Riding Tall: The Entire guide for shorter motorcyclists

Somewhat ironically, considering the jockey-like dimensions of the world’s greatest motorcycle racers, riding a motorcycle can sometimes be a bit tricky for those of below average height. While there are rarely any barriers while riding along, stuff like mounting the bike, balancing at slow speed and pulling to a stop can fill many riders with fear.

While height-related concerns can impact confidence and safety, it doesn’t need to be the case. With a little bit of knowledge and the combination of good bike selection and smart riding techniques, shorter riders can ride with great confidence.

Written by a rider who’s 165cm (5’5” and a bit) in thick boots, this guide should give some valuable tips to anyone thinking their bike is a bit too big for them…

Understand the Challenge

While many riders look at the stats and are primarily concerned about seat height, there’s usually more to it than that. Manufacturers list a seat height, the vertical distance from the lowest part of the seat to the ground, and when a seat is too high, it can be difficult to get both feet flat on the ground. This is off-putting for many riders, especially those who are relatively inexperienced, as it can make the bike feel unstable when stopped.

That’s not all though. The secondary challenge is the width of the seat, with a wide saddle essentially increasing the effective leg reach, while weight and positioning of foot controls are also factors.

Weight, especially when carried quite high, can make the bike more unwieldy at low speeds, and sometimes things like the brake and gear levers can be difficult to reach, especially on feet forward style bikes. That said, a heavy bike with a low centre of gravity is rarely an issue, making that another area where the spec sheet doesn’t tell the full story.

A more common issue (and one you won’t see on the spec sheet) is the location of the side stand, which can be tricky to deploy when you only have little legs. Another area where the numbers don’t always tell the full story is with the suspension.

Bikes with quite long travel suspension (typically off-road style bikes) often have generous levels of suspension movement. This means that the distance between the seat and the ground can be a bit lower when compressed by the weight of the rider.

Fortunately, there are many ways to overcome these challenges. So here are some of our top tips for shorter motorcycle riders.

Choose the right motorbike

This goes without saying, but starting with a manageable bike in the first instance will get you ahead of the game. Manufacturers are very focussed on making bikes more accessible and you’ll find a number of different accessories, options and variants to help open up their products to a wider range of riders.

In the past, short riders were ‘condemned’ to bikes like cruisers and 125s but that isn’t always the case now. Adventure bikes, for example, are very popular and manufacturers often make different versions.

Triumph Tiger 900, for example comes in a road focussed GT version with a 820mm seat height. It has different suspension and wheels to the 860-880mm seat height of the Rally version and can be made even lower by specifying a more sculpted low seat, which reduces this by a further 20mm – same bike, but quite a bit lower.

Some bikes are naturally more accommodating to shorter rider, so check out the seat width as much as the seat height. The ‘step over’ is key and a bike that’s got a wide seat will be less manageable than one which is narrow.

Shorter riders generally only have issues when coming up to stop and manufacturers are using technology to address these problems, especially on bigger and more expensive bikes. Adaptive seat heights, seen on models like the BMW R 1300 GS, Ducati Multistrada and Harley-Davidson Pan America, drop the bike’s electronic suspension significantly at walking speeds in order to give the rider a better chance of touching the ground as they pull up.

Automatic transmission is also becoming more commonplace on motorbikes these days too, and if you’re shorter these can be a real godsend. While they won’t reduce the seat height in any way, they will eradicate the need to dance around the bike as you try to keep the bike upright and change gear at a junction. It’s one less thing to worry about and definitely worth considering. The technology is pretty good too, meaning you shouldn’t worry about missing out on performance or excitement.

Modify your motorcycle

Modifying a bike isn’t for the faint of heart but many shorter riders swear by the modifications they make.

Personally we’d exercise caution when making mods to your motorcycle and think you should too, especially when doing anything which affects the suspension geometry of your bike. Manufacturers spend millions developing their bikes and making sure they handle well and safely, so changing the chassis setting can affect the ground clearance and change the steering characteristics.

But, for all that, there are modifications you can make and, when carried out professionally, can make your bike more accessible.

Changing the rear suspension linkage for aftermarket ‘lowering links’ can drop the height significantly, sometimes by as much as 50mm (2”) and is probably the most dramatic change you can make. You’ll need to drop the front suspension accordingly too, if you are to have any hope of avoiding a negative impact on the handling, and you do need to expect ground clearance will be reduced. You’ll possibly also need to shorten your side stand, or else the bike might topple over when parked up.

