need your help, R Rorich, or anyone not too tall

[vwwww]

I am 5' 4" tall, my inseem is 28", the bike I ride is a 02 KTM 125sx, which has the seat lowered to 35.5". I love being able to get on and reaching the ground, no more helpful blocks of wood for me. I would like too buy a new cr450f. I know the suspension can be shortened. I know that the cr450 has the lowest seat height of all the 4 strokes. I know that four strokes don't seem to start as easy as 2 strokes. Rich I've read that you have owned a few 4 strokes and that you are not a tall guy so my questions are. Do you have any problems starting your bikes? I was thinking that shorter height and less weight might make it too hard too start? What do you think? or should I just buy something with electric start?
Thanks
Vincent

 

[Rich Rohrich]

The CRF450 is very easy to start in general, and with the bike lowered it's positively simple. I've always found lowered bikes to be much easier to start and more fun to ride in general. I had a much tougher time starting my stock height 2001 CR125 than I ever had with my lowered YZF or CRF. Once you get the pilot jetting correct I don't feel that electric start is necessary on ANY of the current crop of Japanese four-strokes.
Buy the CRF lower it some and you'll live happily ever after. It's a fantastic bike.

 

[dell30rb]

now why was my post deleted?

 

[dell30rb]

Rich, how is that crf working on a mx track with lowered suspension? How much travel are you running?

 

[Rich Rohrich]

It has about 6 inches of travel and it works really well on old school type MX tracks as long as you don't want to launch it over 80 foot triples.

 

[smb_racing]

I rode a CR-f a few days ago, it turned my head back toward honda I must say, the bike flat rips even in stock trim, talk about easy starting, I stalled it out and remember the horror of kicking an old DR-250 for 20 minutes with no avail, however pull the hotstart and the CR lit up in two kicks, I was very impressed but I feel that I dont need all the power ;)

 

[vwwww]

I think a cr450 will be parked in my garage soon. Thanks for advice, Rich.