Motorcycles for New Short Riders
Motorcycles for New Short Riders
I hear these questions a lot. "What is the best motorcycle for me if I'm short?" and "Is it ok to lower my bike?". I can only speak from experience, but I am going to try and give you all that I know as a 5’-0” tall rider. I have only had a dirtbike, a sportbike and a motard, so if any cruiser riders would like to chime in, that would be great.
Best motorcycle? Sorry, I can’t name every motorcycle with a low seat height, you really just need to go sit on as many as you can. Just be aware, seat height isn’t the only factor. You also need to consider the seat shape as well as the rider’s position on the bike. Both can change your reach, even though the seat height may be the same. I have sat on a stock height Ninja 250 and a newer model GSXR 600 and was able to nearly flat foot both.
Lowering? One of my biggest pet peeves in the biker world is when a brand new “vertically challenged” rider asks advice about lowering their bike and I hear/read from other riders “You should NEVER lower your bike, you’re ruining the motorcycle”. Ok, yes its true, it changes the geometry, and true you’re not going to be able to turn like Rossi, but hey, guess what…you’re not Rossi! You are new rider trying to learn and have fun.
Just get the bike to a height that you feel comfortable, learn to ride it with confidence, and if you want to, you can little by little, move it back up. Most new riders aren’t hitting the race track on day one. They are learning how to shift, how to be aware of their surroundings, how to look through a turn and how to stay safe. In my opinion, the last thing they need to worry about is tipping over at a red light. Now, I do feel that as your riding improves, you will want to raise it up. You’ll start to lean the bike over more, and you don’t want to drag parts. That’s not good.
Now, A few things to try before lowering the bike.
Easiest first. Your boots, there are some riding boots with a bit of a heal. This may help just make sure it doesn’t impede your foot controls.
Next have your motorcycle setup by a suspension specialist. He will adjust it to your weight and riding style. This may sometimes help with the reach. I had a spring that was way too stiff, when we switched that out, I was able to raise the whole bike up. Also, go to a professional if you decide to lower the motorcycle. The correct setup will make a world of difference even with a lowered bike.
Shave the Seat. All this means is to cut away some of the foam from the underside of the seat. There is not a lot to spare on most sportbikes, but on my motard I was able to cut away 2” and replace with 5/8” of gel. I think its more comfy than stock.
If you don’t want to change the bike, and you must have a bike that is too high, you’ll have to learn to one-foot at stops. Some riders
do it with complete confidence. I do it on my motard, but I’m still working on being comfortable with it. Which reminds me of another crucial tip, learn to pick your bike up, you’ll probably drop it (frame sliders are your best friend).
I hope this helps some new short riders feel ok about doing what they need to do to be comfortable. Just remember, even with these adjustments, you may not be flat footed, and that’s ok as long as you feel stable and confident.
If you have any thoughts, or maybe an idea that I missed, please post up, Shorties Unite!
Tags: lowering, lowering a motorcycle, ride height, short motorcycle riders, short riders
Views: 927
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Kelsey Berry on
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I'm only 4'10' and I have a yahama R6 and got it lowered. It is the lowest possible and it works fine for me. I am not all the way flat foot but I'm able to control my bike. I learned how to pick it up when I dropped it a few times at first when I lost balance and that was important. The only problem is that you have to watch speed bumps and objects in the road because my bike drags out. I also can't have passengers which is fine by me because it will drag.
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Permalink Reply by Girlriders - Katie on -
Good for you Kelsey, getting it to where you can ride it!
Just be careful if you start leaning it turns, you'll scrape your pegs and that could get ugly.
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Permalink Reply by Mimi on
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THANKS FOR THE ADVISE BECAUSE I AM WORKING ON LOWERING MY BIKE.. I PUT IN A LOWERING LINK AND I AM WAITING FOR MY ADJUSTABLE KICKSTAND AND THEN I SHOULD BE OK. IT TRUE I AM NOT LIKE ROSSI OR ANY OF THE PRO RIDERS. I LOVE RIDING FOR FUN AND BECAUSE ITS THE SECOND THING IN THIS WORLD BESIDE BALLROOM DANCING THAT MAKES ME HAPPY.
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Permalink Reply by Danielle Butcher on -
Thank you for the advice :)
I can reach the floor with the Sanya Iam riding and the Yamaha YBR I can reach the floor fine.Both feet flat on the floor.The YBR is a great starter bike, I can say it from my heart...I love that bike.As Iam new to all this I can't say much about which bikes are good but if you want a low power small bike to start with, the YBR is by far a great bike....just how I feel about that :)
Thanks again, great advice :)
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Permalink Reply by Girlriders - Katie on
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Danielle, I had to look up the Yamaha YBR, I don't think we have that one in the US. It looks like a perfect starter bike. There really isn't enough good choices over here for smaller CC's.
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Permalink Reply by Danielle Butcher on
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Hi,
Its a shame you don't, it such a great starter bike.It was the first bike I rode on for gears and I loved it.I will have to try to a video review so you can actually see what it is like....or get my other half to do it as he loves doing reviews for bikes :).If we get one done I will post it....not sure where though...here? but will post it :)
We have a wide range of smaller CC's but the prices are so high.I got the YBR on a finance scheme where I pay monthly for 3 years.£2000 which is a great deal, they go for alot more then that...and it is brand new too so great deal :)
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