A less dramatic measure is to look at modifying the saddle. Manufacturers often offer such items as part of their accessory range, but if you have an older bike it might be something you might have to send off to a professional if you don’t fancy doing it yourself.

Dress to impress

A less commonly considered factor is the bike gear you wear.

Typically bikers should layer up, to provide warmth and protection, but this can lead to you walking around like the Michelin man.

And while we’re in no way advocating compromising either of these things, it’s definitely worth looking at what you wear on the bike. When you’re short, every millimetre counts and wearing bulky riding pants won’t do much to help in that stretch towards terra firma, so take care in choosing the right gear.

Boots are also another area where every millimetre can make a difference. Thick soled boots can also help make earth that little bit closer, while a good grippy sole will help when you know you have to be on your tippy-toes – especially on slippery surfaces.

Master Smart Riding Techniques

They say necessity is the mother of all invention, and working out what works for you can seriously make you a motorcycling ninja.

The idea of getting both feet down flat is an impossible dream for many, and that applies to some above average height riders on really tall adventure bikes, so it’s best really just to work with what you’ve got.

One firm foot can be better than 10 tippy toes and using the one foot method can inspire confidence.

At stops, shift your weight off the seat slightly and drop one foot to the ground. This helps get one foot firmly on the ground. Having the full weight of the bike through one leg can work well – just make sure you lean the bike over slightly on the side of the foot you’re putting down, in order to help your balance.

As a shorter rider, looking ahead is vital (although this is good practice for everyone). Addressing issues that might not be a problem to longer legged brethren, such as cambers in the road and poor surfaces may save your blushes. There’s also no shame in using kerbs to help when pulling up. A personal top tip is to fill up on the left of a petrol pump, putting my right foot down on the kerb when stopping… With the bike nicely balanced on your right leg it helps you kick that side stand down like a boss!

Another piece of advice (which again works for all) is to be as smooth as you can when approaching junctions. Try to keep the wheels rolling when approaching give way signs, roundabouts and the likes, riding slowly and trying to avoid stopping if you can. Be safe, of course, but if you can smoothly merge into traffic without the need to stop the experience can be less stressful.

Build Confidence Gradually

Confidence is everything and there’s no shame in practicing (because that’s what makes perfect).

We can whole heartedly recommend heading out to a local car park to practice slow speed control, like you did when you started out on a 125. Refresh skills like U-turns, clutch control and brake modulation, the stuff that’s going to reduce your dependence on coming to a complete standstill and flat-footing.

Doing some research on how to pick up a dropped motorcycle can also help build confidence. It’s as much about technique as it is strength, so watching some YouTube videos (and practicing if you dare) should help in case the worst happens – and should allay any fears you may have about dropping your bike.

Don’t ever rule out advanced motorcycle training with a professional instructor, and if you are lacking confidence this is definitely a smart move.

Build Physical Strength and Balance

Motorcycling can be physically demanding at the best of times and a bit of targeted fitness can go a long way in helping your riding.

Core strength helps with balance at stops and during turns, while leg and glute strength improve your ability to catch the bike if it starts to tip.

Yoga and functional training are great ways to support riding, especially for smaller-framed riders who rely on technique over brute strength. Even just doing some stretching and mobility work will help improve mounting the bike for many people.

Try before you buy

Getting test rides can be difficult but at the very least make sure you have a good sit on the bike if there’s any doubt about its manageability to you.

When trying out a bike for size, it always makes sense to wear your full riding gear, as it will give a more realistic feeling for how manageable the bike would be if you buy it. Bikes certainly feel very different when you sit on them wearing jeans and a T-shirt in a bike dealership.

Check the forums

Get advice from others, either in real life or online. There are a bunch of forums and Facebook pages dedicated to most models these days, so if you’re thinking of buying a bike but are unsure of how manageable it will be it pays to sign up to a few forums – there will no doubt be some other riders who’ve trodden the same path and who will be willing to share their experiences.

At the end of the day, being a shorter rider isn’t a limitation—it’s just one of many factors to consider in your motorcycling journey. The truth is, every rider has to adapt to their bike in some way. By choosing the right motorcycle, making smart modifications, and mastering effective techniques, you can ride confidently and safely, no matter your height.