Too tall for LeMans 1, 11 or 111? |
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lane653
Guzzino Joined: 11 Jan 2018 Location: Flagstaff AZ Status: Offline Points: 8 |
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Posted: 11 Jan 2018 at 17:20 |
Hello,
I am beginning a search for a gen 1, 11 or possibly Mark 111 LeMans. Missed an opportunity years ago to buy a Mark 11 as seller decided to sell to his brother. Haven't forgotten that bike and after several bikes over the years, I am beginning to look for a LeMans. A primary concern I have is knee/upper shin contact with the cylinder heads as I am 6'3'' tall. I'm not too excited about splaying my knees outside the heads, but would love to hear from 6 foot plus LeMans riders about their experiences. If I end up getting one, I will need help with setting up the carbs for 7,000 ft elevation. THANKS MUCH. Lane
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Too Tall
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cyclobutch
Senior Member Joined: 08 Sep 2015 Location: Essex Branch Status: Offline Points: 750 |
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To fit a LM well you need to be slightly
disproportionate. Short legs, long body and arms. Outside of that you will
struggle somewhere or another ergonomically. The enthusiasm of youth can make
up for that to a larger degree. On a mk II – if it still has the fairing lowers
in place you will have your knees outside of the fairing.
I’m 5’11’’ (or at least was once) and carry much of my height in my legs and I still managed to run my mk II down to Paul Ricard for a weekend two up. No way would I do that now. |
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Butch
V50 II - 'The Black Pearl' T3 - 'Blue' Eldo Loop - 'Jug' |
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lane653
Guzzino Joined: 11 Jan 2018 Location: Flagstaff AZ Status: Offline Points: 8 |
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Thanks much for your experiences--I'm certainly not short in the legs though I do have long arms. Oh well. . .
Lane
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Too Tall
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Ken-Guzzibear
Moderator Group Joined: 13 May 2014 Location: Sileby Leics Status: Offline Points: 9454 |
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6ft 1 me could ride the mk 1 but the V1 Le Mans was real good BUT I have a short inseam long body
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The Older i Get, The Better I Was
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lane653
Guzzino Joined: 11 Jan 2018 Location: Flagstaff AZ Status: Offline Points: 8 |
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Hey Ken,
Thanks much for the feedback--I have a long inseam and a shorter body!
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Too Tall
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lane653
Guzzino Joined: 11 Jan 2018 Location: Flagstaff AZ Status: Offline Points: 8 |
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I'm wondering if the Daytona would be any better?
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Too Tall
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Raeburn
Senior Member Joined: 20 May 2014 Location: Worcestershire Status: Offline Points: 181 |
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Don't bother, they are too small......I had adjustable bars but there's not much you can do about the distance between the seat and footpegs.
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T3 LM2
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Dukedesmo
Senior Member Joined: 17 Apr 2015 Location: Leics Status: Offline Points: 856 |
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I have a LM2, now converted to LM1 dynamics.
I'm 6ft with 32" leg and when it had the full LM2 fairings my knees were in permanent contact with the fairing backs/bump pads. With the fairings off my knees make contact with the heads unless I sat further back but I have since fitted more rearset pegs which take my knees slightly further back (but also higher so more tightly bent and therefore even more uncomfortable) but this year I had a spare seat modified - seat has been raised by 30mm and the passenger hump/arse stop moved backwards. This gives me a little more room and reduces (slightly) the amount of knee bend, however it's still quite extreme. But it does mean that if I sit back a little further (luckily I've got long arms) then my knees only make occasional contact with the heads (don't ride in shorts!). In short I've made an uncomfortable bike slightly less uncomfortable, your extra 3" height won't help but if you really want it you'll make do. I also have a Ducati 916 which is generally considered a very uncomfortable bike, but it's like an armchair compared to the Le Mans. As an aside the chap (in Italy) that I bought the bike from was the ideal LM build - short legs/long arms - I think that, like many Italian cars of the day, they were made for a certain build that was quite common in Italy at that time...
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Le Mans 2
Ducati 916 Ducati M900 |
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lane653
Guzzino Joined: 11 Jan 2018 Location: Flagstaff AZ Status: Offline Points: 8 |
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Thanks Dukedesmo for sharing your experiences, modifications, humorous comparison to the 916, and the characteristic body type that the LeMans was designed for.
And thanks all for you thoughts and experiences. Great forum!
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Too Tall
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magwa
Senior Member Joined: 25 Mar 2017 Location: Wales uk Status: Offline Points: 310 |
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It will look like a moped growing up your aspidistra! I'm 6'02, 15 stone, xxxl hands size (uk) 12 feet.
One of the reasons for selling my guzzi lemans mkIII was just that the modern carc models are great for us normal people |
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Magwa
2002 Triumph Sprint ST 1986 Morgan 4/4 1968 mobylette |
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cyclobutch
Senior Member Joined: 08 Sep 2015 Location: Essex Branch Status: Offline Points: 750 |
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Hmmmmm. I felt like a jockey perched on my Griso, even with a Buell footrest lowering kit fitted.
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Butch
V50 II - 'The Black Pearl' T3 - 'Blue' Eldo Loop - 'Jug' |
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Dave P.
Senior Member Joined: 12 Jan 2015 Location: Northants Status: Offline Points: 5573 |
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Slightly off topic but related.
I wondered about the practicality of getting a Stelvio for touring a few years back but like BMW GS models,it was just too tall in the saddle.I'm a mere five feet nine and a half inches tall and the old girl is about five feet two.I could get on it be she couldn't.For us, the current crop of tourers are just too tall.She can, only with some difficulty, get on and off the Loop models. |
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TO LIVE OUTSIDE THE LAW YOU MUST BE HONEST.
1971 V7 Special. 1972 850GT. 1970 T120 Bonnie. 2009 500 Bullet. |
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Brian UK
Moderator Group Joined: 13 May 2014 Location: Surrey Status: Online Points: 17641 |
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Do you not carry a stepladder?
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Brian.
Better 5 minutes late in this world than years early in the next. |
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magwa
Senior Member Joined: 25 Mar 2017 Location: Wales uk Status: Offline Points: 310 |
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You need a CARC model, eg brevia sport but notherwise stelvio . Nice low seat, you sit in it. bars can be adjusted to suit.( rolled forward or backward) The stelvio is great if your 6'00 " plus love mine 1200 sport but for £ reasons it's up for sale Edited by magwa - 12 Jan 2018 at 21:12 |
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Magwa
2002 Triumph Sprint ST 1986 Morgan 4/4 1968 mobylette |
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Brian UK
Moderator Group Joined: 13 May 2014 Location: Surrey Status: Online Points: 17641 |
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The Stelvio is a CARC model.
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Brian.
Better 5 minutes late in this world than years early in the next. |
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