same challenge and what success you may have found will be appreciated.

Thanks,
Monti



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I can't speak from experience because I have the opposite issues you do being 6'4" with a 34" inseam. However, I'm not sure what lowering the bike is going to do for you except get your feet closer to the ground if needed. You'll still be the same distance from the handlebars and the pegs. But, if you have a 30" inseam and are using the mid pegs, you shouldn't have any issues with your legs that I can see. On the other hand, if you are 5'4" and have a 30" inseam, that probably means you may be having to reach for the bars a little more than is comfortable? If so, something like a reach seat or different risers and/or bars could be what you need. You might want to concentrate on the bars since a more forward seat will also bring you closer to the pegs and you shouldn't need/want that with a 30" inseam.

 

I'm 5'6" and I installed the Harley low shocks on my superglide as well as a low rider stock seat. If I were to do it over I would probably check out the Progressive shocks over Harleys. They come in different lengths down to 11 inches I think.

 

I would do the 11" Standard duty shocks first, They'll drop the bike around 2" -2"1/2.... and find a narrow seat in the front next to the tank so your legs are not spread apart.. The Lepara up front seat willmove you forward but not that comfortable for the longHaul...( Corrected MeanCityCycles ) and they can help with your Stock seat.. There a forum Sponsor...Or possibly a Brawler, there very narrow in the front..

 

Lowering shocks look good and may help with stability while sitting still. If you need your legs closer together and closer to the controls, you may want to talk to one of our members and forums sponsers; Allen from Mean City Cycles. He can modify your current seat to fit yourmeasurements and requirements. His prices seem very reasonable.

Here is a link to his site:

http://www.meancitycycles.com/index.php

Just a suggestion. Good luck.

 

my wife is 5'2" and has a 30" inseam and had the same bikes you have had (just a different year model). she has such a short inseam that she originally bought a 883 hugger that had been lowered (rear shocks) by the first owner who was also short. she loved that bike and after getting her confidence on it over a years time, i bought her a fxdl (01 model with mid controls). she found the lowrider to be just exactly as you have found - even though the seat height is supposedly not any higher, the bike is much wider through the thigh area and heavier than the sportsters.
we put the lowest rear shocks available on the fxdl (prefer the progressive shocks - seems like we used11" shocks) right from the start and also put some buckhorn handlebars on to allow her to sit in a more upright position. the next adjustment was in the seat. just moving her forward did not help any, because shestill couldnot get her feet flat on the ground - just the front half of her feet only. that made it very difficult to maneuver the bike(pushing it forward and especially backward - and even balancing the bike at a stop if theground surface was something like gravel or some other similar surface).she ended up trying several very thin seats thatplaced her about 1" closer to the ground, but you also have to find one that is not wide through the thigh area to really help. she finally had a custom seat made that was 1-1/2" lower and 1" forward, with some narrowing in the thigh area. that helped but shestill had difficulty pushing the bike backward - she could just barelyget her feet flat on the ground at this point using heavy soled boots - and she was hesitant to ride alone in case she had to stop somewhere on an uneven surface, or especially going into town where she had to park among cars.

she loved her sportster andhad reached a point she was confident riding it anywhere by herself, but on longer rides, it was certainly revved up to keep up with other riders. the lowridercertainly took a lot of time for her to get adjusted to, and she is just now getting comfortable with the weight and maneuverability - be patient, it will come. there was a time when she actually wished she had the sportster again. i have a fxdwg and love it. i bought a fltr for long cross country riding, and i had several months where i had to getused to it's handling and weight. i believe that is true for any rider, especially on the first couple of bikes, so don't get discouraged.

back to the fxdl: she now could get her feet on the ground but just barely. we ended up lowering the front also using the race tech front suspension kit that allows you to lower the front 1" or 2" as desired, as well as having much better springs. that was in her words the very best thing we had done for the bike. it was much easier to maneuver at any speed and certainly when she needed her feet on the ground. however that change would not have worked if the rear had not already been lowered. with the front and rear lowered, she no longer needs a special seat and now rides a mustang solo seat for comfort.

my recommendation would be to start by lowering the rear with progressive shocks. make sure you have comfortable handlebars that do not have you leaning too far forward or have you out of position. if youare narrow through the shoulders, don't use the very wide bars thathave your arms extended away from your body a lot. depending on where your feet are at that time - if they are not firmly on the ground at a stop: if you are close, try borrowing a seat that is narrower and thinner

 

John...Your right....That's who I meant MeanCityCycles.... They've helped alot of with the same problem Dr.Dave is so right about the front of the seat near the tank being narrow .. That alone helped Kellie with Mustang Vintage Solo we had it Narrowed in the front on her Street Bob....

 

Damn Skip, I hadn't seen your post when I started tying mineor I wouldn't have wasted my time. Sorry for the duplication and waste of space. Mine posted 10 minutes later. Show how long it took my to do it......LOL.

BTW. Doug is bitchin because I sent him a Street Bob horn cover instead of a Super Glide one like I said I was going to. I think his injuries go much deeper than just a few sore muscles and bones. I wonder if the can do brain scans up there where he is.

 

I narrowed the seat for looks but it also made the seat not feel so wide also. This was a stock solo Street Bob seat.....

 

I think they would have a hard time locateing something to Scan .... I think he has a scanner on his computer though....


And Now it will begin....[sm=icon_stickpoke.gif]