Greetings from São Paulo, Brazil!

I am 5 3" and lowered my KLX250SF (sold here in Brazil as D-Tracker X) about 1 1/2 inch by enlarging the holes in the factory links. This is not ideal, so I have ordered the "dogbones" to lower it a bit more (2 or 2,5 inches)

I have also added a 4,1 mm handlebar height extender, but now the handlebar is a bit too high and feels too wide.

So before lowering the front suspension further, I´d like to know if there is an aftermarket handlebar that is narrower and higher that the stock one, so I would not use the extender - something more suitable for a shorter woman rider.

I would also consider cutting the factory handlebar narrower - or are the aftermarket ones much better, and why?

 

The Renthal Jimmy Button bend bars are similar in bend to the stock bars but are taller. They may be wider (I don't remember), but the ends can be shortened if they are too wide for you.

The Renthal aluminum bars are much stronger than the stock bars and are much better and damping vibrations.

Ron

 

I'm 5'4" and ride a 250S. I went with Renthal CR Hi bars, but really they're almost identical to stock. If you want lower bars, you might look at the CR Low or Mid. Then you can cut the width to suit your personal preference. Personally I find the stock height and width ideal for my size. If they were any lower, standing would be uncomfortable.

 

Not sure on handlebar selections, but just wanted to say...welcome to the forums!

 

Thanks everyone for the input!

Is the handlebar raiser I am using good for dampening vibration? I rode about 200 km on the highway and my arms ached and I felt more vibration than with my previous 125 cc bike. The speed limiter is active and the engine was reaching 6-7000 rpm at a speed of 90-100 km/h (about 65 miles/h)- I hope when the dealer disconnects the limiter on the 1000 km maintenance, the RPM goes down a bit at this speed.

So I am unsure whether to leave the raiser, lower the front suspension a bit more and cut the stock handlebar narrower, or remove the raiser and get a higher handllebar. What do you reckon?

 

I assume that you're using a riser so that you could raise the forks up higher to get the bike lower. I'm not sure if that could cause vibration or not, but I'm wondering if it could, because my 250s has no vibration at any speed (up to 72--that's the fastest I've gone so far). It's the smoothest single cylinder bike I've ridden, with the exception of my husband's BMW.

Do you really need to lower the bike so much? I'm 5'4" and my 250S is lowered 1". I really didn't need to lower it at all. I could ride it fine stock, although I could only get one toe down on the ground. With the lowering I can get both toes down if I stretch. If I were only riding on the road, I would have left it stock, but since it's my off-road bike, I feel a bit better with the 1" links since I often stop in off-camber areas. I've sat on a 250SF and found it to be really short. My inseam is 30"--maybe 30.5".

If you do need it lowered a lot, you should have a suspension shop lower it internally. Using long lowering links and raising the forks a lot changes the geometry substantially and could effect handling.

 

I'm 5'4" and lowered my bike like this.
https://www.kawasakiforums.com/forum...ad.php?t=22655

I have Pro Taper RM Mid bars with a 1/2" cut off each end.
No need for risers but my use is 90% off road so they're set up to be comfortable standing up.
Risers would make the bars too high.

 

Hi Neil,

I ride mostly on road and city traffic, so the main intention for the riser was to improve riding in the "virtual corridor" between cars without hitting their rear view mirrors - unfortunately this is where bikes are expected to ride in São Paulo. But the high handlebar is hindering the handling of the bike for me - I think I will give up on it.

Regarding your lowering experience: I weigh 53 kg, that is, 20 kg (~ 50 pounds) less than you, so when I sit on the bike it doesn´t get much lower. The spring load has been adjusted, but still not much effect - I can put one foot on the floor and tiptoe on the other, but I cannot reverse the bike using both feet when I need to park and I feel insecure in situations such as ramps.

So I still want to lower it using a longer link, and if the front geometry is affected and I cannot raise the fork with the stock handlebar, I might try to use the riser again.

I will check the suspension setup to see if vibration can be reduced - for road use is it best to leave in the central positions? I took the bike to a specialist off road bike shop and the mechanic is even shorter than me, but he told me that with experience I could handle the lack of proper footing. But I reckon I should start with the best possible tuning...

I had an offroad experience and it was much more fun than on tarmac! This bike really has a "dirt heart", the ride was smooth, great handling - amazing! I definitely want to do more off road adventures with it - but in order to get to the dirt, I need to ride on the highway!

 

D-tracker,

You should have no problem setting proper sag on your bike. I am 47Kg and had no trouble getting proper sag on my S. These bikes are undersprung for most riders, which makes them perfect for lighter riders like us.

 

Well, I decided to cut the stock handlebar after being encouraged by another short rider, owner of a bike accessories store. He cut off about 3/4 inch of each end, which is about the limit to fit he mirrors and commands straight before the handlebar bends in the center.

The result was excellent: much better handling, better manouvering, the bike feels lighter and I fell more in command!

So now the issue is solved, and here´s conclusion and advice for short riders: never underestimate the effect of a small change aimed at improved handling and comfort!: