SSR XF250 for a tall rider?

[johnnsonnnn]

I'm 6'7'' tall on a good day, and I am looking for a bike in the 200/250 cc range to use mainly as a commuter but also to take into the nearby national forest on occasion.

I had never looked into buying a Chinese bike but I stumbled upon the XF250 and it seems like a nice little bike for the $$.

Can any XF250 owners comment on the size of the bike? I like the 35" seat height. Any other recommendations on Chinese bikes? There is a dealer advertising them in my area, but it is an hour's drive away from me and I want to hear your thoughts first!

[jct842]

One more item would be if some one could get a good close up picture of a tall guy in a riding position.

I am 6'2", old and can not sit long in a cramped position long and no bikes in my area to try. Sorry for a semi-highjack! john

[fratermus]

Tall folks over 6' might be better served by something like a used KLR650 or DRZ400. They are TALL bikes. The KLR in particular is omnipresent and cheap; it is common to find used ones for $3000 in reliable "daily driver" condition. And a huge parts and aftermarket network.

The DRZ is a better bike for the offroad stuff but cost more used and folks are more likely to have run the snot out of them. :-/

[wilserchinarider]

My neighbor had a SSR XF250, it appeared to be a pretty tall bike, listed at 35" seat height. The KLR 650 is also listed at 35". The DRZ 400 is listed a bit taller at 37". The HAWK 250 i recently acquired is 35" seat height, and I wouldn't want any taller, I'm only 5' 8".

I think short and tall are best served by sitting on the actual bike, handlebar position can spread the bike out as well. Perhaps a seat pad can raise up the taller folks, and the seat can usually be shaved lower for shorter riders.

[Mudflap]

I'm only 5'14" but have a 34" inseam. My Lifan 200 GY5 is quite comfortable for my long legs but my Zongshen 200 (Roketa) feels a bit cramped. Very hard to tell if a bike will be a good fit without sitting on it.

[dh]

Hi Johnson I am 6'3 and find the XF250 very comfortable. I commute 20 miles round trip daily at 55mph. There are 2 KLR's and 1 XR650 at work. The seat height is noticeably shorter than a XR650 but pretty close to the KLR. I have ridden 200 miles comfortably.

[johnnsonnnn]

dh,

Thank you for the specifics! This is going to be my first bike and I like the idea of a 250 instead of a more powerful one so I don't do anything too crazy :P.

I also like the KLR and XR650, and perhaps I will look into them once I get some experience under my belt. I'm going to the dealer in the next couple of weeks to look at them and I will try to post pics for jct842 as requested. (Although it sounds like it would work for a 6'2'' rider)

[Boots]

I've had terrible experience with SSR product warranty. I would avoid anything SSR like the plague. I've seen a scooter engine crack in half almost killing the rider and SSR did nothing. The bike was still covered by warranty but SSR weaseled out by saying it was rider error. I don't know how a 150cc engine case cracking in half while riding on city streets is 'user error'. I also wouldn't count on them being able to cover parts for your bike either. there are other importers out there with better quality product and parts support. I know a guy that has an xf250 and tried to get some parts but SSR didn't have anything he needed and the parts are impossible to find elsewhere so the bike is dead in the water for now. Cheers!

[ipfmcd]

I'm 5'11" and find the height of the SSR XF 250 perfect. If anything I may extend the height of the tail in the near future (just for riding clearance).