Motorcycle Riding Guide for Short Girls

Riding a motorcycle is not only for tall riders. The size does not dictate the age of skill, control, or fun on two wheels. Short girls are equally or sometimes even more expert riders. The fact is that the height does not remain an issue if you choose the correct bike and learn the required riding skills.

Reach and control are a major challenge to short riders. This requires being in a position where at least one foot is flat on the ground when stopped, and having a firm hold on the handlebars. Reach matters for smooth stops, safe balance, and stress-free rides. It is even better when it comes to control, as a confident rider is a safe rider.

Short girls who want to ride motorbikes may face numerous challenges, but they can still become skilled riders. Shorter riders tend to be more attentive to their bike setup, which can help them become more in touch with their machine. Continue reading this article to learn in detail about how short biker girls can ride motorbikes safely and comfortably.

The distance between the ground and the top of the seat is referred to as the seat height. A low seat height implies that short riders can put their feet on the ground when they need to stop. This makes you remain stable in traffic and on slopes. Although you may not be able to stand flat with both feet down, with one foot well planted, you still have the balance you require to ride a bike safely.

Lightweight bikes are far easier to move, park, and control at low speeds. When you are standing still or turning slowly on a heavy bike, it can be tough to maintain balance or keep it upright.

If you have a lighter motorbike, it improves your riding confidence so that you can accelerate, handle, and maneuver the bike with less effort. This is a big difference when it comes to comfort and safety while riding for short girls.

Balance while riding a motorcycle is highly influenced by the distribution of the weight of the bike. A balanced bike is comfortable and easier to lean into corners. A bike may feel heavy on papers, but may feel lighter on turns and corners. On the other hand, even a lightweight bike’s poor balance and weight distribution can make the bike feel heavy.

Riding the bike before purchasing or renting it will enable you to determine whether it is comfortable in contrast to your height and size.

The most difficult problem facing short riders is a seat that is too high. This can be corrected by replacing it with an aftermarket low seat or trimming the foam of the seat. This lowers the bike without much alteration. It also makes you get your foot firmly planted at stops, which increases control and confidence.

Alternatively, one can employ a lowering kit for the suspension to lower the seat height for short biker girls. It can lower the bike by an inch or two. However, it can alter the feel of the bike on turns or bumps, so riders need to be mindful. Being a short female biker, if you opt to lower your bike’s suspension, you must consider taking it to a professional motorcycle mechanic. Also, make sure to take the test ride to check the bike’s handling and control, especially while cornering.

It is not as useful as lowering the bike seat, because it is like interfering with the bike’s build and handling. However, if the taller seat height is too problematic for shorter biker girls, lowering the suspension can still be considered.

Being a shorter female rider, if your arms remain strained or stretched in an attempt to reach them, it can cause back pain. Above all, if you find it hard to reach the bar due to the large bike size, you will not be able to keep your face forward and safely handle the bike. Therefore, you can opt to change the handlebars of the bike.

If you are a shorter biker girl, you can replace your hard-to-reach, straight drag bars with pulled-back, decently taller handlebars. It will allow you to sit more comfortably and have easy reach to the bars.

Replacing the handlebars is one of the basic mods that can help improve your grip and decrease shoulder fatigue if you are a short girl. Better access to the bars leads to quicker response and increased comfort on long rides.

If you are one of those short girl riders with shorter limbs and hands, you will find the front brake and clutch levers out of reach. Some of the modern bikes allow you to adjust the position of these levers. You can also decrease the distance between the levers and the grip so that you can pull easily when required.

Being a shorter female biker, adjusting the front brake and clutch levers allows you to have better control on the road. It also reduces the strain on your hand during long trips.

Quality riding boots with a thick sole or small heel may provide an additional inch of height, giving you a better advantage while riding. This slight increase in height with short girl riding boots having a thick sole or heel is quite helpful, especially when stopping at traffic signals or while moving in parking lots.

If you are a short biker girl, find the good-quality riding boots with a thicker sole that offer impressive grip and comfort while riding. Also, they must not cause you to slip while riding in rainy conditions.

Select riding gear, including pants and upper that are decently loose and flexible, especially if you are a petite biker girl. The riding pants must be flexible around the knee and hip areas to ensure smooth movement while riding.

Similarly, the riding jacket you wear must be flexible enough to ensure responsive arm movement while maneuvering the bike in challenging riding conditions. Shifting the body weight and the movement of your limbs is easier, more responsive, and comfortable if you wear the proper riding gear appropriate to your size and stature.

On the other hand, wearing a heavy and loose riding jacket can slow you down. You will find it challenging to stay responsive and reach the bars comfortably.

Although your biker helmet must be comfortable and lightweight, it must also be of good quality. A helmet must not be too tight. Ensure it fits you properly without obstructing your view of the road ahead.

For a short biker girl, a high-quality, lightweight, and less bulky helmet can be more comfortable on the neck of short biker girls. A balanced helmet that is both comfortable and lightweight offers improved relaxation on long-distance rides and better focus on the road.

