Okay folks, let’s talk about my XR200. Awesome bike, right? Loved everything about it… except for one huge problem: I couldn’t touch the ground properly with both feet! That factory seat height was absolute murder for my shorter legs. Felt like I was gonna tip over every single time I stopped. Needed a fix, bad.
The Frustration Mounts
Seriously, it got annoying fast. Stopping on even a slight incline? Forget it. Needed tip-toes and a prayer. Forget maneuvering it slowly in the garage or on uneven ground. That looming fear of dropping it was always there. Had to do something before I actually did drop it.
Diving Into Options
First, obviously, hit up the web forums. Saw people talking about shaving the seat foam. Sounded messy, and honestly, worried about wrecking the seat. Also saw lowering links mentioned. Seemed more involved and possibly expensive. Wanted something simpler to try first.
Checked the bike itself and noticed the seat bolts onto this metal bracket near the frame. That bracket has those long slots where the bolts go through. Hmmm… maybe I could shift the seat position?
The Simple (and Free!) Fix Attempt
Alright, grabbed my toolkit. Wrenches for the seat bolts? Check. Figured I’d try sliding the seat all the way forward in those slots first. Maybe that extra inch towards the tank would tilt me enough to reach better?
Loosened the bolts under the seat. Gave the seat a good shove forward, wiggling it around. Took more force than expected! Reached the very front of the slots. Tightened everything back down.
Hopped on… better! Still kinda high, but I could definitely get more of my boot soles down. Felt way more stable than before. Nice! A decent improvement without touching anything else. Happy with that.
Pushing Further: A Touch More Sag
But hey, why stop there if I could get even lower? Still craved that little bit extra confidence. Remembered people talking about adjusting the rear shock preload.
Found the collar with the notches near the top of the rear shock spring. You need this special spanner wrench thing… which I didn’t have. Improvised! Carefully used a blunt screwdriver and a small hammer to gently tap the collar upwards a notch or two. Less preload basically means the spring squishes a bit easier under my weight.
Sat on the bike again, bounced slightly. Felt the rear end sink down just that tiny bit more. Combined with the seat slid all the way forward? Now my feet were firmly planted! Solid connection to the ground. Big grin time.
Final Check & Celebration
Didn’t just celebrate right away though. Took it for a quick spin down my street. Made sure to stop hard a few times. Checked if the suspension felt weird or bottomed out weirdly. Everything felt fine! Steering felt normal. Clearance? Still plenty.
The difference was night and day. Still not a trials bike, but finally felt secure and in control when stopped. Zero cost (since I just used basic tools and existing adjustability), minimal time, max result. Stoked!
The Takeaway
Don’t overcomplicate it! Before cutting foam or buying links, try these super simple adjustments:
- Slide that seat! Use the slots in the bracket. Front position made a big difference for me.
- Experiment with rear shock preload. Even just backing off one notch dropped the back end slightly and helped a lot. Go slow, test carefully.
These two things solved it for my XR200. Hope this helps anyone else feeling like a giraffe on their bike! #ShortPeopleSolutions
