Top 10 Adventure Motorcycles for Shorter Riders
Find an Adventure Bike that will let you put both feet on the ground
Trying to find an Adventure Motorcycle with a reasonable seat height can be a frustrating experience. Adventure Bikes are some of the tallest motorcycles in existence. Their long-travel suspension smooths out the bumps off-road, but it also gives them a tall seat that makes it hard to touch both feet on the ground.
Some Adventure Bikes are too tall to ride even for people of average height. For example, the KTM 640 Adventure and Honda XR650L both have a seat height of 37.0 inches (940 mm) making them difficult to ride by anyone under 6 feet tall (1.83 meters).
Seat height is not the only problem. Some bikes like the Yamaha Super Ténéré or BMW R1200GS may not be too tall, but stabilizing a motorcycle that weighs over 500 lbs can be unsettling if you are of smaller stature.
These days more and more women are becoming adventure bike riders. If you are an average height woman or even an average height man with relatively short legs, your Adventure Bike options are limited. The best adventure motorcycles for short riders will be light weight and have a low seat height. You also want a seat that is not too wide. A wide seat can increase the angle of the legs and the distance to the ground. A lighter weight bike will make it much easier for you to control the bike and pick up if you fall.
Are you a smaller rider? We have compiled a list of 10 adventure motorcycles for short riders that might work for you. Bikes have been chosen that can be ridden by someone in the 5’3″ to 5’7″ (1.6-1.7 meters) height range. Your comfort level with each bike may vary based on your riding skill and physical strength. If these bikes are still too tall, you may need to look into suspension modifications or aftermarket seats to get the bike down even lower.
Each motorcycle in the countdown has a progressively lower seat height, so you can work your way up or down the list. We recommend you give these bikes a test ride and see if they allow you to get both feet comfortably on the ground.
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Good list. I’d recommend moving #10 to be combined with #9. The G650GS single cylinder was/is the replacement for the old F650GS single cylinder. I call those two the same bike for the purposes of this list. The new #10, with the shortest seat height on this list should be the twin cylinder BMW F700GS (formerly the F650GS from 2009 – 2012, but not to be confused with the other F650GS from earlier years, which was a single cylinder), got it?!
The F700GS is available down to 30.1″ seat height with optional low seat and optional low suspension. If you’re considering the G650GS, you should look at the added highway-worthiness of its twin cylinder sibling. More money, yes. But, a heck of a lot more bike. And only about 20 lb more weight.
If i have a KTM 640 LC 2007 How can i lower the bike as I am 1.63 tall
The cheapest way would be to try dropping the fork tubes in the triple clamps. Then crank down the preload on the rear shock to lower the rear. This might get you an extra inch. Otherwise, you may be able to get lowering links for the rear shock or give the suspension to a shop that can lower it for your. The LC4 is a really tall bike, so it may ruin the suspension if you get it down too low.
There are 2 bikes on here that I would consider appropriate for shorter inseam (mine is 30″). The BMW 650’s. The rest of them are 32″ and higher. Also, I have ridden the Suzuki V-Strom. It is top heavy and was a disaster for a short rider such as myself.
I’m 5’8 with a 29″ inseam and I love my DR650, V-Strom and Kawi KLX250S. I’ve had to lower all three of them, but they work fine now. The DR lacks ground clearance due to being lowered, and the V-Strom REALLY lacks ground clearance to the point that I only take it on gravel roads. The Kawi, however, still has over 10″ even after lowering it so it does quite well.
I like the older BMW 650 singles; a friend has a 2007 Dakar and it’s quite nice. I can ride it just fine at stock height. Only downside is it’s about 60 lbs heavier than my DR650.
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You came really close, but did not get my wife’s bike. She tried 22 different ADV style bikes before we found the BMW F700GS, factory lowered, in Red that suits her just fine. Thanks for this list, which we very much hope will help others in the same boat.