For most riders, mounting and dismounting a motorbike, especially if you are a short biker girl, is the hardest part of riding the bike. However, it can be made easy and smooth with the proper technique.

• Stand on the left side of your bike.

• Grab the handlebars and apply the front brake to keep the bike steady.

• Control the bike in a better way by turning the bars a little towards you.

• Tilt the bike a bit to your side to put the weight on the side.

• Slowly swing your right leg over without touching the seat or luggage.

• Keep your left foot on the ground to ensure the balance is maintained.

• Get yourself into the seat of the bike and then ensure you are seated correctly.

• Stop the bike completely by engaging both brakes.

• Use your right foot to balance the bike by flat-footing it.

• Dismount the sidekick stand on the left side of the bike.

• Once the kickstand is released, switch your leg so that you can flat-foot the bike using your left foot.

• Once done, slowly start leaning your bike towards the kickstand side.

• Once the bike is parked on the kickstand, dismount the bike by swinging your right leg over the seat.

• If the bike is too tall for you, you can dismount by placing your left foot on the left footpeg of the bike and swinging your right leg over the bike. However, the bike must be put on the kickstand first.

• Step down from the bike with control. Ensure the kickstand is placed on a solid surface.

• The motorbike side stand is your best helper while mounting and dismounting the bike, being a shorter rider.

• If you are a short biker girl, the side stand must be down when getting on the bike to keep the bike stable.

• Rather than only relying on your left leg while swinging over your right leg over the bike, the kickstand must be down.

• Ensure that the stand sits firmly on the ground on a solid surface to ensure the bike doesn’t slip or sink.

• Do not put excessive weight on the sidestand for a longer period; it will likely fail and cause the bike to drop.

• When you are a short rider, parking is an art and a science.

• Find a level spot for parking that is flat. This is to ensure you do not have to make any extra effort to fight against gravity while parking or when taking the bike for a ride.

• In case you have to park the bike on an inclined surface, make sure to park it with the headlight facing upward. Also, make sure to put the bike in gear.

• The motorbike kickstand is likely to sink on soft ground, such as soft dirt, mud, sand, or gravel.

• If possible, park your bike backward so that it faces the open side of the parking lot, where you can take it out easily.

Shorter riders don’t need to stand with both their feet flat when stopped on their bikes. If you are a short biker girl, you can use the one-foot-down method, especially while riding in stop-and-go traffic.

Simply, just slide your left buttock down the motorcycle seat before reaching a stop while riding. You may need to slide your left buttock further down the seat if you are riding a much taller bike while being short.

Now, put your left foot down on the ground while making sure it is planted enough to keep you and the bike balanced.

On the other hand, make sure to place the right foot on the right footpeg if you can manage.

This helps in avoiding strain, resulting in a more comfortable ride. It also allows you to stay in better control of the bike while being a short girl. The one-foot-down method works well with taller bikes, especially ADV bikes.

Taller riders have long legs that help them to lean while riding a motorbike. Meanwhile, shorter riders can only ensure smooth cornering if they know how to shift their body weight the right way. When taking slow turns, slide your hips slightly towards the turn, keeping your shoulders relaxed and your eyes up. This allows the bike to lean without feeling heavy.

Your body follows your eyes. If you look down, you will probably wobble or crash. Instead, make sure to look at the spot where you want to go while riding a motorcycle. Do not look at or aim at the spot that you want to avoid. This is called target fixation. You can either fix your target at the end of the corner or the opening of the turn. This trick makes your balance stay the same and your riding smooth.

Remember! Practice is better than theory if you want to become a better rider, especially if you are a short girl.

• Practice riding the bike as much as you can in empty parking lots.

• Practice tight figure-eights on your bike at low speeds to improve your cornering and leaning confidence.

• Practice emergency stops from different speeds on your bike.

• Attempt taking turns on your bike in marked places.

• Practice more to find out which bike is your perfect fit.

• Other than the seat height, consider the weight of the bike while riding, slow turns, and cornering.

• The practice in an empty parking lot will make you feel safer and calmer for the real-world riding situations.

Most riders believe that riding the bike is not about the size of the rider, but about skills. The rider's height does not determine the ability to ride a motorcycle. The thing that matters is how you ride your bike. With practice, good riding technique, balance, and smooth clutch operation determine how well you can ride a bike.

Not all notable good riders are tall. In fact, many notably skilled motorcycle riders are vertically challenged. Even if you are a short girl, you can still become a pro biker if you focus on mastering riding skills.

More than the rider's height, muscle memory matters a lot when it comes to riding, only through repetitively doing a particular thing. We can gain confidence and skills. The more you ride, the more your body reacts automatically.

Whether braking, changing gears, or turning, all become natural if your muscle memory is trained. Aim for short, but frequent rides, even if you have to travel just around the block. Over time, you will develop a sense of handling it, and you will stop being afraid of riding the bike as a short girl.

Any bike that is too tall, especially if you are a short rider, makes every stop dangerous. You will likely drop the bike in an effort to maneuver it. You will remain stressed rather than being confident while riding a much taller and bigger bike. You must not purchase a bike before testing the seat height and riding position.

