Any 5'4" riders that own the 8th gen vfr800?

Discussion in 'General VFR Discussions' started by Lemmington, Jan 17, 2020.

  1. Lemmington

    Lemmington New Member

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    Hi, I'm new here and I wanted to know if there are any 5'4" riders like myself that owns the 8th gen vfr800. I was instantly hooked to the vfr800 when I saw a video clip of it in youtube. As I did my research (mostly youtube and looking up the ergo of the bike from cycle-ergo.com), I found that as a 5'4" rider with an inseam of 30" it's expected that I will have a 32 degree lean forward while riding the bike. I current have a 2017 cb500f which is pretty straight up compared to the vfr800. I also saw some reviews of the bike in youtube and some have said that they've had wrist pain while riding. I wanted to ask the riders who owns the 8th gen vfr800 that has the same height as me or even lower as how does the bike feel to them when they ride for quite some time. My commute is about 1hr to 1.5hrs and I wanted to get some insight from those who've had it, before I pull the trigger on buying the bike. Thank you.
     
  2. fink

    fink Member

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    Can you take one out for a test ride?
     
  3. raYzerman

    raYzerman Member

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    Handlebar risers, perhaps Convertibars will give you a lot of adjustment to reduce that forward lean, but you will still have some lean... it's a sport bike called a sport-trourer, more sport than tourer. Lowering the footpegs will help as well (e.g., Knight). But, you should get some idea if you just go sit on one.
     
  4. duccmann

    duccmann Member

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    So mentioning clip on’s, at 5’6 first I installed Heli bars, then for my vertical challenges I had an upholstery shop shave the inner thighs and a bit off the top of my seat.
    Then Lustracing lowering triangles to have my feet pretty planted and not on my tippy toes.
    If you want to know more about the triangles and what to do after installation, let me know
    [​IMG]


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    Last edited: Jan 18, 2020
  5. Lemmington

    Lemmington New Member

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    @fink unfortunately, I can't find anywhere that I can do a test ride here in NYC. Will continue to look more. It's weirdly rare here for some reason. I only saw a listing on a delearship, but, the delearship doesn't do test rides.

    @raYzerman For me personally, I don't mind the lean.. I'm just concerned with the pressure on the wrist. I use my bike for daily commute, and I do catch a bit of traffic during morning and afternoon rush hours. I'm also planning to do a long trip somewhere so I wanted a bike that can keep me comfortable on long rides while also somewhat comfy during slow speeds in the city traffic.

    @duccmann How did that helibar installation work? Did you have to buy longer break,clucth, and throttle cables? I'm still new in motorcycling and I'm a little afraid to mess with the cables. But if it is what it takes to get comfortable then I'll do it ofc.

    Thanks for the replies!
     
  6. duccmann

    duccmann Member

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    No stock cables work,1 inch higher and I think 1 1/2 rearward with Heli.
    Go to there website and get the specs.
    Helped me with my Trex arms


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  7. Allyance

    Allyance Insider

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    I don’t think helibars work on 8th gens, what you need are riser blocks made by MotoPumps (member here) they can add up 1.25” quite easily.
    https://www.motopumps.com/shop/vfr-bar-risers

    and if you find the pegs too high, KnightDesigns make pegs that will lower your feet 1". Doesn't sound like much, but they make a big difference.
     
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  8. duccmann

    duccmann Member

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    Didn’t know that about risers and Heli bars on a 8G
    I was suggesting lowering it because of his height.
    Bars risers would help definitely with his seating position.
    Wonder how much of a difference lowering the seat all the way on the 8G compared to a 6G in height


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    Last edited: Jan 18, 2020
  9. bk94si

    bk94si Member

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    I have a 4th gen but I can say the lust lowering triangles are nice. All except it makes putting the bike up on the centerstand way harder.
     
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  10. duccmann

    duccmann Member

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    Especially with a full tank at 63. That’s why I bought a Pitbull stand
    Sooooo easy
    Oh and you have to raise the fork tubes 10mm and shorten the kickstand.
    You can find kickstands on eBay cheap, have 2


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  11. Lemmington

    Lemmington New Member

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    IDK how accurate cycle-ergo.com is, but it says there that at my height I can flat foot it. Which is weird, cuz specs I've seen on the internet says seat height for 8th gen is 31 inches. Though cycle-ergo.com accurately depicted my footing on my cb500f. I also have no problem tip toeing.. just hope i don't tip over cuz weight of vfr is about 500ish lbs according to specs

    Looking at the comments I'll see about motopumps and helibars. My main concern is the wrist pain... if i do get leg/knee problems i'll look into lowering the pegs. I'm still paying for my current bike (wont be paid until sept.) and planning to trade it in for the vfr hopefully the dealership still has it by then. they said its 2014 vf800 with 1k miles and is selling for $6,280 which i thought is a good deal. Hopefully no one has an eye on it except me lol.
     
  12. bk94si

    bk94si Member

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    That site just estimates. Not everyone the same height has the same size legs and arms.
     
  13. Thumbs

    Thumbs Member

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    I've got a 31" inseam and I can flat foot, that's with the seat in the high position plus when I had my seat reupholstered I had the height raised by 1"

    There's about an inch difference in the high and low settings
     
  14. Lemmington

    Lemmington New Member

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    I have 30" inseam so I might be able to flat foot it too. If not, it'll be just like my cb500f, slightly tip toed but can comfortable 1 foot flat it. That's good news to me. Also, I heard that the 8th gen only takes 83 octane? IDK how that differs because my current bike takes 91 and above.
     
  15. raYzerman

    raYzerman Member

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    Any little 1/8-1/4" helps, but perhaps take a lesson from dirt/adventure riders whose seats are way higher than their inseam..... slide forward at last minute, seat is narrower, helps get the legs straigher. If you can't flat foot, slide a bit to the left, keep your right foot on the peg and put the left leg down when you stop. I chuckle a wee bit (but get it) when you say a 500 lb. bike is heavy..... try an ST1300 or FJR1300 @ near 700 lbs. or more with a full tank of gas.
     
  16. Economist

    Economist New Member

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    The 8th gen runs on 87 octane (87 in the US, I understand that other countries rate octane differently). It’s in the owner’s manual.
    The bar riser blocks are a super easy install, all the stock cables stay attached and you just undo four bolts, insert the blocks, and install four new bolts. The Honda risers that only add .5 inches made a difference for me, but it seems like a lot of people like the motopumps big ones.
     
  17. Lemmington

    Lemmington New Member

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    Can it be anything other than 87 octane? I don't think any of the nearest gas stations where I live have 87 octane. All I saw was 83, 91, 93
     
  18. Thumbs

    Thumbs Member

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    87 octane minimum
     
  19. raYzerman

    raYzerman Member

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    Check your owner's manual..... mine says 86, but in North America "regular" is 87... I have seen 85 in the US, never 83. I don't think you'd have a problem running 85 if you had to, but if you hear any pinging under load, best move up to something higher.
     
  20. Allyance

    Allyance Insider

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    I think some Sunoco stations used 83 as their lowest grade in their multi grade pumps, if your worried just go a mid grade, tanks are average 4 + gallons will only cost less than a buck more.
     
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