Don't limit your motorcycle options by focusing on seat height.

by Pam (lionlady)
(Baltimore, MD)

Men don't do it. They adapt to what's available. (The owner of Bob's BMW, Bob Henig, is 5'1" tall and rides EVERYTHING that BMW makes, except the R1150GS Adventure - the 9 gallon steel gas tank added to the 35" seat height is too much for him to manage.)

As an MSF instructor, I hate to see women eliminate 70% of their motorcycle choice options by insisting on being able to FLAT FOOT a bike.

The important thing is to gain confidence as you hone the newly learned motorcycle skills. What is more important than seat height is bike WEIGHT. Think 350 lbs or so. Find something light(er) in weight that you can get at least a solid balls of the feet (or one foot) purchase with.

Honing your skills on a slightly taller bike will force you to think ahead when coming to a stop, etc. Much easier in the long run to learn along with the other skills, than to start out with the crutch of flat footing and THEN try to adapt to taller bikes later.

Women often take a bit longer than men to 'master' the basics of motorcycling. BUT, they generally become more skilled riders because they must work with the motorcycle, rather than muscling it around as men can.

P