Seat height for a shorty
Discussion
I'm sorry to be raising so many posts at the moment about my biking problems.
From my other post about difficulties with starting/stopping, I've spent the evening looking-up seat heights of different models.
My S1000RR is 82.4 cm
S1000R = 83 (81 with lower seat)
Aprilia RS660 = 82
Ducati SuperSport = 81 (79 with lower seat)
Ducati Monster = 82 (80 with lower seat; 77.5 with lower suspension)
Honda CBR650R = 81
KTM Super Duke = 83.5
KTM 890 Duke = 83.4 (81.4 with lower seat)
Speed Triple = 83
Street Triple = 82.5 (78 for lower suspension model)
So it looks like I'm going to have very few options if I want to get significantly lower than my S1000RR.
But here's the confusing fact - my previous bike was a Daytona and I've looked-up that seat height and it's 83. So taller than my current bike. But I could definitely touch down easier with the Daytona - still on tip toes but more foot on the ground than the S1000RR. So it's not just a case of the dimension. I remember the Daytona seat was quite narrow so I assume that allowed your legs to drop down further.
I will visit a few dealers over the winter and sit on a few bikes, hopefully with the lower seat if they have one in stock.
From my other post about difficulties with starting/stopping, I've spent the evening looking-up seat heights of different models.
My S1000RR is 82.4 cm
S1000R = 83 (81 with lower seat)
Aprilia RS660 = 82
Ducati SuperSport = 81 (79 with lower seat)
Ducati Monster = 82 (80 with lower seat; 77.5 with lower suspension)
Honda CBR650R = 81
KTM Super Duke = 83.5
KTM 890 Duke = 83.4 (81.4 with lower seat)
Speed Triple = 83
Street Triple = 82.5 (78 for lower suspension model)
So it looks like I'm going to have very few options if I want to get significantly lower than my S1000RR.
But here's the confusing fact - my previous bike was a Daytona and I've looked-up that seat height and it's 83. So taller than my current bike. But I could definitely touch down easier with the Daytona - still on tip toes but more foot on the ground than the S1000RR. So it's not just a case of the dimension. I remember the Daytona seat was quite narrow so I assume that allowed your legs to drop down further.
I will visit a few dealers over the winter and sit on a few bikes, hopefully with the lower seat if they have one in stock.
bgunn said:
Not just height, but the girth - if the bike/seat is wider then you have to use up some of your leg length straddling the bike, which is why it feels taller.
Four cylinder bikes will generally be the widest, for obvious packaging reasons..
That makes sense because the Daytona was a narrow bike. The S1000RR does generally feel wider. Four cylinder bikes will generally be the widest, for obvious packaging reasons..
bgunn said:
Not just height, but the girth - if the bike/seat is wider then you have to use up some of your leg length straddling the bike, which is why it feels taller.
And not just height and girth, but how stiff the suspension is. I’m less than 5’6” /29” leg and until recently had 1100/1150/1200 GSs. Seemingly very tall bikes, but once your backside puts weight on them they become manageable because of the long-travel, soft springs. bgunn said:
Not just height, but the girth - if the bike/seat is wider then you have to use up some of your leg length straddling the bike, which is why it feels taller.
Four cylinder bikes will generally be the widest, for obvious packaging reasons..
This!Four cylinder bikes will generally be the widest, for obvious packaging reasons..
I've got an elderly BMW R100 I've had for about 15 years. Recently I got fed up of the scrappy old worn out seat that I could feel the seat pan through after a couple of hours and bought myself a shiny lovely new (aftermarket but standard sized) seat.
Blimey it's made the bike a handful at low speeds and when stationary!
I'm sitting just a teeny bit higher up and the unworn uncompressed seat is also pushing my legs a weeny bit wider when standing over the bike and it's made low speed manouvres that I previously didn't even think about (even when 2 up towing a trailer) suddenly feel precarious. The ground suddenly feels a hell of a long way away (but I'm comfy for 7 hours plus on the bike now, so...)
