Can short riders enjoy the BMW R1200GSA?

Hello Everyone,

There are many talking about this subject and I would like to know what your opinion is?

Keyword here is "short" in reference to the large size of the GSA.




BMW R1200GS and BMW R1200GSA - Resource Site

Goodness, looking at the time of this post you are an early riser, or had a late jol Anyway, I do not have a GSA but I would think that it is more a matter of how long your legs are. Some riders are relatively short but have long legs. So maybe you should add the length of the inner leg in your vote

Willie seems to manage OK on the Adventure.

Andre wrote:Goodness, looking at the time of this post you are an early riser, or had a late jol

Andre -- This is a Time Zone thing
BMWR1200GS is from Canada.

Welcome to the Forum BMWR1200GS!

Rejuvenated wrote:Willie seems to manage OK on the Adventure.

As Dave said I am no giant at 5 ft 8 in (1,73 M) the GSA hight is no problem not even on ESA High mountain setting, which is 2 in higher than normal

Howzit BMWR1200GS...!

I am 5'9", 31"inseam.
I found the GSA a manageable beast during a trip riding the Highlands of Mpumalanga Province in ZA...until I had to maneuver it backwards over a minor rise in the paving at a petrol station. The fuel tank was full and the beast was H-E-A-V-Y. I just did not have the strength in my two tippy-toes to push it backwards and had to summon the help of the pump-jockeys to pull me back over the bump.

I feel am just too short - perhaps off-road boots would have made a difference instead of the street boots I was wearing...?

(Then again I think I am a bit taller than Chunky so he's probably a better reference...)

BMW wrote:

Andre wrote:Goodness, looking at the time of this post you are an early riser, or had a late jol

Andre -- This is a Time Zone thing
BMWR1200GS is from Canada.

Welcome to the Forum BMWR1200GS!

Did not notice the location So used to local members on forum
The world has become a small place

Thank you everyone for the replies so far.

And yes, I am from Canada. You were right.

Cheers

Eric
BMWR1200GS.com

Question - what do you do in the winter months - do/can you still ride.

I am also vertically challenged (1,68m). On the standard 1200 GS, I can stand on the tips of my feet, but will then definitely not be able to manouver it backwards. Would probably have owned one, if I could have my feet flat on the ground.

My problem is not length but the 1200, but looking into it seeing that I will have to fight sertain members for the 1000RR

Henk wrote:My problem is not length but the 1200, but looking into it seeing that I will have to fight sertain members for the 1000RR

Hijack on

Then rather wait a bit for the K1300s

/Hijack of

Good advise Better to shop around and avoid having to run away

Have a friend who has a GSA and he has short legs; needless to say he dropped the bike 3 times that i know of !!

This is always when the bike is at an angle ...

Short riders can ride anything!!! You just need 1 toe when stopping................................. and taking off!

Ahh.....I was waiting for a reponse from this man.

There you go Canadian friend.......this is input from someone that's "been there, done that"

As you said in your post "Keyword here is "short" in reference to the large size of the GSA"

GSing wrote:Short riders can ride anything!!!

says the shorty himself!

Learnt alot from you!

(just make sure about the tyre pressure!) - and then you call them friends?

Erm,...would the last person to post please stand up...?

(persistent private joke)

No seriously, short riders CAN ride anything. But I feel distinctly uncomfortable with the GSA at present when having to maneuver around at standstill or at slow speed.

Sure.. (Standing up - much taller than the most of you!)
,, yes, regret, private joke.. but here is proof of good riding skills of my said friend,
'normal' sandy circumstances, - not a GSAdv, but 1200GS - in my eyes also huge.



and another Not-too-tall friend on his GS Adv
never able to take better pictures of them - - I cant stay with them!

Latest Article from BMW on this topic...

Latest News

More Information on BMW's Lowered Suspension

According to BMW, their customer research shows there are many riders who prefer a lower seat height, but who will not compromise on model choice.

According to the company, ‘feedback from female, novice and shorter riders confirmed that controlling a machine can be difficult at slow speeds, especially when riding motorcycles with a higher seat height.’

So BMW are now offering the option to order some selected bikes with lowered suspension, which would provide customers with lower seat height options.

BMW already offer a lower seat as a factory-fit option for some of their models, but some riders require their seat to be lower still.

The company hopes its new, lower suspension bikes will take care of the needs of such riders.

The lower suspension option is now available on the F 800 ST, F 650 GS and the R 1200 GS and in South Africa the option comes at no extra cost.

BMW say that their factory-engineered lowered suspension bikes come with a low seat, but the actual lowering modification from the standard machine varies from model to model.

Bikes such as the F800ST come with a shorter rear shock absorber and front forks which have been lowered through the yokes.

BMW's R1200GS however, achieves the lower positioning by adding a shorter strut to the front and rear shock absorbers. The Telelever settings have also been changed on these bikes.

For more information on the lowered suspension, please contact your nearest BMW Motorrad dealer

I see someone reads the Motorrad website.

Yip, loyal BMW employee for the last 22 years and i get the newsletter...

.....I'm not an employee...and so do I.

I dont know about the 1200, but being a mere 5ft myself , and having the lower GS650 with the suspension lowered to the max- riding is a pleasure! Must admit that parking / stopping still needs some serious planning, especially on sloping roads. If the 1200 can be lowered to the same height , I would definitely consider acquiring one of these....