Suspension settings may not seem too necessary, but considering you are a short girl, they can make a huge difference. Setting up the suspension may not have a good impact on the comfort, but it can change the way a bike feels and handles.

Make sure to tune your motorbike’s suspension to suit your riding style if it offers adjustability. If you are unsure about the suspension setting, take your bike to a mechanic and get it adjusted as per your height and weight.

Some riders are after style rather than safety and comfort when choosing the best-suited motorcycle riding gear. You must select a perfect fit when it comes to riding gear. Wearing too heavy or loose riding gear can restrict your mobility, flexibility, and responsiveness while riding a motorbike.

Similarly, wearing too tight riding gear can have the same effect, restricting your muscle movements and agility. Therefore, always go for the riding gear that fits you perfectly.

Most riders, especially those who are vertically challenged, consider high-speed riding and handling dangerous. However, most falls occur at slow speeds. Maneuvering a decently heavy motorbike at slow speeds while cornering is quite problematic for most riders. If you ride a cruiser, touring bike, or an ADV bike, the bike feels relatively heavier at slow speeds.

Therefore, if you are a short girl who wants to ride the bike like a pro, make sure to start practicing slow-speed maneuvers. Find an empty parking lot where you can practice. Learning slow-speed riding skills will make you capable of moving through slow-moving traffic, busy roads, and parking lots without panic.

Being a short female rider, the choice of the right motorcycle can make a considerable difference while riding. Despite feeling tense at every stop or turn, you will be more confident if you choose the right bike according to your height and size.

The trick is to find a bike with a low seat height, low overall weight, a bike that is easy to handle, maneuver, comfortable, and has a slim profile. You must be able to tiptoe the bike at least. However, it is best if you can flat-foot the bike.

The Honda Rebel 300 or the Rebel 500 are both among the most preferred options for shorter riders who are beginners, too. If you are just starting, the Rebel 300 is ideal for vertically challenged bikers, especially for females. The bike offers a low seat height, reaching just above 27 inches.

Above all, the low weight, smooth power delivery, stable ride quality, and nimble handling make the Rebel platform ideal for short girls. What makes it even more ideal is its comfortable riding position, which is perfect for city rides and light highway cruising. If you want a bit more grunt for highway cruising, the Rebel 500 is preferred over the Rebel 300.

The other great choice for short girl riders is the Kawasaki Vulcan S. It comes with a flexible Ergo-Fit feature, allowing riders to adjust the ergonomics of the bike as per their size and height. Riders can adjust the footpegs' position, handlebars, and seat. This ensures a great advantage to short-height girls. Also, it is a great-looking modern cruiser bike that boasts a performance bike look.

Another great bike that is discontinued, but it is still a popular choice in the used market, is the Harley Sportster Iron 883. It is widely known as the girl bike as it is quite popular among female riders. The 883 cc engine may sound big, but it is quite underpowered. Also, the bike feels a bit heavy for a beginner shorter rider, but considering its low and slim profile, the Iron 883 can become your ideal riding partner if you are a short female biker.

The Royal Enfield Meteor 350 is worth considering if you want a plain, simple, basic, and small beginner bike as a short girl. It is perfect for those looking for a casual, easy ride. It is not only low and approachable, but the RE Meteor 350 is also quite smooth, stable, and ideal for city commuting and weekend cruising. Above all, the Meteor 350 is also one of the very affordable beginner cruiser bikes due to being built by Royal Enfield.

Those short female motorcyclists who want more sportiness should consider the BMW G 310 R. This bike offers an impressive build quality and a massive brand name from BMW. The G 310 R also ensures low weight and a sporty feel.

With the optional low seat available, riders can lower the bike to 770 mm (29.9 inches). The BMW G 310 R is a perfect option for those short girls who desire a bike that is agile in traffic, yet can also perform well on longer routes.

If you are a short girl who wants a small ADV bike that is approachable, we have a solid option for you. The CFMoto Ibex 450 is among the few ADV bikes that have a seat height of 31.5 inches (800 mm). This bike is quite accessible to short riders who are planning to start adventure riding. The CFMoto Ibex 450 is also one of the most reasonably priced models in the category compared to many other ADV bikes.

Regardless of what you choose to ride, be it a cruiser, standard bike, or an ADV bike, today there are more options with a low seat height than ever. It is advised to take a test ride before purchasing the bike. Sit on it, check the ergos, grab the bars, and balance the bike to know if it fits you.

Given the right motorbike, a little rearrangement, bike setup, and with some useful riding skills, you can still ride skillfully as a short girl. Once you feel confident while riding a bike, you will be as happy and in control as anyone else on the road.

This article covers ways of finding the right bike that fits your height and size, and choosing the set of riding gear that helps increase comfort and safety. After reading this guide, you'd better know how to mount and dismount a motorcycle as a shorter biker girl.

Your size is not the limit. It is your skills, practice, and mindset that count more than your height. Every ride increases your confidence, and every turn you take as a short girl rider teaches you better control.