It's made such a difference I'm looking at knocking 1/2 an inch off the ride height by using lower profiled tyres or dropping it a bit on the springs....
I've read your other threads and I've got my fingers crossed testing the lower seat kit will help you btw. Even tiny increments matter with this sort of thing and if you've found a bike you like it's worth trying different things before getting something different that you may not like as much...
Also the whole of your body positioning may make a difference,
It's maybe different sat on the thing with your back upright, compared to leaning forwards to the clip-ons, your pelvis is at a different angle and your legs don't work at the same angle.
If you'd ever seen my Sister in Law on a Buell you might understand what I'm on about....
It's maybe different sat on the thing with your back upright, compared to leaning forwards to the clip-ons, your pelvis is at a different angle and your legs don't work at the same angle.
If you'd ever seen my Sister in Law on a Buell you might understand what I'm on about....
cwis said:
Blimey it's made the bike a handful at low speeds and when stationary!
I'm sitting just a teeny bit higher up and the unworn uncompressed seat is also pushing my legs a weeny bit wider when standing over the bike and it's made low speed manouvres that I previously didn't even think about (even when 2 up towing a trailer) suddenly feel precarious. The ground suddenly feels a hell of a long way away (but I'm comfy for 7 hours plus on the bike now, so...)
That’s really interesting and adds weight to the thought that that’s a big part of my problem. I'm sitting just a teeny bit higher up and the unworn uncompressed seat is also pushing my legs a weeny bit wider when standing over the bike and it's made low speed manouvres that I previously didn't even think about (even when 2 up towing a trailer) suddenly feel precarious. The ground suddenly feels a hell of a long way away (but I'm comfy for 7 hours plus on the bike now, so...)
>> So it looks like I'm going to have very few options if I want to get significantly lower than my S1000RR.
You don’t have few options, you have many options. You have picked several of the same kinds of bike, which all have too high seats, so you think you have few options. You probably don’t have that many options of bikes with S1000RR power, I’ll grant you that.
Try a boring road bike. They have lower seat heights. Not sure if you are looking new or used, but a Honda CBF1000 springs to mind for a used bike. Honda Fireblade engine with the top 25% of the RPM range removed. Slower than a S1000RR, but you will be able to flat foot it, which means you will not dread riding it.
Forget anything with KTM written on it. They all have high seats.
You don’t have few options, you have many options. You have picked several of the same kinds of bike, which all have too high seats, so you think you have few options. You probably don’t have that many options of bikes with S1000RR power, I’ll grant you that.
Try a boring road bike. They have lower seat heights. Not sure if you are looking new or used, but a Honda CBF1000 springs to mind for a used bike. Honda Fireblade engine with the top 25% of the RPM range removed. Slower than a S1000RR, but you will be able to flat foot it, which means you will not dread riding it.
Forget anything with KTM written on it. They all have high seats.
I notice in your list there is only 1 Japanese bike, and it’s the lowest as standard. This is because Japanese bikes are generally lower due to the average height of Japanese men being 2-3 inches shorter than Europeans.
Therefore I would suggest doing more research on Japanese bikes which almost always also come with a lower seat option
Therefore I would suggest doing more research on Japanese bikes which almost always also come with a lower seat option
I'm only 5'7" with a 29" inside leg, so basically a short arse.
I've had a BMW 1200 GS Adventure for seven years, although it does have the low seat option. Proper forward planning can be more beneficial than the extra fee inches of leg length. I've only dropped it once when I stalled it, as I set off from stationary and I couldn't hold it as the weight shifted, but it's a heavy bike.
Perhaps not the OP, but many seem to want to get both feet on the floor. It' might be reassuring but it's really not necessary.
I've had a BMW 1200 GS Adventure for seven years, although it does have the low seat option. Proper forward planning can be more beneficial than the extra fee inches of leg length. I've only dropped it once when I stalled it, as I set off from stationary and I couldn't hold it as the weight shifted, but it's a heavy bike.
Perhaps not the OP, but many seem to want to get both feet on the floor. It' might be reassuring but it's really not necessary.
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