Seat height

Camel, Sahara, Kanguro, Coguaro
neil
Posts: 40
Joined: 07 Jun 2008 08:59
Location: Nottingham

Seat height

Post by neil »

Hi, I am (still) considering selling my Strada and buying a Kanguro in the hope that the riding positon is more comfortable. Could someone measure the height from ground to top of the seat on a Kanguro, and also the height from the top of the footpeg to the top of the seat. I will then be able to compare the measurements with my Strada.
Thanks, Neil.
EVguru
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Re: Seat height

Post by EVguru »

What year is your Strada, does it have a linkage for the shift?
Paul Compton
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neil
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Joined: 07 Jun 2008 08:59
Location: Nottingham

Re: Seat height

Post by neil »

'82 Strada fitted with gear linkage. Is it possible to fit a normal (extended?) gear lever on the shaft and get rid of the linkage?
EVguru
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Re: Seat height

Post by EVguru »

neil wrote:'82 Strada fitted with gear linkage. Is it possible to fit a normal (extended?) gear lever on the shaft and get rid of the linkage?
Yes.

There's a set of early pegs, gear and brake pedals on ebay at the moment.

http://shop.ebay.co.uk/heald567/m.html? ... 4340.l2562
Paul Compton
http://www.morini-mania.co.uk
http://www.youtube.com/user/EVguru
neil
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Joined: 07 Jun 2008 08:59
Location: Nottingham

Re: Seat height

Post by neil »

I'm not sure what you are suggesting Paul. I thought the gear linkage was fitted because with an electric starter the normal gear lever wouldn't fit. I've already got standard footpegs and brake lever. What I'm really looking for is more seat height from the ground and from the footpeg and a more upright riding position (i.e. taller handlebars), which is why I was thinking of a Kanguro or maybe an ex army mt350.
Neil.
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MarkB
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Re: Seat height

Post by MarkB »

Neil, I've currently got a Strada and used to have an X3 Kanguro. The Kanguro has a more upright riding position with arms high and wide - very comfortable. You just need a stepladder to get on board. And if you stop on a steeply cambered road, make sure you put your right leg down and not your left one...

Mark, 5'10", brown eyes, etc.
"I'll have a V please, Bob."
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kangurada
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Re: Seat height

Post by kangurada »

Although the Kanguro is taller, the seats are deep-sided and squashy! My personal feeling is that my knees are definitely higher when riding along on the Kanguro than a Strada (I put my Strada engine in a Kanguro X rolling chassis after a fire). I'm just under 5'11" and take a standard 32" inside leg trouser.
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Re: Seat height

Post by EVguru »

There's quite a difference in seat height between the round tube frames an the later rectangular section ones.
Paul Compton
http://www.morini-mania.co.uk
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neil
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Re: Seat height

Post by neil »

Right, so which has the higher seat height, round tube or rectangular? I like the look of the earlier round tube models but consider the later models to be be an improved design (brakes, electrics etc).
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kangurada
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Re: Seat height

Post by kangurada »

Mine is an X - so round tube. As I said, my personal feeling is that the seat to footpeg distance is in practice less than on a Strada. And what measurements won't tell you is just how much the seat squashes down. I should also have said that I weigh less than 11 stone so it's not as if a great weight is compressing it! Similarly, effective seat to ground height is determined by how much the suspension is compressed under your body weight - so again measurements of an unmounted bike might be misleading..... Best to find one at least to sit on if this is a key reason for considering changing your bike as I'm not knocking Kanguros at all - I think mine's great! The drum brakes might not be marvellous but no problem with electrics - just invest in a Powerbox so that you can have 12v (there's a fairly recent thread on something like 'what battery for Kanguro' with details)
John Bunting
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Re: Seat height

Post by John Bunting »

Hi Neil,
I’m surprised to hear you are not comfortable on a Strada, that’s a most unusual complaint, I always found mine very comfortable apart from the footrests being too far forward, putting your body weight all on the base of the spine and unsupported by the legs. I even found the bars a bit too much ‘sit up and beg’ so fitted hi rise clipons.
As you have not mentioned it I am assuming you have not fitted rearset footrests, they are a pain in the butt to fit but once done I think you will be happy with your Strada.
Try to blagg a sit on, or ride on a Strada with rearsets and an offroader before taking the plunge.
Along with my Strada I’ve had a succession of offroad bikes up to my present Honda Xr and Gilera RC600, but not tried a Morini offroader and yes the riding position is very comfortable, until you go a little quicker then it is all you can do not to slide off the back due to wind blast, the upright riding position and high bars make it uncomfortable to adopt any sort of crouched riding position for long.
I’m 5’-9” & 34” inside leg, this is getting to sound like a dating forum?? 8)
John
neil
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Re: Seat height

Post by neil »

Hi John, your comments about body weight on the base of the spine is really what my problem is, lower back pain. I ride a trailie style 250 to work during the week and whenever I get on the Strada the riding position feels very cramped. When (if!) we get any fine weather I'll have a ride to NLM and have a look at a Kanguro. The NLM website hasn't got many Morinis of any type for sale at the moment, there were 2 Kanguros but one has just been sold. Is there a shortage of bikes or have NLM stopped importing them?
Neil.
John Bunting
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Location: Kano Nigeria

Re: Seat height

Post by John Bunting »

Is there a shortage of bikes or have NLM stopped importing them?
Neil.[/quote]

Possibly they have scoured the market in Italy and Morini's are not so easy to find any more
John
peterc
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Location: Gainsborough, Lincolnshire

Re: Seat height

Post by peterc »

Neil,
The quoted seat height of the square framed Kanguro's was 850mm- sounds about right as my 501 Camel is 900mm, but that has a beefed up seat (squashy seats are not good for back problems, which I also suffer from). The footpeg to the lowest point of seat on the Camel is 560mm if thats any help. I've also changed the handlebars to give a more road friendly position, as the trail bars are a bit wide for motorway speeds.
Might not be what your after but there is a clean looking 501 Coguaro on UK ebay at present.
To me the K2 was the only road Morini which as stock had decent ergonomics.

Peter
neil
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Joined: 07 Jun 2008 08:59
Location: Nottingham

Re: Seat height

Post by neil »

Peter, thanks for the info. I have been watching the Coguaro on ebay, looks rather tempting!
Neil.
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