Once you develop some muscle memory and some of the things which you need to concentrate on become innate, you will be able to concentrate on other things, such as only putting one foot down at stops. In other words, for those of us of the vertically challenged persuasion, being able to comfortably and safely ride bikes which we cannot flat foot is a very realistic goal. Though it took a while to get to this point, I can honestly say that in my case not being able to flat foot my bike has become a non factor.
You might think about trying this from time to time on your Rebel even though you can flat foot it. When not in rush hour traffic and on good, flat pavement at a stop. Keep the bike in 1st, clutch in of course, plant your left foot firmly on the ground but keep your right foot on the brake, frees up your right hand to stretch or scratch your nose. The bike will not be fully vertical(well your Rebel might be but a taller bike wouldn’t) but the very small angle of incline should not give you any problem at all. You should find this to be a very stable position. If it’s a long stop, your left hand is getting tired, and you want to put the bike in neutral, it’s not difficult. Simply push off with your left foot, as you are doing this, apply the front brake while taking your foot off of the rear brake and putting it on the ground to support your weight as the bike shifts from leaning towards the left to leaning towards the right. With the clutch still pulled in shift into neutral and then release the clutch. Then simply push off with your right foot to put yourself back in the original position. When it’s time to get going just do the same thing, except this time put the bike back into first. It may seem complicated at first but the entire process takes about a second.
I am not recommending taller bikes for those without any experience. However once some skills are gained I don’t think that seat height should be the deciding factor in choosing a bike.
By the way, if you still have the bike out in mid November I’d be happy to help you out with this next time I’m in New York. Always have time to help out a fellow shorty.
Randy(5’6″ but with a shorter inseam than my 5’2″ wife)