Total Motorcycle Community Forums

Hey, im trying to learn as much as I can about motorcyles before I actually get myself on one (which will be in late May), and I was looking at the stickied post on Seat Heights and I had a few questions.

Question 1: I saw that some of the seat heights range up into the 36 inch range and I was wondering what kind of person would be able to ride those types of bikes? I noticed that some people mentioned that not being able to reach the ground easily is uncomfortable. Do you necessarily need to have legs that reach all the way down or would you lean over for your legs to reach the ground?

Question 2: I also noticed that people would reference their inseam for their pants in order to judge their appropriate seat height. How does that work? So if your inseam is 32'' is the maximum (comfortable) seat height 32''?

Question 3: Is there ever a case where a seat might be too low for someone? I'm 6'1 with a 32'' inseam, would one of those lower riding bikes be uncomfortable for me?

Question 4: Someone mentioned 'actual seat height'; what is the difference between actual seat height and seat height listed by the manufacturer. Is there any rule of thumb to know what the actual seat height is?

1) Suspension compresses when you sit on a bike. Typically a bike with a taller seat height will have a suspension with greater travel meaning that it will sink more with the rider on it.

2) You gotta sit on the bike - seat height is only one measurement that needs to be taken into account. Don't forget that the wider the seat, the wider your legs and the shorter your inseam will "appear to be."

3) Again, you need to sit on the bike - you can always stand up, or stick your elgs out in front of you at a stop. The issue will be where your legs are when you're riding! On an average ride (for me) I'll have my feet down for a couple of minutes, and my feet on the pegs for a couple of hours. Doesn't matter how much I need to bend my knees at a stop... but it does matter how much while I'm riding. Don't worry about a bike with a low seat height for this at all... just worry about seat to peg distance and how comfortable that is to sit on.

4) Actual seat height is an extrapolation of seat height, suspension sag, seat width, and leg position at rest. A high narrow seat might be easier to flatfoot for a short person then a low wide one. If the suspension allows more travel then they will compress more when you sit on, and finally if you need to put your legs out in front when you stop it may be tougher to reach the ground when you stop.

All in all, go sit on a bike.