Living with the DS900X's weight — low speed technique and picking it up
Around 220 kg dry, carried high, on a 21-inch front wheel with an 825 mm seat. Let's talk about this honestly, because it's the one thing that catches new owners out.
THE REALITY
Rolling above walking pace, the DS900X handles well — reviewers consistently describe it as agile in corners with minimal rider input required.
Below walking pace is a different bike. Owner reports consistently describe it as top-heavy and hefty, and difficult to pick up alone after a drop on the trail.
Neither of these facts should stop you buying it. Both should shape how you ride it and how you prepare.
LOW-SPEED TECHNIQUE — THE THREE THINGS THAT ACTUALLY WORK
1. Head up, eyes where you're going.
Not at the ground, not at the front wheel. The bike goes where you look, and at walking pace this effect is dramatic. This single change fixes more low-speed problems than everything else combined.
2. Slipping clutch, steady throttle, light rear brake.
Never a closed throttle at walking pace. Hold constant revs, control speed with the clutch friction zone, stabilise with gentle rear brake pressure. A bike under mild drive is stable; a bike coasting is not.
3. Never use the front brake at full lock.
This is how heavy bikes end up on their side in car parks. If you need to stop mid-manoeuvre, straighten the bars first.
Bonus: use Road mode for slow work, not Sport. The abrupt low-rev throttle response in Sport works directly against smooth clutch control.
PRACTISE BEFORE YOU NEED IT
Find an empty car park. Figure of eights, U-turns, slow-speed circles. Twenty minutes of deliberate practice is worth more than a year of accidental exposure, and it's the difference between managing the bike and being managed by it.
PICKING IT UP — LEARN THIS BEFORE YOU DROP IT
You almost certainly will drop it eventually. Everyone does.
Fit crash bars. They protect the bike, and they raise it slightly off the ground, which makes picking it up meaningfully easier.
IF THE HEIGHT IS THE PROBLEM
At 825 mm, plenty of riders tiptoe. Options in order of cost:
Shorter riders: please post your height, inside leg and what you did. This is one of the most-asked questions about this bike and one of the least-answered. Your experience will help someone decide.
Around 220 kg dry, carried high, on a 21-inch front wheel with an 825 mm seat. Let's talk about this honestly, because it's the one thing that catches new owners out.
THE REALITY
Rolling above walking pace, the DS900X handles well — reviewers consistently describe it as agile in corners with minimal rider input required.
Below walking pace is a different bike. Owner reports consistently describe it as top-heavy and hefty, and difficult to pick up alone after a drop on the trail.
Neither of these facts should stop you buying it. Both should shape how you ride it and how you prepare.
LOW-SPEED TECHNIQUE — THE THREE THINGS THAT ACTUALLY WORK
1. Head up, eyes where you're going.
Not at the ground, not at the front wheel. The bike goes where you look, and at walking pace this effect is dramatic. This single change fixes more low-speed problems than everything else combined.
2. Slipping clutch, steady throttle, light rear brake.
Never a closed throttle at walking pace. Hold constant revs, control speed with the clutch friction zone, stabilise with gentle rear brake pressure. A bike under mild drive is stable; a bike coasting is not.
3. Never use the front brake at full lock.
This is how heavy bikes end up on their side in car parks. If you need to stop mid-manoeuvre, straighten the bars first.
Bonus: use Road mode for slow work, not Sport. The abrupt low-rev throttle response in Sport works directly against smooth clutch control.
PRACTISE BEFORE YOU NEED IT
Find an empty car park. Figure of eights, U-turns, slow-speed circles. Twenty minutes of deliberate practice is worth more than a year of accidental exposure, and it's the difference between managing the bike and being managed by it.
PICKING IT UP — LEARN THIS BEFORE YOU DROP IT
You almost certainly will drop it eventually. Everyone does.
- Turn the engine off. First action, every time
- Put it in gear so the rear wheel can't roll away from you
- Back to the seat, crouch down, one hand on a grip or bar end, the other on a solid frame point or the subframe
- Push with your legs, walking backwards. Do not lift with your back. Your legs are strong; your spine is not
- Take your time. There is no prize for speed and a herniated disc is a genuinely life-altering injury
Fit crash bars. They protect the bike, and they raise it slightly off the ground, which makes picking it up meaningfully easier.
IF THE HEIGHT IS THE PROBLEM
At 825 mm, plenty of riders tiptoe. Options in order of cost:
- Thicker-soled boots — free if you're buying boots anyway, and worth 15–20 mm
- Seat re-foam/reshape — a good upholsterer can often reclaim 15–25 mm by narrowing the seat where your legs pass over it. This is frequently the best answer
- Lowering links — effective but they reduce ground clearance and alter the geometry the bike was designed around. Understand the trade-off before committing
Shorter riders: please post your height, inside leg and what you did. This is one of the most-asked questions about this bike and one of the least-answered. Your experience will help someone decide.