My wife loves hers see at http://www.2shareourride.com. She’s only 5foot 3inxhes tall.
He is right, it is THE best bike for a petite person, I LOVE it. Not only is the frame lowered but the seat is cut low and narrow. I have a 29 inch inseam and am able to flatfoot touch the ground with both feet. Because the bike is low, I do scrape the rocks so a strong bash plate is a must. I also have added a hydraulic clutch to help with off-road clutching so it helps keep my size 5 fingers from tiring out. It is the perfect set up for me.
I also bought a F700gs
I’m a male stand about 5’10 but love it easy to maneuver and light in weight
Also ride gold wings but for the gravel and dirt I love my 700gs
As others have mentioned, it is possible to lower a bike by getting different links for the rear suspension (and then adjusting the forks in the triple clamps to “even it out”). However it is a compromise. I did this with my 650 VStrom to gain an extra 15mm. Whilst it means I am not on tippy-toes any more (I am 5″4), it means I have lost some cornering clearance.
With so many “serious” female riders these days, and a lot of shorter males as well, why don’t bike manufacturers put more thought into this????? Being told to buy a cruiser or a sports bikes is just not a good option in Australia.
This list was basically junk and misleading to anyone that is in need of advice! What bike can not ride on “graded dirt roads”? Obviously ground clearance is an issue, but even a low riding cruiser can ride on a GRADED dirt road. Big deal! Now get some ruts and soft spots and puddles and the places you pad along with your feet and the places where you are a long way from fuel and the places littered with rocks liable to punch thru your engine or crack your cast wheels or crush your low mounted exhaust pipes and you can cut that list in half.
Is a 250cc trial bike like the Sherpa an adventure bike? In really rough conditions I sure would rather that than some behemoth I can not pull out of a ditch, but when the speed can pick up it would be limited and less comfortable, but it would get you there. I often wonder if the recent interest in adventure bikes, especially big ones has resulted in derelict bikes being abandoned deep off road.
The issue of seat height is confusing I am sure to a newer rider. In general better riders will keep their speed up at a more steady and higher pace, they will not need to put their feet down often and they will use more suspension travel because they are going faster and hitting the bumps harder so long suspension is more valuable than a low seat height. A less experienced rider will be moving slower ,dabbing the ground if not actually stopping more and will want to reach the ground easily for confidence. Part of the image of adventure riding includes carrying a lot of stuff which at the very least raises the CG of the whole package making things a little more tippy-one must think carefully about how much to carry as well as how to pack it, I would suggest low soft luggage like Giant Loop makes.
The bike’s weight is at least as relevant as seat height, to the new rider I would generalize that this is why most dirt bikes have single cylinder engines. The second or more cylinders in an adventure bike always brings a weight penalty to be compared to the speed/ power/load capacity benefits. Tend to disbelieve manufacturers or dealers that suggest you need or even should have ever larger engines and crazy horsepower. Offroad that is just more weight!
Concrete parking lot barrier stops are all over, I would suggest as a basic test, can you ride your “adventure bike” over one of those? It really does not matter how you do it or what speed works for you. If not, for whatever reason stay out of the boonies, at least on that bike
@Stephen…huh? hold off on the coffee a bit bro….
Great list guys! Was a very helpful guide for finding my wife an ADV bike that fits her. After trying out many bikes the F650gs finally put a smile on her face so we just got the newer version (F700gs). She couldn’t be happier. Thanks again for the recommendations.
