any women ride Stella's?

[squidsie]

I have yet to see any photos of women riding Stella's (besides the Stella Poster Girl). I am only 5'4" and fear I am too short to ride the Stella. I got to sit on one and I was definitely on my tippy toes. Is this a bad thing? Can the seat be adjusted or replaced so my feet can be flat on the floor?

I have been dreaming of the Stella and saving up for her and want this to be the perfect scooter for me!

If you are a woman and ride a Stella, raise your hand and post some pics!
Or if you're a man and your woman rides a Stella, well of course, thats okay too

[PeterC]

I can't speak for my wife, who refuses to get on anything with two wheels (we once had a tandem bike, and it was a disaster!), but I can offer a suggestion. My Stella came equipped with a black seat, which in this sunny climate turned into a griddle, and I sent it off to Pirate Upholstery for a lowered, British tan leather custom treatment. The result: a beautiful, comfortable, gel-padded seat that accommodates my 28 1/2" inseam!

[squidsie]

thanks for your response, PeterC. I'm glad to know that the seat you now have works better for you! And glad to know that the seat can be replaced.

I really love the looks of the slate blue Stella 4T. and the seat color that comes standard goes so well! I wonder if the original seat could be modified somehow to make it shorter.

[PeterC]

thanks for your response, PeterC. I'm glad to know that the seat you now have works better for you! And glad to know that the seat can be replaced.

I really love the looks of the slate blue Stella 4T. and the seat color that comes standard goes so well! I wonder if the original seat could be modified somehow to make it shorter.

Pirate Upholstery remakes your original seat to your specifications. For most common applications, like Stellas, Vespas, etc., they will send you a "loaner" seat, so you can continue to ride while they customize your original seat.

[Lokky]

There is two lady stella riders in my club, one of whom I believe is around your height.
The trick to the stella is that since it's right side heavy due to the engine, it's much more comfortable to stop it with your left foot down, leaning the bike to that side. I am 5'9" and I can't flatfoot it myself if she's level unless I come off the seat, mostly due to her width, but by leaning it to the left I can reach just fine and I don't have to hold up the weight of the engine.

I suggest you try to take it off the centerstand (which also makes it taller) and try to lean it, it might just be a perfect fit

[squidsie]

@PeterC: I checked out Pirate Upholstery's website. Looks like they do some fantastic work!

@Lokky: I was lucky that the shop let me sit on the Stella without the center stand. This is how I realized it is heavier and taller than I had expected. I felt it to be somewhat comfortable while leaning to the left, but still on my tippy toes. I'm glad to hear there are woman riders in your group... who ride Stella's none the less

[A&C]

I am 5'5" and ride my Stella without issue. I also lean to the left when stopped a majority of the time. I can reach on both tiptoes if needed.

[maribell]

I ride a Stella, and also have to lean left. I am 5'7" with a 30" inseam.

The vintage P series are a little bit lower if you are really worried about the seat height.

[monkeykat]

Girl rider here! I'm 5'7" and I feel it's a good fit for me. Like other posters, I too lean to the left when stopped, using the foot brake to hold my position.

Sitting on one, as you did, and even paddling around if possible, can really tell you a lot about your comfort level.

Sorry I don't have any pics of me on the scooter. Funny thing is that I have a pic of my partner on the Stella, and he doesn't even drive it--he just paddled around on it one day for fun (and I took a pic for proof).

[Lokky]

Sorry I don't have any pics of me on the scooter. Funny thing is that I have a pic of my partner on the Stella, and he doesn't even drive it--he just paddled around on it one day for fun (and I took a pic for proof).

Pics of oneself riding are always hard to come by unless you have awesome club members with nifty action cameras mounted to their bikes or taking pictures during an event. I have been riding since January and this rally is the first time that any pictures of me on my Stella were ever taken, I'm gonna be a little vanity princess and share some

[Witch]

Although I have not yet mastered the art of shifting, I can handle a Stella rather well as far as ground clearance, and I'm an inch shorter than you are. A lot of it has to do with confidence/experience. If you can get the balls of your feet down, that's usually enough to keep you stable. And yeah, I believe it's quite easy to find either a shorter sport-style Stella/PX seat, or have one made or cut down.

I ride a GTV and it is much, much harder for me to handle while touching the ground than a Stella.

[ericalm]

I know many who do! Their heights vary but a couple I'd guess are around your height. I'll try to get some to post in the thread.

