Motorcycle Seat Heights Explained - For New Riders
Vložit
- čas přidán 24. 07. 2024
- Ever wondered what all the fuss about seat height on motorcycles is about? I have a look at seat height on a Ninja 400, what's important, what it means to you as a rider, and how getting a foot down securely might vary between riders.
Don't forget to subscribe and hit that notification bell!
motojournokris.com/youtube - Auta a dopravní prostředky
Another great video! Thanks, Kris. 🙂
Cheers, and thanks for watching!
Thanks!
There are two topics not covered. The first is being able to lift your leg high enough to get over the seat. The second is being able to back up which requires both feet to have enough contact with the ground and leg leverage/strength to move the bike backwards. "Going with a different kind of bike like a cruiser rather than a sports bike" is unacceptable as a "solution". The different bikes are more than just an aesthetic difference, they are a cultural difference. Also, if you had your heart set on a particular style but then settle for something completely different, this can negatively impact a new riders impression about motorcycles and riding to the point of turning them off completely and you don't want to be on the hook for thousands of dollars for something that you have no interest in. Bikes have a great deal of room for improvement regarding the design of the suspension. I recently traded in my Ninja 650 for the 1000SX and it comes with a knob that can increase/decrease the stiffness of the rear suspension. I would much rather a knob that I can turn to raise/lower the suspension an inch or two. Both would be great but if I had to choose, I would choose adjusting the height over adjusting the stiffness.
There's a few techniques for getting a leg across that I should probably have covered that help with that. Being able to back up a bike like that is a bit of a luxury of having both feet down, but is noteworthy as a benefit of picking a bike you can do that on. I'll try and remember to cover those when I do a refresh video in the future, as those are good points.
Wanting a bike you can get both feet down is a preference, if that's a must and you can't fit the shortest regular style bike, that's the compromise you'll have to make, which probably means a cruiser, which can be 100 mm lower again, or possibly even lower. With some experience most riders should then be able to progress to a taller bike. And sure that could impact a rider's enjoyment, but so could dropping their bike constantly, or injuring themselves with a drop or fall. Obviously there's a hard choice to be made somewhere there.
Modifying rear ride height modifies the bike's geometry. There's a reason you only really see that feature on very expensive bikes with electronic suspension which lower the seat height when the bike isn't moving or in some cases coming to a stop, and then crank it back up. Even lowering linkages or modified suspension should be done by an expert as if one end is changed, the other end should be modified to balance out those changes. Those mods are done at the cost of ground clearance or potentially suspension travel and performance, which can create their own hazards at the extremes, and generally only allow for an inch or so less seat height.
So while it seems very simple, it's a much more complex issue than it appears. Manufacturers also put a lot of focus on low seat heights to ensure accessibility for shorter and short legged riders, as it's recognised as a really big hurdle. It's possible if electronic suspension becomes the norm, we could see bikes that lower at a standstill even in the very affordable options, but I have a feeling that's a long way off, as the electronic suspension is quite pricey.
Nice . Also try while wearing your motorcycle boots as they often have a inch or so ah! You mentioned it 👍👏
Yep it's easy to forget if you're checking out bikes in regular shoes!
I only started riding in November and my bikes seat height is 31.1 inches and I'm "5.0 tall and have no issues.
Yep height isn't a great comparison point, as people's inseam (real reach to the ground) varies so greatly.
@@MotoJournoKris my inseam is only around 27 ish inches though I believe. I feel its more confidence, balance and technique that stops people
@@grenvallion All those things improve with time riding, it's just a lot easier to drop a bike if you can't flat foot it in those early stages and adds to the challenge of doing multiple things at once, like using the clutch, rear brake and throttle on take-offs, or coming to a stop, etc. That can have a huge impact on confidence, and a lack of confidence on a motorcycle tends to have a roll-on effect to everything else, which in turn causes more issues.
Most new rider advice is general though and is one-size fits all. There will be riders who have no issues on a much taller bike, and riders who even being able to flat foot on both sides will still find learning and balance a challenge. Also a 31.1 inch seat height is about as low as you can get without going to a cruiser, so that very much falls into the low is better kind of advice.
@@MotoJournoKris i have absolutely dropped my bike multiple times in the first few months of riding. Nothing has broken on it though which is good. I found it quite difficult at first too. So much so that I drove around in 1st gear just around my streets until I got more comfortable and felt fine to increase the speed. Dropping and falling deffo has different affects on different people. My friend had a car pull out on her and hit her and she's been too scared to ride for months
@@grenvallion Yep that's the big concern, I had my fair share of drops with my first bike but I loved riding so much I never gave up. It totally scares away some riders though, which is really sad, especially if they have an accident with another vehicle - just dropping the bike is bad enough! I definitely think doing the low speed practice on local streets is really helpful to build up the skills. It's harder doing that low speed stuff too, once you're moving faster everything is easier, but makes it easier to skip getting some mastery on the slower stuff.