Alex, How was I wrong? Several of those bikes are just not offroad bikes and just do not belong offroad. Your bmw is fine, certainly I did not say every ride on the list was bad-did I offend you? My comments regarding weight being as/more relevant than seat height to a shorter rider were are not wrong and were especially meant to help newer riders, if a person is well experienced they get this. Seat height is very easy to measure but does not mean that much. Consider the ride over a barrier self test I suggested. When one wheel of ANY of these bikes is lifted up 8 inches or so going over the barrier the rider is not going to be able to dab a foot down. Many would stand on the pegs for better balance control, for others staying seated would feel fine at a slow speed. Riding up and down various curbs is similar. Is this not a reasonable skill test to master and if you own a bike that is so low the engine bottom is bottoming out during this do you think you want to be on it in rough conditions? 21 and 19 inch front wheels are best for offroad. The 17 inch rims that work so very well on virtually all modern sporty street bikes are truly awful in soft conditions being pulled side to side with little straightline stability. They are associated with a chassis that is close to the ground and they more easily roll into instead of over holes,etc. Cast wheels on street bikes easily bend and can even crack hitting rocks offroad ( remember you often lower the air pressure compared to what is used on the street) Bent, the tubeless tire is likely to lose air. Bikes best for offroad have spoked wheels for a couple reasons. The rim itself is made of extruded, not cast, aluminum. It can bend and be hammered back with little chance of cracking. Bent castings often crack! Inside there usually is a tube that holds the air even if the rim is slightly bent away from the tire bead. This list includes some with 17″ cast front wheels and as the writer says are ok on graded dirt ROADS. An adventure bike should be able to cover trails, single track and in general not need graded roads. To go the other way, lots of areas have graded dirt roads that are traversed on by any and all types of cars and bikes .
My original complaint was that this writer included as adventure bikes some models that simply are not. To expand on that some manufacturers also are guilty of claiming a particular model is an “adventure bike” when it’s really better kept on paved roads for reasons of weight, wheel size, ground clearance, vulnerability to damage, etc. The Ducati Multistrada comes to mind here.
Where did I say I was offended? I simply disagree with your blanket statement “This list is junk”. Those bikes are considered Adventure Bikes by the industry like it or not. And the author is pretty clear about the limitations of each bike. If you have your own personal “rule” of what an Adventure Bike is that is great but you should target all your energy on the industry itself then.
The industry does NOT suggest an NC 700, CB 500 or Versys to be “Adventure bikes”, but this writer did. The 800 Triumph is a lot of weight to manage for anyone, I tend to imagine a shorter rider as also less strong. My bad.
Several comments refer to lowering various light bikes and that is a great idea but not included by the author. I might suggest a Husky Terra or an old BMW R 80GS if you can find one or stripping down an old BMW airhead in general to build your own/ that is in essence what BMW did.
A rider new to this genre is in serious danger of believing the hype and thinking both that he needs some monsterous cycle to go adventuring and that if the dealer calls it an adventure bike it therefore is one. The Ducati Multistrada I mentioned because with its small wheels, low clearance, emphasis on hp and vulnerable construction it would be best kept on roads, preferably paved ones. I suspect the new Ducati Scrambler might be better outfitted for actual offroad duty than the Multistrada. The 75 hp aircooled engine, minimal bodywork, low seat and wire wheels are a better start than The Multi with twice the hp, complexity and cost. At the low end of both height and price small singles like the 250 Yamaha and Kawasaki Sherpa are a lot more capable offroad than some might think and I am glad to see they were included on this list.
If you ride much offroad you will fall down, consider that a given. Keep in mind, “Can you pick it up afterwards and will it be rideable ?” No one wants the adventure to end because of the inevitable drop!
Stephen, you are mostly correct with your argument. The aforementioned list of “Adventure bikes” are not IMO adventure. The NC700 making the list is ridiculous, I’m sure the manufacturers will say anything to market their bikes as multi-role. Geez, a Vespa can be an adventure bike based on the minimal qualifications as demonstrated by this list.
A parking spot stop block is too high for a F650 twin. Last summer I dabbed a foot while in the process of losing it in a sand wash solo on the CDR in New Mexico and ran my foot over with my hard luggage, ending my trip. Pictures of my ankle still make other riders cringe. LOL The big bikes suck in mud and deep sand. Even a XT250 sucks on single track or deep mud when loaded for travel. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE my F650 twin fully loaded on the windy plains highways and on gravel roads but in deep sand/mud going solo with this bike on that trail was a mistake
@Stephen, I invite you to look at the official classification of these bikes by the industry. Here is a place to start. The adventure category by Honda itself: http://powersports.honda.com/street/adventure.aspx
Braap safe!
