Height problems!?

[manxie]

Hi  folks.

As you know I`ve recently bought the MZ Country and at the weekend I decided to sit on it for the first time after carrying out minor works on it.

IT`S TOO TALL FOR ME 

One leg, tiptoe only touches the ground! I`m only short in the leg but in cases like this my excess weight usually lowers a bike enough 

Apart from rooting out my old platform shoes, eating even more food to expand my waistline further or fitting shorter rear shocks which takes away the orignality I`m not sure what else to do?

Any suggestions welcome. 

[Itsme]

Any chance you could get the seat carefully re-profiled so it still looks original but takes out a couple of inches? Is the amount you have to lose too great for this sort of alteration?

Ian

[Moto63]

Any chance you could get the seat carefully re-profiled so it still looks original but takes out a couple of inches? Is the amount you have to lose too great for this sort of alteration?

Ian

No, that’s well boring. Just strap one of those mini two rung step ladders to the side of it. You know like those surfer dudes do with their boards 😁
Name withheld 😉

[manxie]

Any chance you could get the seat carefully re-profiled so it still looks original but takes out a couple of inches? Is the amount you have to lose too great for this sort of alteration?

Ian

I did think of that Ian and have been looking for a second seat that could be altered, to keep the original seat original ... but no joy yet.

Michael`s idea is pretty good too ... food for thought 

[Moto63]

Michael`s idea is pretty good too ... food for thought 
[/quote]
Woh… to quote a line from that rapper dude Shaggy… “it wasn’t me” the name was withheld so can’t have been me 😉
Ps.. best of luck with the seat 🤞

[iansoady]

When I had my giant Triumph Tiger 955i I lowered it by raising the forks an inch or two and rotating the eccentric chain adjusters - not an option for you I suppose. I also lowered the Honda SLR650 by doing the same with the forks and substituting a different rear suspension unit - can't remember what off. Both of course needed their stands to be shortened as well.

There will be a way to do it......

[manxie]

Thanks Ian.

I think I`ll probably go down the road of trying shorter rear shocks first and then try lowering the forks as you suggest if I need too? (good idea, thanks)

It has a suicide side-stand which isn`t much use anyway, as soon as weight is off it, it flips up and I dont like the idea of it. I keep it on the main stand as it`s safer.

Thanks again, Steve.

[iansoady]

The only issue with lowering only the rear is that it changes the steering geometry although I don't know enough to say whether it slows it or speeds it up. If you're looking at rear units NJB have a good reputation, are cheap, and are run by an ex-Girling technical bod.

https://njbshocks.co.uk/

[manxie]

Great info Ian, thank you 

[themoudie]

Aye Steve,

Further to Ian's comment re. rear shock length and the corresponding alteration in the rake of the front forks, lengthening the rear shock absorbers, reduces of the rake of the front forks (tucks the front wheel under the frame!), so speeding up the steering, making the machine more nervous, or quicker to turn into a corner. Conversly, shortening the rear shocks, increases the rake of the front forks (stretches out the front like a chopper!), slowing the steering, making the machine more stable in a straight line, but requiring extra input to get it to turn into a corner.

10 mm difference from OME specifications may not seem to make much difference, but it does and anything greater than that certainly does!   When I fitted a pair of ex ISDT 330 mm rear gas shocks onto the Ducati, when I was across, because they were gratis and the Cerianni 310 mm factory fitting were shot, without changing the forks in the yokes, it became a nervous machine, upset by road imperfections and the front felt as though it fold at any moment. Needless to say a pair of shorter 2nd hand Hagon 310 mm shocks were found and some control was re-stored. Not that travelling down the Druidale Road in the company of the Manx VMCC, off-season, in the mid '70's was ever a controlled, gentle whiffle! 

Good health, Bill

[manxie]

Morning Bill.

thanks for taking the time to write this information ... sounds a bit scary 

Looks like the safest and cheapest bet looking forward is to either find another seat so I can get it altered (which seem to be scarce) or root out my high heels! 

Cheers yessir ... Steve. 

[themoudie]

Morning Steve,

Don't be scared. If you reduce the length of the rear shocks by 10 mm, then drop the forks 10 mm through the yokes. Then check that when on full compression the forks don't foul the frame/exhaust pipe at any point when turned from full lock to full lock.

You are just trying to keep the same balance and steering angles, as they were designed to be, but lowering the overall height of the seat.

Good health yessir, Bill

[manxie]

Thanks Bill 

[iansoady]

Many thanks to Bill for that information - I can never remember which way round the steering is affected without delving into one of Phil Irving's books....