In the market there are motorcycles for everyone, all the licenses, of all the weights, all the tastes and also of all the heights. Although the physical condition of the user is not usually a problem to enjoy motorcycling, it is very important to have a bike according to the measures of our body.
There is no problem in riding any motorcycle, whatever our height, but when we stop, not reaching the ground can mean that riding the bike is a real problem.
With a height above 1.75 m, it is simple to adapt to any bike and be more or less comfortable, but with short people, when you do not touch the ground, we are not only talking about comfort, we find safety problems.
For this type of person, the custom motorcycles that usually have the seats at less than 700 mm, are better adapted to their height.
Which bike would suit me better if I’m rather short?
For short people the custom bikes would be the best option, as they are manufactured according to the customer’s needs.
Scooters, specially designed for urban use, can be a good option for short people, but maxi-scooters with much wider seats to improve comfort can be a problem because they force you to arch your legs a lot and therefore increase your distance from the ground.
Even medium-cylinder bikes, such as naked or sport-touring bikes, tend to have a seat height very similar to that of scooters.
Sports bikes are also an interesting possibility because, although their rear is higher, the width of the seat is much smaller, which does not force the legs to arch as much as in the previous cases, reducing the distance to the ground.
The maxi-trails are a real ordeal for short people, as the distance to the floor of the seat (850 mm or more) means that even these people are not able to unfold their legs.
There are motorcycles for all tastes, all weights and also for all heights. And it is this last section that has led us to today’s article. Motorcycling fans do not understand physical conditions, but practice tells us that it is very important to choose a bike that adapts to our body.
When we are riding it is very easy to ride any bike, whatever our height, but… What happens when we have to stop? Not reaching the ground can turn that wonderful experience in movement into a real problem.
Having said that, the truth is that the people with the most problems are the shortest, because no matter how tall you are, it is easier to adapt to any bike, whether you are more or less comfortable. But when your feet don’t touch the ground, it’s not just about comfort, it’s about safety.
What bike would suit me best if I was rather short?
In these cases, the custom bikes are usually the most affordable bikes as they usually have the saddles at less than 700 mm, so it is quite below the average of the other models.
Scooters, especially designed for urban use, are also usually a good option. However, maxi-scooters, with generally much wider seats, but also comfortable, could be more problematic because they force you to arch your legs a lot to put your feet on the ground.
Medium-cylinder bikes, such as naked bikes or 500 c.c. sport-touring bikes, tend to have a height similar to that of scooters. On the other hand, sports bikes, although they usually have the highest rear, are usually a good option since their seat tends to be much narrower and does not force the legs to arch so much, gaining a few wonderful centimetres to reach the ground.
In this case a maxi-trail, motorcycles that are gaining more and more prominence, could be a good ally. The off-road characteristics of these models, added to the long travel suspensions usually end up at a much higher height than in the rest of the models.
These motorcycles usually have their seats at more than 850 mm, so it is ideal for people of a higher size. However, if you’re rather short, or medium height, you may have trouble even deploying the goat’s leg.
Even so, if your height does not allow you to comfortably ride one of these bikes, but it is your life’s dream, there is a new solution to get those extra centimetres you need to ride the bike safely and comfortably, without the need for height adjustments or specific saddles which are usually expensive solutions and do not always give the expected results.
Trail bikes have the greatest height to the ground and except for a few occasions, they do not generate the necessary feeling of poise to reach the ground with both feet for riders of 1.70 m or less.
Although some brands offer different height options, there are always pilots who, due to their lower height, cannot enjoy.