Alex, I did not know Honda called these Adventure bikes. In Europe they also call the “610 lb vf 1200 crosstour” an adventure bike! I guess “adventure bike” sounds more exciting and sells better than “standard bike” or “basic bike”. To really bastardize the bard, “you can call a pig a rose, but it still is a Pig!” I feel confident in guessing the Honda most used as an adventure bike here is their 650 single. Europe had the “Afrika twin” but not us in the US. This does not elevate my opinion of the article, it just tells me the writer is very gullible and is getting paid to share his limited knowledge. Ask your BMW dealer if they, in the industry ,would consider those rides to be Adventure Bikes. And then ask anyone with offroad riding experience about weight on an offroad bike.
Harley virtually invented the “Cruiser” genre. Today most companies have mimicked the style with some model. But go into a Ducati dealer and ask for a cruiser-they will offer the Diablo. Tell me how is that a cruiser outside of the Ducati brochure.Can we agree that cruisers have especially low seats, forward mounted controls, lots of metal and chrome and generally moderate performance at best. The Ducati seat is not low, the pegs are not forward. there is a lot of plastic but not chrome and the performance is pretty high.
But the dealer calls it a cruiser- do you believe him? It may be the closest thing to a cruiser he has and he does want your cash!
The magazines are a little better at categorizing models but they too get steered sometimes by their advertisers.
Lest it be thought I am just voicing nonsense I know little of, I have been riding for 46 yrs now and recently counted up over 90 bikes I’ve owned. Currently I am fortunate to own 2 “adventure bikes”. In 2005 I bought the quintessential model, the KTM 950. I really like it for all sorts of mixed riding and touring. Then I heard of the Trans America Trail. Realizing the 950 Adv at around 450 lbs bare was more than i would care to wrestle with in serious offroad conditions, I got a 690 Enduro KTM , about 140 lbs less weight but a higher seat. I lowered it 2 ways to help my 30″ inseam, first swapping out the suspension (forks and rear shock) for the shorter 2008 model units. Then I slid the forks up thru the clamps almost an inch and installed the Kayaba link to drop the rear. For luggage my Giant Loop horseshoe bag is lighter than any kind of hard bags. Of course this is not a great highway ride but it’s capable. and I have already verified how comfortable I feel in very rough going. Deep offroad nothing beats less weight!
Diablo should have been Diavel, my error!
Stephen
I came across your posts by accident. I also see you wisely stepped aside from the controversy. I just want to tell you I enjoyed your analysis and evident knowledge in the matter.
Is there a way a having this article updated including the new models Susuki V Storm, Kawasaki Versys, Honda NC 750x, and the new Yamaha FJ-09. Please let me know, I am buying my first Adventure bike during this month.
Hi Sebastian. We are planning to update the list in the next month or so but we may not complete it before you make your purchase. I can tell you that the V-Strom 650 and NC750X (same as NC700X) have not changed their seat height. It appears the new Versys 650 is about .2 inches (5mm) shorter though. The FJ-09 is a beautiful machine but it’s not really an Adventure Bike. It’s considered a Sport Touring bike by Yamaha. However, it does support a low seat height of 33.3 inches (845mm). It’s definitely got the ADV look though and we wouldn’t be surprised to run into one of these out on the trail someday. Maybe it will be you!
If you are looking for a lightweight bike with great offroad capabilities, there is no way around the CCM GP 450 Adventure right now. Around 135…150kg fully fuelled (denpending on the accessories installed) and seat height of 89cm is still around 50kg lighter than most other bikes presented here. And you can also get it with a 79cm seat height if required, with a reduced suspension travel from 265mm to 165mm!
