Well Dave I was of the same opinion but where there is a will there is a way - was a super happy Diavel Carbon owner because it was so low and easy to move around - I'm 5'6" 31" inside leg - always thought the Multi was way too tall - finally decided a new Pikes Peak was the way to go when warranty was up on the Diavel - tried it 3/4 times and then realised that with a low seat option and the suspension settings changed its fine - just have to be cosiderate when picking a parking place ! - the active suspension makes it seem very tall at first but the secret is to change the preload to get the height down when setting off and then change it on the move - super happy with the PP
31 inside leg?! Thats not short fella, not even in the same league as short. Try 29 or even 27, like mine, then add thighs like tree trunks which effectively make it even shorter...but I still manage
I've seen plenty of shorter people on the MTS, in fact any adventure bike for that matter. The bikes can be adapted to accommodate things like tweaked suspension and seat so it shouldn't be an issue. On the go it makes no difference so really, it's just parking up and junctions to worry about. As long as you can get feet down enough to balance, I think you're good. My KTM with a taller, different shape seat and suspension setup is now actually taller for me than the MTS in terms of feet down. Built up Sidi boots are the future.
I'm feeling slightly cheered Gentlemen, by your assurances. I can't pretend I understand anything about the black art of all this pre-load malarkey stuff but i get the gist. However, I just don't feel confident unless my feet are at least both touching the ground at least on the balls of my feet and not precariously tip-toeing. My legs have about as much meat on them as match sticks - in fact, when I wear shorts, it looks like two bits of string with knots in the middle are hanging from them - so you can guess that there ain't much strength there! hahaha! my main worry is the awkward sloping road surface scenario or the forced hill start if I fuck up my rear brake holding with my clutch control as I pull away - it's just gonna happen! And I'm certainly not one for hoiking my butt half off the seat and standing on one leg balancing the bike. I need to get myself to a dealer and get them to talk me through what they can do in the showroom to lower the beast before I get on it... :Shamefullyembarrased:
David, you could always have the seat modified yourself. One of my mates took his seat to somewhere in Ash or Ashford, can't remember. They did his seat while he waited, taking a bit off at a time until it was right for him. I can ask for the name of the place if your interested.
Thanks John. When you say seat modified, do you mean the foam in the saddle or do you mean the seat frame or sub-frame? if it's just the foam padding, I think it would probably compromise the comfort, but if they did the sub-frame and modifed the plastic seat fairing at the same time, it might be worth exploring further...
