| Author | Message | ||
     Rumbles |
Is there any way to get the seat height of the CityX (31"+) down to the same height as the XB12Scg (28.5")? | ||
| Drift |
No. But you can get it down to a reasonable height. Get the "low seat" from a cg. | ||
| Angelwild327 |
The low seat offers you another inch or so. The only real way to physically lower the bike is to swap out the rear spring/shock assembly, side stand and front fork assembly with that of the 12scg. It's rather expensive, but DaveS has some connections to rework the front forks of your bike. I had major height issues with my bike, yours may not be so drastic. My solution was getting taller boots and shifting with the lip or edge of the boot. I may eventually do the swap with the scg. Good luck! | ||
| Rumbles |
Thanks for the advice, Angelwild327 - my wife is 5'5" or 5"6" without her 2" boots - how tall are you? The Scg is more than low enough for her, but when she tried a Firebolt for seat height (30.5"), it seemed a bit tall - so now we are a bit worried about the stock CityX which runs almost an inch higher than the Firebolt. | ||
| Jesse370 |
I'm in the same boat...I'm about 5' 10" but I have a 30" barely...And I would love to get a city but I don't want to risk not feeling safe on it with the low seat...And I haven't found a dealer that would put a low seat on a city and not charge me to do that.....So I will end up with a CG | ||
| Drift |
I have a City X and I am 5'8" with a 30" inseam. I have the low seat and can stand over it with one foot flat and the other half on the ground. I am comfortable with it that way. I would definitely recommend your wife on a cg if she is not comfortable on her tippy toes. Keep in mind the the cg with actually handle a little better with the lower center gravity. I would definitely go that route. I have often thought that I would like to have a cg myself just for the ease of pushing around while on the bike. | ||
| Angelwild327 |
Rumbles -- Your wife is a giant in comparison.. I'm only 5'2+, so it's been a major struggle for me to overcome the height issue. Stopping was the basic problem, as I'm also a really new rider. I have a very short inseam..it sure isn't 30 inches, so what I did was buy tall boots, they're really rugged, great treads and happen to be gothy men's boots..pictures will be coming, but they give me 3.5 inches of height and that's what worked for me. The biggest key here is you must shift with the edge or lip of the boot..there's no easy way of getting your foot underneath the shifter. I've heard the arguments over this method and I just have to deal with it, unless I get the scg suspension swap. I have no problem shifting this way, I have an 05 xb9sx and got the low seat, even had more cut out of it by a great seat guy.. that didn't make any difference really, as technically the bike is too wide as opposed to too tall. Since the width cannot be modified, the height is all you have to work with. If your wife is interested in the boots, let me know by PM and I'll send her a link to find them. Good luck, Angela | ||
| Whodom |
I think beginning riders tend to be overly concerned about seat height. It's amazing how this becomes less of an issue as you get more experienced. I'm about 5'9" with a 30" inseam. I started riding on a Honda with a 29" seat height which seemed comfortable, but not "low" by any means when I started riding. Last July, I found a deal on a Buell S3 which has about a 30.5" seat height and it didn't seem that tall to me. I'm definitely not able to get both feet down flat with the bike upright, but I can easily get one foot down flat or hold it upright using both feet. I've put about 10,000 miles on it since I got it without a problem. Last weekend, I rode a 2006 XB12X (33.1" compressed seat height according to Buell). It definitely felt TALL, but I didn't really have any trouble handling it. I could easily hold it up with one foot when stopped at lights, but I had to use the absolute tips of my toes to hold the bike straight upright. If (when!) I get one, I will definitely install a Buell low or Corbin seat, but I could ride the thing with the tall seat. I think that just goes to show how your perception of height changes once you get some miles under your belt. OTOH, I rode an XB12scg at March Badness this year and it felt really weird; it actually felt too low. The standard XB feels much more comfortable to me. Jesse, you shouldn't have any problem with an unmodified CityX with a little practice. The low seat is something you could easily add yourself if you feel the need. Angela, I can definitely understand why you want the bike as low as you can get it. Rumbles, I'd definitely try just adding the low seat before I invested a lot of money, time, and effort in swapping out all the suspension components on a CityX. | ||
| Lost |
The 2003 XB9s has a lower seat then the new CityX, so I was told by a few HD dealers. Don't have the exact specs though. | ||
| Madsx |
I agree with Whodom. I was concerned about the hight when I tried the SX. I was going to have the dealer swap the seat with a regular one but I decided not to go that way because the standard seat was a bit hard and I liked the comfort of the City seat better. I'm about 5'9" and @ 30" inseam and I am on my toes. This doesnt really bother me now that I have @ 3000mi under my belt with it. The only time it is really an issue is when backing up especially if it is on an incline. Keep in mind, one flat foot on the ground and the other on the peg is all I really need and that is definitely possible. I am however planning on getting a Select seat in the near future, just cuz I think the inch or so may help and I like the looks better. | ||
| 99buellx1 |
Go to a dealer or find someone with a standard Lightning. See how she fits. The only difference in height between a XB9S, XB12S and the CityX is the seat. Easy swap. The XB9SL and XB12Scg have an even lower seat combined with shorter suspension. If you can find a dealer that has either of the "low" models in stock and you are still having problems with the "standard" height models, have them put the low seat on a standard bike. Many available combinations. | ||
| 99buellx1 |
Do you mean that you will purchase a cg? This dosnt seem to make any sense......a cg is more than the CityX. Or do you mean that the lower seat will make the CityX a cg.....bcause that isn't exactly the case, see my post above. | ||
| Imonabuss |
You can make a Citycross exactly as low as a 12Scg, but you will need to change the forks and shock as well as the seat. Those four parts are the difference. | ||
| Johnb |
Turning rant/soapbox on. Adjustable ergonomics is something I've always wished for and doesn't seem like rocket science (to me) to implement as part of the trilogy of tech; although, buell is probably one of the few that offer models in low 'CG' models - so bless them for that. you would think that the front forks could've been designed/selected to allow riders to slide them up with a corresponding change in the rear shock ride height for safe handling - and, there's gotta be a way to design seats with built-in adjustability on top of the fuel frame.. this logic also applies to adjustable rearsets (pegs), handle bars and windscreens.. fixed one-size-fits-all is a compromising solution that i wish buell could engineer in a way never before offered to the public. rant/soapbox off. Regarding your seat issue, maybe consider a custom seat from corbin or other modders that can shave the front (narrow) the saddle allowing you to slip to one side to flatfoot. |