Thanks mate now i know that height doesn’t matter if you have a shorter inseam. 😂 I’ll be starting to remember my inseam length rather than depending on my height alone.
It tends to be an easier way to judge, as there can be super tall people with shorter inseams and visa versa, which creates confusion when different people say whether they can easily reach the ground!
@@MotoJournoKris Yes thats true, a guy said he is 5'3" and I was surprised he was able to reach the ground on bikes I couldn't even tho I m 5'4". Turns out my inseam is 27" nd his was 30" as he claimed. I was like wait thats not allowed lol
@@muditsh3298 It certainly makes things confusing just talking height at times! It can vary so greatly.
@@MotoJournoKris yes turns out people my height on average have a 29” inseam while I have 27”. So I am short of 2 inches compared to avg. which explains why I cant touch the ground on any bike compared to other people even shorter than me. 😂
Understandable. But I still feel like being able to put two feet down (being able to. Because doing it isnt the safest.) is good.
Yep, I think that's why it's a popular thing to look for in a bike.
Good video. Back tyre pressure in your video looks low but prob just a optical illusion.
It's probably low! It's hasn't been taken out as much lately and I'm due to give everything a once over, lube the chains, etc.
My iseams is 32 in. with shoes on it reach 33.5 in
Can both my feet reach the ground fully on baja xr 250 cc even though the seat height is 33.9 in but when u sit on it it might compress to reach 33 in ?
You should be close by the sounds of it, and bikes with longer travel suspension will sag a bit more with rider on board. I'm not too familiar with the Baja XR 250, so don't have any specific insight on that one!
I’m 5’2 and I drive cruisers because I can reach the ground flat perfectly but I want a sports bike ( R1 ) do you think I’ll be able to fit on it ? Only reason I drive cruisers was because I didn’t think I would be able to fit on sports bikes but I heard people my height driving sports bikes but they have to lean on one foot and it gave me hope but I was wondering about a R1 ? I heard they can lower it but I don’t know much about it.
It does tend to vary from rider to rider, as same height riders can have very different inseam lengths, which makes the reach to the ground different. The R1 is also particularly tall with a 860 mm seat height. Now nothing is impossible, it just depends on your inseam length and how comfortable you are with the bike.
Shifting across to get an easier reach to the ground is definitely an option as a more experienced rider, the main thing is having at least a decent amount of confidence that you've got one or part of one foot down safely. If you can go check one one in person to see how you find it. Lowering is also an option too, although best thought of as a last resort.
@@MotoJournoKris thank you 🙏
Flat footing is not necessary for normal riding, but how do you reverse easily, especially over bumps or slopes, without being close to flat footing?
That's the challenge, it's a bit like some of the really big touring machines without reverse servos, you have to make sure you park or stop places where you won't need to push the bike over a bump or slope backwards, so you can always ride off under bike power. Once you're moving on them, they are likewise easy to manage.
But unusual bumps reducing your reach to the ground further could make a drop more likely if you don't pick your stopping points well. I know my worst bike drop ever was when I first started riding and I could reach the ground but I'd stopped on the edge of a highway, where there was a curved one foot storm gutter on one side (which I'd had to ride up, so I knew it was there). I tried to put my foot down that side and went straight over, the bike was basically upside down.
Ironically I'd stopped to see if another motorcyclist needed help (their bike overheated) and then another motorcyclist saw me do that and stopped as well.
I have about a 30 inch inseam, could I fit on most bikes okay?
You should be close to two feet down on many bikes around that 785-800 maybe 810 mm ish seat height I would think.
Good evening my friend . D y know for z800 834mm seat height is good for 1.75cm?
It probably depends more on your inseam length than height alone, do you know what yours is?
@@MotoJournoKris I bought man it's perfect for me
Hey sir. I am 5'3 flat, barefoot, no shoes, with 29" inseam. Perhaps can go with 30" inseam when I'm wearing shoes. Do you think I can ride a sportsbike with 788mm seat height? It's a CBR 150R and yes. I'm a beginner when talking about clutched bike.
I would think so! 788 mm is on the low side of things, so if you can manage about a 30" inseam with gear it should be doable. If you've ridden an auto or scooter before too, that will definitely help.
@@MotoJournoKris yes I am currently riding a Honda ADV 150 with 795mm but a bit tip toe but not that much although I can do a flat foot when wearing my shoes.
Seat width also affects confidence. Go sit on one and find out for yourself is the surest way. Its a confidence thing, look up Doodle on a Motorcycle’s channel for Jocelyn’s short rider tips. Any bike is ridable with the right skills
Bro😊 can I increase the height of the bike and change the springs? Because my height is 6'2 and my weight is 275 lbs Muscles😢
i talk about cbr 1000rr
You can definitely change the springs, and I've seen fork top extensions for raising ride height by dropping the forks further through the triple. Obviously you need to be careful with geometry there. You can also add a bit of height at the seat too, which gives more stretch between the seat and pegs, and generally better comfort.
