shave seat

[fabestreet]

2003 xr250r how many inches can I shave off, does it help I'm 5'4

[blackadder]

I just did it to my XR400. I'm 5' 7" with short legs, and I got tired of flopping over because the ground was too far away I figure it took about 1.5 inches off of the seat height, once I compress what's left of the foam.

I haven't ridden offroad with it yet, but now I can almost get the balls of my feet on the ground, and I was always on tiptoes before. It's an improvement, and it doesn't affect the handling like a lowering link or raising the forks does.

[agia]

I just did it to my XR400. I'm 5' 7" with short legs, and I got tired of flopping over because the ground was too far away I figure it took about 1.5 inches off of the seat height, once I compress what's left of the foam.

I haven't ridden offroad with it yet, but now I can almost get the balls of my feet on the ground, and I was always on tiptoes before. It's an improvement, and it doesn't affect the handling like a lowering link or raising the forks does.

Now I just did it myself. It wasn't easy and I ended up adding a piece of webbing where the seat starts to tip up due to an air pocket no amount of stretching the seat cover could fix. I made an animated GIF file (made from a Honda web site picture and then superimposing my actual seat on it) to show the difference. I can get a lot more of my foot on the ground now.

[blackadder]

I took a short test ride, in street shoes, after I reinstalled the lowered saddle. I didn't really notice any difference in the handlebars - they'll be the same when I'm standing on the pegs, of course. I did notice that I was lower on the bike when I was sitting, and the kickstart took a little more of a knee bend than before. But being lower in the saddle should lower the center of mass for bike and rider a bit, and that might actually improve the handling a little.

[GCRad1]

AH! Saw the strap in another post and thought it was for a tank bag or something. I too lowered my seat.

made some marks:

used the hacksaw blade. You have to be very careful toward the rear as the seat under plastic bumps up.

I took the toop soft foam off and replaced it once I finished cutting it:

Sanded the edges to roll it:

Wrapped it with a In-Style cover:

[D1k]

It is one of the best modifications that will help in the "flop over into a water puddle" syndrome. Along with the Gordon mods to uncork the little XR, it has become my fellow riders "worst nightmare". They all ride newer WRs and YZs and now I can keep up to them no problem. Much to their chagrin they still need to do the weekly maintenance while I just keep riding and changin oil every 500miles or so.

Concerning the seat, don't be afraid to remove the old Honda seatskin and rework the foam just like GCrad1 did. I too used a black marker and removed 1.5" of foam. WOWOWOWOW is all I can say. Remember those lower than first gear rock gardens, well fear NO MORE. You will be able to tiptoe thru them and LAUGH at your buddies !!!!!!!!!!!

Cheers !!

[billygoat]

I like the devol lowering link. I didn't want to change the ergonomics, so I did the longer suspension link. I don't like the trials bike seating of cutting seat foam.

[GCRad1]

Hey, us "shorty-inseam guys" OK, with my shorty inseam of 29" I need a trials bike! hehehe Now there is a thought! Speaking of Trials bike, two weekends ago, I ran across some guys in Johnson Valley - one with a Montessa, which Honda now owns... This one had a CRF250 FUEL INJECTION MOTOR!!!!

OK, don't want this tread to go the wrong way, DUDE, check out how low this seat is!!!

I love my seat on the XR400 now and never thought of it as a trials type seat. I can ride my bike and not worrie about the tippies!!! I sat on my buddies new DRZ400 and was quickly reminded how much I loved my lowered seat!