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(coyotebroad) Here's the challenge: I'm 5' 4" (162.56 cm), and dual sport motorcycles are NOT made for short people.
A BMW GS 650 would have been a great choice - but I couldn't afford such. A Yamaha XT660R (2007) was looking good for about 15 minutes - until I realized it wasn't sold in the USA.
While waiting on Bainbridge Island for the ferry to Seattle, we met two guys on KLRs. One of them let me sit on his bike. And I was on tip toe, but I was touching the ground! He said he had lowered it an inch and a half. Some online research showed that there were lowering kits that would bring the bike even further - and seats that would bring it down even further. Since the Kawasaki is a very common bike in the USA, and would therefore be easy to outfit and find parts for, we decided to look for a KLR.
But I was super scared. Dual sports have a much higher center of gravity than a roadster or cruiser. They are also, usually, single cylinders, and that makes them "thumpers" - the ride isn't silky, like a roadster or cruiser. What if I hated it?
Choosing the KLR 650
We found an unbelievably good deal on a 2008 KLR outside of Vancouver, Oregon with just 3700 miles - right after I had re-registered my Honda Nighthawk, and bought and installed a new back tire and new chain set (argh). We decided to jump on it and try to get it - and we did! Pro tip: be ready to go look at a bike within 24 hour of expressing interest (same day is even better) - otherwise, you won't get the bike.
Adapting & Outfitting the KLR 650
To make the bike lower, we went with a 1.5 inch lowering kit (we found 2" to be WAY too low - not enough clearance!) and a very expensive, used lowered seat. That required lowering the front of the bike (by sliding the forks up) exactly as much as the rest of the bike had been lowered - which my husband did because I just can't even. We also got the side stand cut shorter by a local welder. Altogether, this lowered the bike enough for me to be able to stand on the balls of my feet on either side. All of this work, and adding front and back crash bars / pannier racks and a center stand, was done by my husband (thanks, Schatz).
FYI, top case and side panniers are available for sale from my husband (see ad at bottom of page).
What if you don't have a husband who can do all this for you? Your nearest motorcycle dealership for the kind of bike you have will probably do it for you. The nearest motorcycle shop that isn't an official dealership may not. You may have better luck just posting to ADVRider and asking if there is anyone in your area that would do it for you for a reasonable price.
I ride wearing Irish Setter steal-toed lace-up, very plain-looking work boots. Men's. They give me a little bit more height. They look like any pair of lace-up motorcycle boots. Pull-on calf-length motorcycle boots would be wonderful, but I haven't found anywhere to try such on, and I must be able to try on a variety of boots in order to find a pair that fits. Finding these Irish Setter work boots that fit, that I can walk around in, even hike a couple of miles in, and will provide the protection I need on the motorcycle took trips to many shops.
Also, I find that if I'm not obese, just overweight, I can put even more of the bottom of my feet on the ground - because there's less fat between my thighs and the bike, which brings my feet up even close to the bike while standing.
Riding the KLR 650
I'm on the balls of my feet when sitting on the bike without luggage,
but my heels are just an inch off the ground. I don't feel overwhelmed
by the bikes weight - which I most certainly would on a heavier bike. To
get on the bike, I stand up on the left-side foot peg with my left foot,
swing my leg over, and then put both feet on the ground - yes, kind of
like getting on a horse. I had a lot to get used to as far as breaking
and switching gears, and the noise and vibration the bike makes when I
ride. But the dashboard is now in my field of vision while riding (it
wasn't on the Honda Nighthawk - I had to bow my head down to see my
gauges). And the bike is much more zippy, much more nimble - it feels
quicker and lighter and more responsive than the Nighthawk.
I carry a lot more luggage on the KLR than I ever did on the Nighthawk,
in terms of weight. I highly recommend practicing riding around with
that weight a day or two before a big trip - even the day of a trip now,
I ride around the neighborhood for five minutes, stopping and slow
turning around corners, to remind myself that I'm carrying a LOT of
weight.
