[svetlozarbg]

Hi there, new to the forum, new to motorcycling I am looking for my first bike and I really like the 400, my question is if i will need to lower the bike, i will upload pic for you guys and hopefully you can give a good advice. I took the msf course if that can help. As you can see I am tiptoing aand I can flat foot with one leg.

 

[Goldsmith]

In my opinion you look just fine. When coming to a stop it is best to have only your left foot down and your right covering the rear break.

 

[KawaSavage]

Based on your pic I would say you and I are a fairly similar height and I haven’t had any problems thus far. If you can flat foot one side you will probably be fine. Just keep an eye out for odd hazard like heavily canted roadways, deep potholes etc. You could also crank the preload all the way down so your suspension sags a little lower.

 

[rde09]

Platform boots

You could always opt for the left over from Halloween monster boots with 4" of additional height....
Just kidding,
a boot with a taller sole or heel will make a difference. Just be very careful about riding on inclined surfaces and placing yourself with the shifter side of the bike on the downhill side, if you are going to focus on using that leg to balance the bike with. My cousins wife is only 4'11" and though she has dumped her bike a few times she finally has mastered the art of focusing on where she is going to stop or how she will turn on an inclined surface. If coming to an intersection with an elevated incline, try to find an area of the road that may benefit you, as in placing the tires on the shoulder if it is lower and placing your foot on the road. Just remember to focus on how you will place the bike and yourself whenever you stop or turn slowly.
I have not looked for them, but I imagine there is or shortly will be lowering links or dogbones for lowering the bike 2-3".
Can anyone advise if the Ninja 300 lowering links will fit the Ninja 400?

Glad to have you on the forum. Hope you make the N400 choice, I did and haven't regretted it.

 

[svetlozarbg]

Thanks a lot for all the replys, well I am 5' 2 and the shoes that I am wearing on the pic are like an inch high. I am afraid that I might drop the bike during low speed turns/stops and stoping on steep hills.
I really don't want to drop my new bike. The dealer said they can lower it for me, but thats gonna cost around $500 which I found quite a lot. But if you guys advice me to lower it i will. I don't find the bike heavy by any means, but for the 500 I could buy cooler exhaust. I am planning to ride the bike on empty lots and late at night, when there is no traffic.

 

[KawaSavage]

Well I was a little bit off in my guess as I am 5’5 bit still I think you will be able to pull it off especially once you get some practice under your belt. Assuming you can avoid dropping the bike while you are still brand new. That’s were frame, bar end, swing are sliders come in. Instead of lowering for 500 you could spend 130 on a slider kit and have some peace of mind and protection of you do drop the bike while practicing the dreaded u turn. Just a thought. Oh and as always don’t skip leg day ??

 

[svetlozarbg]

Thanks for the advice, really appreciate it

 

[Yuba]

I suggest you not to lower the seat height as it will be expensive; however, i havent seen any seat lowering kit for N400 yet.

Btw we are of same height but i think i have low inseam so i cant even tiptoe both feet just one. I had same fear but you will get used to it after some time.

Another problem i faced is with the kickstand/sidestand. I had hard time reaching sidestand because of my height, so i installed kickstand extension which i bought from amazon(though it didnt exactly fit so i had to adjust it to fit it). If you have the same problem you can just install the extension instead of lowering the seat.

 

[Phaze]

Congrats dude, and welcome to the forum. Personally I wouldn't spend any money adjusting the suspension as you'll grow more comfortable with the ride height over time.

 

[svetlozarbg]

I bought the bike 4 days ago and now I have 100 miles on it. I am riding the bike just fine, stop and go is not that a big issue, but if I have to back up the bike, its not possible, because I dont have strength in my toes. Also I have to be extra careful when I park it in uneven pavement, cuz I might drop it. People say its a light bike, but its not if I have to move it on neutral, I kinda wish it was 1 1/2 inch lower I am still considering to lower it. Can you guy also send me links for shorty levers, fender eliminator and frame sliders. Thanks in advance!

 

[Kiwi Rider]

I bought the bike 4 days ago and now I have 100 miles on it. I am riding the bike just fine, stop and go is not that a big issue, but if I have to back up the bike, its not possible, because I dont have strength in my toes. Also I have to be extra careful when I park it in uneven pavement, cuz I might drop it. People say its a light bike, but its not if I have to move it on neutral, I kinda wish it was 1 1/2 inch lower I am still considering to lower it. Can you guy also send me links for shorty levers, fender eliminator and frame sliders. Thanks in advance!

Suggest you use search box function!

