Quote:
Originally Posted by shreddr
Having come from a cycling racing background, it always amazes me that none of the sport bike manufacturers have ever offered different frame sizes for different sized riders. The analogy is pretty obvious, and one size does not fit all, nor does putting higher bars and lower pegs make them all adaptable. Seems like a Small/Medium/Large frame offering would go a long way to making the bikes so much more ergonomically acceptable. These would probably require custom ordering, but we all line up for the new bikes as it is, and it might be just a difference in a subframe or headstock piece. Looks like there is an opportunity!
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Having owned a high end bicycle dealership for several years, I know what you are referring to-however, the inventory logistics would be brutal not to mention expensive. Motorcycle dealers usually commit to a model year allocation up front before the season begins so you'd have to order a range and that would add to your floor plan cost. Manufacturers would need to project size requirements based on a bell curve of the intended user characteristics, probably increasing leftover inventory which is already an industry problem. But the thing that would make it really not work is that handling characterisitcs are determined by how the engine is located in the entire package with regard to center of gravity, etc. You start making different size frames, you alter this center of gravity, wheelbase, etc. and, let's say you had small, medium and large frame choices, you'd have three bikes of the same model handling differently for each frame size. Not practical.