My inseam is 31- 32 Inches Without shoes And Around 32-33 with Airforces on. Thinking about Buying a Mt-125 With 810mm Seat height Do you think that would be A ok size to go with?
32 inch inseam should be easily comfortable up to 830-840 mm in my experience, with shoes/boots helping. 810 mm shouldn't be a problem at all.
@@MotoJournoKris Perfect Bro Thank You.
sir, I have an inseam height of 26.5 inches. Can I ride a bike with seat height of 765 mm? I don't ask to have a flat foot on the ground, I just need to have slight bit of comfort while placing my foot on the ground.
I think you'd want a thick-soled set of boots, and to have a sit on any prospective bikes you like. You're likely going to need to off-set your body position a bit to get a foot down comfortably, but it shouldn't be impossible. I've only got a 32 inch inseam and my WR250R had a 36.6 inch seat height, although there's a fair bit more sag on a bike like that. But I made it work, even with a tall seat and taller tyres adding even more height!
@@MotoJournoKris I know wearing a thick soled boot would be a lot easier than trying to modify the seat height of the bike but you know I can't always wear boots of thick soled every time I ride. So, I thought shaving the foam of seat might help me reduce its height by 1 or 1.5 inches. And also wear higher inches shoes and boots.
Your suggestion was also really helpful. I'll buy few inches taller shoes and footwears from now on. BTW thank you for the reply.
@@dr.sunflower6336 Yep, getting the seat shaved down is definitely a good idea, but can impact comfort depending how extreme you go there. That and boots are the most cost effective solutions I'd say. Otherwise you get into the real of lowering links and lowered suspension, which are a little more complicated to do properly.
Iam 6'0, is 32 inch seat good for me?
Yep 32 inch seat, or about 810 mm height should definitely work for you, unless you have very short legs for your height.
My inseam is 32 inches, do you think i could flat foot a 835mm (32.9inch) seat on a ZX10R if you had to guess,
Basically can you yourself flat foot a 32.9 inch seat?
Also Lord Jesus Christ loves you!!!
I'd have said it should be possible, I can generally flat foot anything around that 830 mm mark, although some bikes are wider than others.
what helmet is that looks dope
That's my Shoei Hornet ADV (called the X2 in some markets). Bit of a do-it-all helmet, good for the road, good for adventure riding.
I’m 5.6 tall what bike do you recommend me
Your inseam is likely to be a bigger determining factor than height alone, as it can vary a bit, if you want a foot or two down. What kind of bikes are you interested in?
kawasaki 400 that’s the want I wanted to buying
@@hgrrdgz619 I'd definitely give one a try. They are one of the lowest seat heights available without going for a cruiser, and the bike is very narrow and very light, with is exactly what you want.
@@MotoJournoKris thanks man
If the height is to heavy for a rider 2 flat footed is nesesary
Flat footing both feet is always best if the rider isn't confident handling the bike.
do you know a good seat height for someone 5 foot
It probably depends on your inseam length, but I think a safe bet would be looking at bikes around the 700 mm mark, which may be mainly cruisers.
Im 5.1 my bike has a seat height of 800mm i cant flatfeet but i cant flat toe both my feet but it isnt an issue for me because my bike is quite light at 156kg it isnt about height its more about how much your bike weighs
@@Zilla010 A light bike does help enormously, and there's also the confidence factor. Especially for new riders who don't have the experience that makes just a toe down manageable.
@@MotoJournoKris agreed thank you for noting the points i missed
@@Zilla010 can you tell me what is your inseam height?
What made you go from a Daytona to a Ninja 400?
We actually bought the Ninja 400 for my wife, as she upgraded from a scooter and wanted something easy to learn on. I wasn't getting enough use out of the Daytona so sold it and can still have fun on the Ninja when I want to have a sportier ride and it's not in use. I'm not sure I'd call it a direct replacement, but it's more than good enough to have plenty of fun on, with a little less chance of license loss!
@@MotoJournoKris Those small displacement bikes are really fun riding around town. Had a Duke 390 that I’d ride pick over the biker bike in the garage.
@@freebehindbars8654 Yep definitely, the extra performance is pretty tempting, but in reality the small bikes are a hoot and can get you into plenty of trouble, especially bikes like the 400, or 390. Good amount of power there!
my height is 4'9 can i still ride over 400cc bikes. im very nervous to buy a ninja 400 and my height doesnt fit the bike. big fear. please give me advices ab my height if i can ride or not" sorry my english bad. ride safe
What's your inseam length? It's probably a better guide than just height. These are one of the lower options unless you look at a cruiser, where the seat height can drop to around the 700 mm mark.