‘I’m so happy I’ve got a bike I can ride’
ANITA LOBBAN 5FT 3IN DUCATI MONSTER 696 Lowering methods Lower suspension, built-up soles
Anita, a spry pilates instructor with a twinkle in her eye, is a lesson in determination; she passed her test six years ago, when she was 64, but it wasn’t straightforward. A failed CBT and a couple of failed Mod 2 tests later, Anita realised the right-sized bike was integral to building confidence.
“They gave me a Suzuki Gladius, which was a bit too high and so I failed on hesitating at junctions. I couldn’t just stop without looking to see if there was a camber. Failed the second time too — I said, ‘The bike’s too tall,’ and the examiner said, ‘No, it doesn’t make any difference; look at me; I’ve got short legs.’ Yeah, but he was big and fat, and the bike squashed so much when he sat on it no wonder he touched the ground!”
But Anita wasn’t deterred; “I knew it could be done,” she says. “But I had to get my own bike. I found the Ducati 696 in a dealer and I fell in love with it. But it was still too tall for me,” she says.
So Anita took the Monster to local suspension expert KAIS, which modified the shock and forks to shave off height, lowering the bike enough for Anita to get both feet flat — and pass her test.
“KAIS measured me, so it was the right size right away,” she says. “If anything it was actually a bit too low; it would ground-out over speed humps.” Sadly, that bike got stolen, but the replacement — another 696 — was also modified by KAIS; just not as low this time, for a bit more clearance: “I had more confidence by then, so I could have it a bit higher.”
To compensate, Anita had the soles of her Daytona Lady Pilot GTX boots — already raised by 6cm — built up by another 1cm by Timpson, the shoe repair company. “That helped a lot,” says Anita. She also thought about cutting the Monster’s seat down, but, “...it’s not all that wide or comfy as it is, and I like to do a few long trips.”
So what advice would Anita give new riders worried about the size of bikes? “The key is confidence and a positive mind set, but it’s practice too.”