Getting used to the bike
Once I got the motorcycle at the height I needed, I worked to get in as much riding time as possible that winter of 2011-12, so that I was ready for practice on gravel as soon as it was dry enough, and then for a long weekend trip in the Spring. My ultimate goal was to be ready for a big trip in September 2012. I road at least an hour every week, whenever the weather might allow, so that the bike would quickly lose that "foreign" feeling.My goals for the first six months, to reach by the end of April 2012:
I met all of those goals by the end of July - and more! In 2012, our two-week trip was 2446 miles / 3914 km miles to Northern California, Nevada, and Southwestern Oregon (including the Alvord Desert). Indeed, it included gravel and dirt, including the dirt road to this lovely cow pasture camping and the Highland House Off-Road Adventure™. We took lots of day trips in Oregon & Washington state, a long weekend camping trip in Eastern Oregon in May 2012, and a weekend camping trip (322 miles) in July in Gifford Pinchot National Forest / Southern Washington State. We even managed to attend the Sound RIDER! Rally in The Gorge in August and road a few hundred miles in conjunction with that. And in all of that, I road gravel on every outing, even if it was just a mile. What I was never able to do in 2012, despite many efforts to do so, was to get some one-on-one training from an expert for riding off-road. I asked at dirt bike stores and I asked on various online discussion groups, but despite my willingness to pay, no one was interested in teaching a middle-aged woman with no dirt bike experience whatsoever, who started riding a motorcycle only in 2009 (doesn't that sound like fun?!).
2017 was our trip spending 10 days in Washington State: a Smokey Motorcycle Adventure in August.
In 2016, we went to the exotic land of Idaho. Included at least 120 miles of gravel. Hells Canyon, Silver City, Idaho, Bruneau Dunes State Park, City of Rocks National Reserve, Sawtooth Scenic Byway, Salmon River Scenic Byway, Custer, Idaho, Ft. Missoula, Montana, historic Wallace, Idaho, Lake Coeur d'Alene, White Pine Scenic Byway, Hell's Canyon Overlook, Oregon, Joseph, Painted Hills, and Little Crater Lake in Mt. Hood National Forest.
In 2015, we spent two weeks via motorcycle, mostly in British Columbia, but including Hydar, Alaska (Stewart-Cassiar Highway and the Alaska Highway).
In 2014, as I mentioned, we toured large parts of Utah, Nevada & Oregon.
In 2013, we didn't go anywhere (sad face). Because we bought a house.
Our Motorcycle Travel & Rally Activities in 2012, including camping in Antelope amid the ghosts of the Rajneesh colony, seeing the Alvord Desert for the first time, amd a big Motorcycle Journey in Northern California, Nevada & Southeastern Oregon.
While still on my Honda Nighthawk, in 2011, we went to Yellowstone, Western Montana, Wyoming & more in June. 15 days, 2680 miles. The trip ended at the legendary Burning Moto Man 2011, in Westfir, Oregon. We also spent one week in Washington state, September 2011 to celebrate my husband's 40th birthday, visiting Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens, Ape Cave, ice cave and lava tubes, Gifford Pinchot National Forest and a bit of Mt. Hood.
Our Motorcycle Travel & Rally Activities in 2010 launched my first long-distance motorcycle trips: one to the "Lost Coast" of California, and another to Canada (Alberta and British Columbia, Jasper, Banff & Kootenay National Parks) and Glacier National Park.
Before I started riding my own bike, and before we moved to the USA, I went on a few trips on the back of my soon-to-be husband's bike.
We hope to also continue to enjoy our local scenic routes near the greater PDX metro (Portland, Oregon).
As of November 15, 2018, I have ridden more than 28,000 miles / 45,000 km on my KLR (Kawasaki) since I got it in 2010, with 95% of that being for fun (rather than commuting somewhere). And I've ridden almost 40,000 miles / more than 63,000 km overall on motorcycles (as I've mentioned, my previous bike was a Honda Nighthawk).
I've also taken two classes on it: a cornering class and an off-road
class. Both were hugely important in making me a better rider. I had a
goal to take a motorcycle riding class every two years, but it's turned
out to be more like every three. I'm thinking of taking the cornering
class again in 2019. And some days, I go out to a parking lot with my
husband, his motorcycle and a lot of chalk, and we come up with challenges
for me, particularly regarding tight turns, turning after a stop, and
stopping).
Also see:
My first two years of owning and riding my own motorcycle (a 1982 Honda Nighthawk), in photos.
My switch to a KLR 650, in photos.
Adventure Motorcycle Luggage &
Accessories
www.coyotetrips.com
Aluminum Panniers and Top Cases,
Top Case Adapter Plates,
Tough Motorcycle Fuel Containers, & More
Designed or Curated by an experienced adventure motorcycle world
traveler
Based in Oregon
You won't find these exact products anywhere else;
these are available only from Coyotetrips
(my husband)
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