I think I'm too tall for this bike

stroem

stroem

fast rider
Joined
Oct 8, 2020
Messages
75
Location
Philadelphia, PA, USA
When I was shopping for my first motorcycle I looked at the 401s, Triumph Street Cup / Street Twin, Moto Guzzi V7, and Royal Enfield Continental GT 650. After sitting on all of them, the Vitpilen 401 felt the best. It never felt small as I can't even flat foot it at 6' tall. Ergos feel good, very comfortable bike for me to ride. Then I caught myself riding the bike on camera. It looks like a toy. I don't look cool on it, it isn't the cool cafe racer look I was going for.

Otherwise, i love the bike. I love the cafe look but with modern sportbike technology underneath. Looking at pics of the 401 next to a 701, the 401 doesn't look that much smaller. Will i look just as goofy on a 701?

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If you are six feet tall and can't flat foot it I suspect your height is trunk length. That will tend to make any bike look smaller than it really is as your seat to helmet distance will be a bit further than most riders and you will tower over it.

The bike looks good in its own right. Perhaps a lighter jacket would reduce the effect a bit, all that black on the white bike creates it's own illusion.

I recently sold an Indian Springfield Dark Horse (large cruiser) for a Triumph and I meet up with a lot of HD mates. Last weekend I turned up on my Svart 401 thinking they would give me a bit of ridicule but they all loved it. Let it speak for itself, you don't look goofy from where I'm sitting.
 
I'm 6'2" 200 lbs, 34" inseam. Here's me riding my 2020 Svart 401. It's not a big bike, but I'm comfortable on it, which is more important to me than how others think I look on it. But I don't think I look like a circus bear on a toy bike, though! Husky Starved Rock.jpg
 
camera lense can do weird things with perpective.

However the 701 is definitely a larger bike and if that doesn't give you the look you want then nothing will.
 
I agree your all black bulky jacket makes you look big on the bike, I'm 6ft tall, and had a 400 Ninja Kawasaki for a town bike, I felt big on that, and when I changed her out for my 701, a bit more bulk size on the bike was part of my reasoning, however if it makes you feel comfortable, just get over it and enjoy the ride, one thing the Vitpilen/Svartpilen community has in spades is uniqueness, we won't find to many others around and can enjoy that...
 
Yeah part of the issue is that your jacket and pants make you look like a black blob on top of a small white bike. The color contrast between your jacket and pants and your bike and helmet draw attention to it. You talk about getting the cafe racer look, but those guys have a pretty clearly defined dress code. Jeans, a tight fitting aged brown/black leather jacket, and maybe a different color helmet would solve 99% of your "looking cool" issues. Part of the look is being big on the bike.
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I'm 6'1" also with a relatively short inseam and I chose the 401 Svartpilen because I felt big on the bike. Being bigger than the bike makes it feel very controllable and I love not having my view obstructed by anything unless I specifically want to look down at my gauge or mirrors.
 
I also think the fisheye camera has a bit to do with it.

How about your reflection from Shop window fronts? That may give you a better perspective as you are at eye level with yourself and the glass is flat.

And definately agree with the concensus that on a cafe racer the bike should look small -
- on the other hand a linebacker on a R3 looks silly though, even Kayla makes her R3 look tiny...
 
I <3 Svart said:
Yeah part of the issue is that your jacket and pants make you look like a black blob on top of a small white bike. The color contrast between your jacket and pants and your bike and helmet draw attention to it. You talk about getting the cafe racer look, but those guys have a pretty clearly defined dress code. Jeans, a tight fitting aged brown/black leather jacket, and maybe a different color helmet would solve 99% of your "looking cool" issues. Part of the look is being big on the bike.
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I'm 6'1" also with a relatively short inseam and I chose the 401 Svartpilen because I felt big on the bike. Being bigger than the bike makes it feel very controllable and I love not having my view obstructed by anything unless I specifically want to look down at my gauge or mirrors.
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Eh, I don't need to cosplay to ride my motorcycle. 2 piece black riding suit with CE2 armor gives me good protection and isn't some outlandish power rangers looking gear like a lot of it. No logos, no weird designs, just a black vented leather jacket and black 750D textile pants. I think it is a fine look.

As far as helmet, there aren't many retro designs that are Snell rated, which I prefer over a DOT brain bucket and I can use it with my car for SCCA events.
 
BISavage said:
I also think the fisheye camera has a bit to do with it.

How about your reflection from Shop window fronts? That may give you a better perspective as you are at eye level with yourself and the glass is flat.

And definately agree with the concensus that on a cafe racer the bike should look small -
- on the other hand a linebacker on a R3 looks silly though, even Kayla makes her R3 look tiny...
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This is the first time I have seen what I look like on the bike, so I was just kind of shocked by the camera footage. I should try seeing myself from a more flattering angle.
 
stroem said:
it isn't the cool cafe racer look I was going for
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stroem said:
I love the cafe look
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stroem said:
Eh, I don't need to cosplay to ride my motorcycle.
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You're either going for the look or you aren't. It doesn't just come naturally with the bike because the rider is an integral part of the look as you well know. There's no shame in choosing gear that fits the look you're going for and the kind of riding you do. There's a reason you don't see a lot of Harley guys in Pistas and full Sidi gimp suits. You dress for the occasion and if you're not willing to do that then you shouldn't be surprised when you look out of place.
 
Yeah, getting an open face helmet for the look will certainly make me shorter. It will probably increase the chance of decapitation in an accident, should shave a good 10-12 inches off me.

I didn't realize liking and owning a cafe style bike was a lifestyle choice that required me to have more commitment to owning it, including cosplaying like the dentist Harley riders do on the weekends.

The bike looks like a pit bike under me, the style of gear isn't going to change that. Looking like a bear on a bicycle isn't a good look even with different gear. No one looks cool on a pit bike.
 
Still think its the camera, the tires look like eggs.

If you are really worried about how you look, take an example:

hqvadventure.com

O'Neal hits it Spot on

Typed in something into amazon and an add for O'neal Popped up, and it hit me :D 1. Excellent choice of Bike 2. Captured exactly the look of All 701 riders; spot on...
hqvadventure.com hqvadventure.com
 
Well, I think we've seen a good example of when someone already has their mind made up, you can't convince them otherwise. There's no point in getting a bike that you won't be happy with if there is a major aspect that you don't like.

So, perhaps there are larger cafe racer style bikes that would be more suitable for you?
goldwing-cafe-racer-pabo-builder.png
 
stroem said:
I didn't realize liking and owning a cafe style bike was a lifestyle choice that required me to have more commitment to owning it, including cosplaying like the dentist Harley riders do on the weekends.
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Keep your strawmen in the field. I gave the advice I gave because I got the impression that you had a specific look in mind that you were going for (because that's what you said in the OP), but nobody's sitting here saying that you should sell your bike if you're not committed to some kind of lifestyle.
 
Dan00Hawk said:
Well, I think we've seen a good example of when someone already has their mind made up, you can't convince them otherwise. There's no point in getting a bike that you won't be happy with if there is a major aspect that you don't like.

So, perhaps there are larger cafe racer style bikes that would be more suitable for you?
goldwing-cafe-racer-pabo-builder.png
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I'm sure there is a reasonable middle ground between a 401 and a Goldwing Cafe Racer
 
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