BUT, it's got a lot more to do with proportions and size than height. The Stella sits wider than many modern 150s like the Buddy, so though it's a bit lower it may still not quite "fit." I'm 5'11" but only have a 30" inseam—shorter legs than my wife, who's 2" shorter than me overall.

The Stella 4T isn't as right-leaning as the 2T. Also, wearing boots helps quite a bit.

There are many low seats out there for Stella 2T and Vespa P/PX but many won't fit the 4T and some will require modification to suit the tank and the evap system.

Getting a stock seat lowered may be much more economical than a custom seat. An upholsterer can shave off an inch or more and just replace the original cover.

[neotrotsky]

If you are looking for custom seat height work, check out some of the sportbike forums. Many female riders are constanly having to find good shops to dial in the correct height and width, and those threads can be a wealth of info

[squidsie]

Thanks for responding everyone! Glad to read that there are people out there around my height who can manage the Stella! She really is a dream and I don't want to settle for anything less.

@lokky: Thanks for sharing your photos!

I think that customizing the original seat may be the best way to go. Can't wait to look at some more websites that specialize in that!

[polianarchy]

Howdy! I just sold my Stella because it was too tall for me. I'm 5'2", but that isn't important in this conversation. Height isn't what matters -- inseam measurement is the issue here. I have a 25" inseam, and I just couldn't get the stock Stella to work for me.

Another factor is the width of your thighs. I'm a very fat person and I carry a lot of my weight in my thighs, so that adds inches to the height when sitting down. (I realize many folks aren't comfortable addressing these kinds of things at all, much less with a bunch of strangers on the internet, but please know that the thickness of your thighs is indeed relevant. No need to share your body type with the class, but just keep it in mind when shopping. )

Now, I could have gotten shocks with less play than the stock shocks and/or the low-profile seat from Scooterworks, but there was no guarantee the Stella would be low enough for me after the mods without doing them. As I was considering what to do, I found one of my dream scooters and traded in the Stella.

Please note that my case is extreme. Most petite riders have an inseam of 27", two more than I posses. Also remember this has nothing to do with being a woman...the average American woman is shorter than the average American man, but she has longer legs that him (on average).

I hope this helps. Good luck with your search!

[lmyers]

5'2" with a 28" inseam. I can get my tiptoes down if I keep the bike straight but generally I lean way the hell to the left and plant my foot when I'm stopped. And I have a LOT of short-legged friends here in the heartland that do the same. You get to the point where you don't even notice.

However, when I was teaching my daughter to get comfortable with shifting, I just took the seat off so she could plant both feet when stopped.

[Lovelandstella]

...I have yet to see any photos of women riding Stella's (besides the Stella Poster Girl). I am only 5'4" and fear I am too short to ride the Stella....

I am a man who rides a Stella and my Beautiful wife (who like you, is also 5'4") rides a Buddy.
My wife is not confident with a Stella -not just for it's seat height (which is a tippie-toe situation at best) but also for it's weight.
She has had to move my Stella a couple times in the garage by herself and she has decided not to ever do it again.
The all-steel Stella weight is a lot for her smaller body to hold up; while parking, at a stop light, -at a stop light on a hill... if it ever fell over, things like that.
She is a strong, smart woman and I know she can do anything she wants to do. But her decision is that the Stella is too much bike for her petite frame. that is her decision.
Just thought I'd share!

[lmyers]

The Stella is only about 30 lbs heavier than the Buddy. Unless you put chrome all over it. The bitter truth is they are all hard to pick up after you drop them

[AWinn6889]

Im 5'2" with a 30" inseam, and I am considered "curvy" (130-ish #) and I took a seat on a Stella at the dealership a couple months back... it wasn't bad. Straight up I was tip-toeing it, but flat footing leaning to the left was easy and comfortable. If it was available when I purchased my Buddy, I may have been tempted to go for it... but the Buddy 170i does fit me much better (and it's a wee bit faster stock).
I have quite a bit of 2-wheel riding experience, and I'm pretty confident on most bikes, from a little Chinese 49cc that one of my college friends had, to the Harley Sportster 1200L (L for low)... the Stella was no different. I would have felt perfectly capable and perfectly safe riding it, as heavy and as "tall" as it is.