 

[GMN-400-K]

I am also 5ft2. When I rode the demonstrator it felt fine, but from past experience felt I might have some maneuvering difficulties, so when purchasing the bike asked the dealer to get and fit a lowering kit. He did point out that I was pleased with the cornering during my test ride and might notice a difference. However for peace of mind , I decided to go ahead anyway.
The lowering link is by Lust Racing (Lowering kits | Suspension Kits | Crash Protectors | Adjustable Rearsets | Lust Racing Motorcycle Accessories), approx 65 ukpounds online, fitted as part of predelivery. The mechanic rcommended shortening the side stand as it leans over a bit and need to lean the bike the other way when kicking it up. Didn’t want to cut up any bits until I felt how it handled with the lowering kit.
500 miles later, I am happy with the performance and have found it easier to maneuver than my ninja250 and gpz500s. So I am going to keep the lowering kit and have the side stand modified. Not sure I would pay $500 though.

 

[Drudge]

Can the seat be shaved down or are there any aftermarket seats designed to sit slightly lower?

 

[hbucher]

The bike is 30" tall (inseams). I am 6'1" and when I stand I can easily put my hand under my crotch. Not that I do that frequently on purpose of course.

 

[Kiwi Rider]

The bike is 30" tall (inseams). I am 6'1" and when I stand I can easily put my hand under my crotch. Not that I do that frequently on purpose of course.

Freudian slip! :smile_big:

 

[Tekem]

Hello, picked up my Ninja 400 KRT ABS last Thursday and i have 392 miles on it so far.

Its a sweet bike. Really think its a tad more than a beginners bike imho. Only issue i have is that it gets pretty hot. The temp sensor goes to one bar from max temp before fan kicks in.

I have seen bikes without liquid cooling that are less hot. Hopefully Kawasaki provides a fix for this in the near future.

 

[krombopulosryan]

Hello, picked up my Ninja 400 KRT ABS last Thursday and i have 392 miles on it so far.

Its a sweet bike. Really think its a tad more than a beginners bike imho. Only issue i have is that it gets pretty hot. The temp sensor goes to one bar from max temp before fan kicks in.

I have seen bikes without liquid cooling that are less hot. Hopefully Kawasaki provides a fix for this in the near future.

I completely agree it's a hot running bike. Wouldn't worry too much unless you're in the desert in the heart of Summer, I went for an extended ride out through Borrego Springs by way of S22, back when we had the heatwave. Got stuck at a couple lights and it was hot! No problems yet running hard in some harsh conditions.

 

[Fuby]

I kinda question their gauge setup.. Seems everyone says it sits one line from top..
wonder if its more of a dummy indicator till the fan kicks on?

As you can see I am tiptoing aand I can flat foot with one leg.

Congrats on a nice bike!! As you can already tell..your mind has adjusted to the height already... I was the same way (130pounds wet back then) on a KZ650 many years ago.. which was about 100 pounds heavier and at least an inch taller in the seat.. it gets really easy to one foot a bike at stops, backing up at times can be an issue.. again , you learn to adjust.. I don't think at this weight you will have many issues at all.. jus'my opinion.. enjoy!



Safe Travels!!:grin::nerd::grin:

 

[TaiMc]

Hi there, new to the forum, new to motorcycling I am looking for my first bike and I really like the 400, my question is if i will need to lower the bike, i will upload pic for you guys and hopefully you can give a good advice. I took the msf course if that can help. As you can see I am tiptoing aand I can flat foot with one leg.

Welcome! I think you'll be just fine.

Riding boots my also give you some added height. However, watch the thickness in the toe area...as you might have some issues getting your toe under the shifter from the peg ( this was my initial issue with my Sidi Leis). I wanted adjustable rearsets to fix the problem (in order to keep my touring boots), but I just bought another sport boot (alpinestars)...was cheaper than gettin rearsets. But you look good to me!:grin:

 

[TaiMc]

Thanks a lot for all the replys, well I am 5' 2 and the shoes that I am wearing on the pic are like an inch high. I am afraid that I might drop the bike during low speed turns/stops and stoping on steep hills.
I really don't want to drop my new bike. The dealer said they can lower it for me, but thats gonna cost around $500 which I found quite a lot. But if you guys advice me to lower it i will. I don't find the bike heavy by any means, but for the 500 I could buy cooler exhaust. I am planning to ride the bike on empty lots and late at night, when there is no traffic.

This is a great plan! This is exactly what I did before getting on the streets. I literally put down 48 miles of practice in a lot, but I had a lot of encounters with people and vehicles...and it prepared me for those emergency moments. Also imo it's easy to ride straight and at faster speeds. The corners and lower speeds can be more of a problem as it becomes a balancing act. Use the lot to your advantage regarding this. Practice knowing your friction zone, abrupt braking, practice your slow coasting and remember to hug that tank with your knees and lean with the bike in a corner...it makes all the difference in the world in turns! Look where you want to go and look straight ahead when coming to abrupt stops.

You'll do great! I'm excited for you