How did the Tiger 800 make this list and not the 1200GS ? As a short rider I was all set to buy the Tiger 800 until I got to a bike show and had the chance to try tipping it over a bit and really compare it side by side with some other bikes. You can get the seat to a somewhat reasonable level, but the bike is incredibly top heavy. I ended up buying the 1200GS with the low-seat option and standard suspension because the center of gravity is so low, it handles like a much, much lighter bike.Unless you’re in the 5′ 0″ range, there’s probably no need for the lowered suspension, but it is still an option.
I really hate these articles that perpetuate the myth that being a couple inches shorter in the inseam should limit riders to tiny, crappy bikes.
Hey Kris. Not sure how tall you are, but for most shorter riders a 33.5″ seat height on the low setting of the R1200GS is too tall to get your feet solidly on the ground. While the bike does feel lighter than it should because of the low engine mass, it still weight 525 pounds. Most people of smaller stature are going to have a hard time pushing around that heft. The Tiger 800 is a good bike and it’s 1.6 inches lower and weighs 75 pounds less than the big GS (Maybe you didn’t have the Tiger on the low setting?). I guess if you are pretty strong, then you might feel comfortable on the R1200GS.
Typo on the Honda CB500X … 31.9 inches should be 810 mm. Great selection & quick review! Cheers!
Thanks for catching that Lance!
Is this a BMW sponsored list ! The Triumph Tiger 800 road has a 780cm seat height with the factory low seat and is a far more capable bike than either BMW.
@d niblett-Tiger 800 xc you mean? 780cm? you mean mm. And check the date on this post. Seat height on the 2014 bike is much higher than what you claim.
Hi…I am 5 ft 5 inches tall. WHICH sport bike is suitable for me? I love Cbr 600 and Suzuki gsxr 600..
It really annoys me why Honda pay no attention at all to riders who have legs less than 32 inches long (in my case 29 inches). I really would buy this bike if I could climb aboard. From a purely design point of view I cannot understand why Honda can be so arrogant as to completely ignore a whole section of the motorcycling public. The Japanese themselves have no shortage of short people and I find their engineers position on anthropometrics and design annoying. If Honda want to sell more motorcycles they really need to consider all of their customers not just some of them. Honda are not listening to the motorcycling public who want a light 2 cylinder design with high horsepower a bit like their old cx 650 eurosport turbo model and with a seat height that is adjustable for everybody. Things started to go wrong for Honda when they started having engineers from their car division move over to motorcycle design. Many of their motorcycles now weigh as much as some of their cars. This is ridiculous. Try lifting a quarter of a ton of VFR or more off the floor when it falls over, you will see what I mean.
Bob Johnson Bachelors Degree Design & Technology
[…] about positioning which can help you control your bike and this can be carried out through your physical strength. Having physical strength can help you maneuver or move the bike easily may it be inactive or in […]
The versys is really just a road bike that can be ridden on rougher roads
FABULOUS reference material, but please update to include currently-available models that have come out since this article was written! Perhaps consider also including bikes that are not yet out but will be soon to give us something to drool over? (The selector tool could use an update as well!)
Why do you make a reader click through 11 pages to read an article? I see this as click bait and a waste of time.
[…] 2014 DL650 (sold) 2014 DL1000 mcrag is online now Quote Quick Reply post #3 of 3 Old 10-05-2016, 09:42 AM bazookajoel Stromthusiast! Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Milwaukee Posts: 45 Yeah, I am 5' 8" and only had a limited option on what bikes I could fit on. I had to lower mine a bit as well. I am searching for ADV bikes for my wife (hopefully in a few years with practice). I found this site, but only a few actually look like something she would get on. This one looks pretty nice. Top 10 Adventure Motorcycles for Shorter Riders – Page 11 of 11 – ADV Pulse […]
BMW GS 700 factory lowered is 30 inches
CSC RX3 250 is a great adventure touring bike. Good range, built like a tank, smooth engine.