[Lovelandstella]

... my Beautiful wife (who like you, is also 5'4") rides a Buddy.
My wife is not confident with a Stella -not just for it's seat height (which is a tippie-toe situation at best) but also for it's weight....The all-steel Stella weight is a lot for her smaller body to hold up; while parking, at a stop light, -at a stop light on a hill... if it ever fell over, things like that.
She is a strong, smart woman and ...her decision is that the Stella is too much bike for her petite frame....

btw, I think this is the link my wife found with tips on how to pick up a downed heavy bike if she is ever alone.
http://motorcyclesandwomen.com/motorcyc ... motorcycle

The Stella is only about 30 lbs heavier than the Buddy. Unless you put chrome all over it. The bitter truth is they are all hard to pick up after you drop them

that can't be right.
per in-neh-net:
Stella 4T Weight 240 lbs.
Buddy 125 Weight 223 lbs
what?! no way!
the stella is all steel and no storage
and the buddy has plastic panels and a bunch of empty air storage under the seat. why does this make my brain hurt?

... Unless you put chrome all over it...

that may be it- I have "all the chrome but the front rack", and now I also have a rear bag and a glove box full of tools- but even without this, those numbers just hurt my brain, as possibly not correct. I dunno. ouch, head.

[Lovelandstella]

...I have yet to see any photos of women riding Stella's (besides the Stella Poster Girl). I am only 5'4" and fear I am too short to ride the Stella....

...my Beautiful wife (who like you, is also 5'4") rides a Buddy.
... She is a strong, smart woman and I know she can do anything she wants to do...

full disclosure: the buddy is her first 2 wheeled vehicle.
nevertheless, she advises me her decision on the buddy over the stella is a permanent one.

[noodoggy]

just to add my 2 cents. It is safer to stand with your scoot or any motored two wheeler to the left as you can keep a foot on the brake. In my motorcycle riding class, we were drilled about stopping with foot on the brake and putting down the left foot. It's a good habit to have, and like others have noted, with the stella, you dont have to contend with the weight of the engine as it is centered over the wheel when leaning to the left. hope you get the stella! it is alot of fun to ride!

[lorenajack]

I bought a 2005 Stella from a young lady this past Labor Day. She was rather tall and had no problem. But IF you are new to riding a scooter, I absolutely recommend attending a local scooter/cycle training course. These are not bicycles, and there are *MANY* safety issues to be aware of.

Also, everything needs to be reactionary -- in other words, you may have to stop quickly in certain situations. Instinct must kick in to apply the brakes, and making sure there is no vehicle behind you. And the list goes on.

I rode a 50cc Vespa back in college days. I am now 66 and riding a 150cc Stella. CAUTION is of the utmost importance!

[Keith]

They say there are two types of riders......those who have gone down, and those who will. The MSF course will go a long way in making that statement false. Get training and don't out scoot your personal skill level.

[gigi]

forget the seat. PLATFORM riding boots! I have a 2004 2Tand a 5'1" daughter with stubby legs. she rides in boots that she had extra thick soles put on. 2 inch extra thick. keeps your feet warm too.javascript:emoticon('')

[Witch]

The Stella is only about 30 lbs heavier than the Buddy. Unless you put chrome all over it. The bitter truth is they are all hard to pick up after you drop them

that can't be right.
per in-neh-net:
Stella 4T Weight 240 lbs.
Buddy 125 Weight 223 lbs
what?! no way!
the stella is all steel and no storage
and the buddy has plastic panels and a bunch of empty air storage under the seat. why does this make my brain hurt?

My guess--
The Buddy has a very low center of gravity. All the heavy "guts" are way down towards the ground. The wheels are small, so there is space to keep the engine pretty low on the frame. While most of the Stella's weight is still fairly low to the ground too, a lot more more of it is also distributed elsewhere by the frame itself. My guess is that a Stella's frame weighs more than a Buddy's.

Dunno if it's all true... but it sounds pretty good to me.

[Tom]

I would say the weight difference makes a lot of sense if you start to realize how small and light both bikes are. Then you'll see when you're talking about a greater than 10% difference in weight for being steel, it's a pretty big difference. Doesn't seem like it because they are both relatively light.

As far as stability for shorter folks, just remember you don't really need both feet on the ground once you're on the bike. I have been riding for many years, and over all the bikes I've had, I could touch both feet flat-footed with some, but more often not. It hasn't made a single bit of difference in either case. For comfort sake though (it feels good to me to be lower on the bike) I am also thinking to have the 4T's seat modified.

[onedeed26]

This girl rides a stella and loving it so far

[ThreeSheets]

brings a whole new meaning to the saying " you take that thing off any sweet jumps"