Am I too short to ride? I hear this question several times throughout the year and the answer is always the same… No! Your stature does not limit your ability to ride. While it does limit the motorcycles you’ll be comfortable on, there are still plenty bikes to choose from. Motorcycles come in all different sizes and a lot of them are great for the shorter-than-average human.
Finding confidence
The larger challenge lies in your confidence to ride. When learning to ride, the feeling of not being able to touch the ground and concern over the weight of motorcycle need to be overcome. Learning the proper skillset will mitigate these challenges. For example, when a rider comes to stop with the wheel turned, the weight of the motorcycle will fall towards the lean. This can be too much weight to hold up. If the wheels are kept straight while coming to a stop, the weight distribution will much more even. An even weight distribution will make it easier to keep the motorcycle upright comfortably.
Another issue many shorter riders face is managing the bike on uneven terrain. When stopping on uneven terrain (such as pulling off on the side of the road or while in parking lots), always be aware of the surfaces around you and avoid stopping in places that could cause the bike to lean too heavily to one side.
Lowering the bike
There are two ways to lower the seat height of the motorcycle: changing the suspension and customizing the seat.
Changing the suspension—Changing the suspension will lower the motorcycles up to a few inches. This might be enough to make the bike comfortable for you. However, keep in mind that changing the suspension does change the handling of the motorcycle somewhat. Also, you’ll want to remove the feelers on the foot pegs. The risk of these grinding the road is greater if the suspension has been lowered.
Customizing the seat—An easier option is customizing the seat of your motorcycle by changing the way it is designed and removing some of the padding. This will give you a little help reaching the ground. There are specific seats made for this or you can use a custom seat designer such as Slims Signature Seats.
Gear to increase height
An essential part of motorcycle riding is safety gear, so if you are worried about being shorter and maintaining control of the bike when at a stop or in parking lots, consider buying bigger-soled motorcycle boots that add an inch or two of height. Companies that make gear realize that with more motorcycle riders on the roads every day, there are great opportunities to bring new products to the table that appeal to certain riding groups. Be sure to check out some of the big online motorcycle gear stores and your local dealer. Rest assured—you will not be the only one looking for more height with motorcycle boots.
The top bikes for shorter riders
Since the best motorcycles to learn on are typically smaller, these bikes are often great choices as long-term bikes for shorter riders. The Honda Rebel 250 and the Honda CBR125R are not only great to learn on—they’re also great bikes if you’re a vertically challenged rider. The seat height on these motorcycles is 27.6 and 31.0 inches, respectively. With the Honda Rebel having one of the lowest seat heights available, it is rare to find someone it doesn’t fit. If your feet are firmly on the ground with most dining room and office chairs, you’ll be just fine on the Honda Rebel 250.
However, if you’re like most riders, you’ll eventually want to upgrade from your first motorcycle. Below is a list of motorcycles that will fit most people between the height of 4’11 and 5’4. If you’re curious about the seat height of a different motorcycle than those listed, go to http://cycle-ergo.com/
We’ll see you out on the road!
Motorcycles with the lowest seat height
Harley Davidson Sportster 883 low – 26.3 inches
Honda Rebel 250 – 27.6 inches
Harley Davidson Street 500/700 – 27.7 inches
Kawasaki Ninja 250R – 28.1 inches
Suzuki GS500F – 30.3 inches
Kawasaki Ninja 300R – 30.9 inches
Ducati Monster 696 – 30.9 inches
Honda CBR 250R – 30.5 inches
Yamaha FZ6 – 30.9 inches
Honda CBR 125R – 31.0 inches
Triumph T100 – 31.3 inches
Yamaha FZ07 – 31.6 inches
Edited by Tonya T.