Yamaha TW200
Great list – thanks. I had a first gen 2014 F700GS with the lowered seat for over a year and found it very top heavy indeed – in fact I dropped it twice doing u-turns because I just wasn’t tall enough (I’m 5 ft 7 in or 168cm) to catch the weight as it came around. To be fair, some of that was my technique (which has now improved I hope) but for my next big trip (NZ for 3 months in early 2018) I am looking for a bike I am really comfortable on. I would have gone for something like the CCM GP450 but finding one of those second hand in New Zealand would be nigh on impossible so I guess I’ll end up on an older F650GS which (having ridden a few) seem much lighter and lower than the F700 – I guess having a single rather a win would explain most of that.
I do agree with a few people here though that some of the bikes here are simply not adventure bikes as most people would identify them – taking a CB500X on less than perfect gravel roads? No thanks….
Sorry, I meant to reply to the original article writer – clicked the wrong ‘Reply’ button!
Just looking around as DH and I would like to get dual sports for when we go camping. Does anyone know if there are ones for even shorter riders? I am 5’0″ tall with a 27″ inseam. I currently ride a Honda CN250, but I had a Yamaha XVS 650 for highway use. Why do motorcycle manufacturers think you have to be an Amazon to want to ride?!
Good grief, we must have different ideas about short! I’m 5’3″ and most of these bikes won’t even work for me. Only the F or G 650GSs will work for really short riders.
I am 5’2, have been riding a bonneville for 3 years and just did 1000 miles in the southwest in a triumph tiger (all paved road except the gravel at campgrounds some of which was a little hairy). I could tip toe it which is what i am used to fwiw.
I don’t know what you consider a “short rider”, but the suzuki DR650SE does NOT have a low seat. I tried it and I do not touch ground, not even close.
With the stock shock position, it is a tall bike. But the DR650 has a low shock setting that can lower it to a reasonable ride height. It still may not allow you to flat foot it but the lightweight of the bike makes it more manageable than many.
I own 2 low seat height adventure bikes. A KLR650 with suspension links to lower it, and a Super Sherpa with a 306cc bigbore piston to give it some highway
power. The KLR is a great back road bike, with some offroad capability. It really should have been on this list. The Super Sherpa with its light 282 lb. weight is a dream offroad, and the bigbore gives it the needed power for highway.
You are missing the Honda CRF230L as a good option.
BMW F 800 GS – was one of my best bike
thanks for sharing amazing information keep posting!
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I enjoy your article but I’m looking for fully automatic scooter-off road type Honda makes one Honda X-ADV 745 but it’s to much cc for me would you know of one about 300 t0 400cc? please email me: balatero@juno.com Thanks!
Thanks for sharing amazing post
I am only 5 foot petite but strong female. I so want an adventure bike. I have been looking and looking and I just need to do a lot of modifications. I am looking for a 4 stroke, I dont want to mix gas ect.. can someone help me to literature or resources?
You forgot my favorite bike of all time…the Yamaha TW250!
V strom 250 and Aprillia Pegaso 650 could add the list
U r rlight but its too expensive.
Great to come across this… always a problem, finding a low seat bike….
A lot of people at the beginning told me, oh you’ll get used to a taller bike, or just get some technique for getting on and off…. but it isn’t about that…. I ride gnarly gravel/track roads in NZ on my CB500X, and you have to be able to stop safely, push back on gravel, stop on corners, inclines where the road/gravel drops away.
I find my bike great, and I’m not getting rid of it, but it is heavy (195kgs), and a 17″ front wheel….. so I’m looking for a nimble other bike …. good to read the below….
FYI – I’m a female rider, currently bike is lowered to 755mm seat height….
More and more people want to get into adventure riding….it’s really about going where you want to go, where the road takes you, having a bike that suits and will do just that….
Thanks for sharing amazing post. Keep sharing