Customize the Fit of Your Motorcycle: Tips and Tricks for a Tailored Ride
- Motorcycle Gear Reviews
- Feb 23, 2024
- 6 min read
It is a rare occurrence that someone sits on a motorcycle and everything fits perfectly. Most riders when they first sit on a bike say, I wish this was this or I would like it if that was that. Customizing the fit of a motorcycle is very important for your comfort and safety. It is also big business, with thousands of product offerings to ensure the proper fit of your new motorcycle. We are going to dig into some of the most common customizations and make some recommendations along the way.
Motorcycles are designed to fit the average rider. Someone that is average height might still be disproportionate to this average rider the manufacturer had in mind. The manufacturer may also be building a bike to an average of female and male riders, skewing to male riders as they are the larger group purchasing their product. I know, it just doesn't seem fair. Let's review some of the tips to ensure your motorcycle fits you and your riding style!
Motorcycle Selection
The obvious first choice is that you have to select the proper bike, as a starting point. Ideally, you first select a bike based on your skill and confidence level. Next, match a motorcycle to the style and type of riding you like or plan on doing. Finally, find a motorcycle that has a frame size that matches your frame size (see what I did there). For the purposes of this article, we are going to focus on the later. If you are a new rider and 6' 4", a 883 Sportster might match your skill level, but not your size. You might need to look at a larger frame bike, like a Softail to find a bike you will be comfortable on. That being said, I tell people all of the time that I can make any bike fit any rider. I have been challenged many times, but always find a way to make it work. I've worked with that tall rider that wanted a Sportster and I have women customers barely over 5' riding touring bikes.
Seats
When we start customizing the fit of a motorcycle, you should start with the least expensive options first. For most situations, this is a seat. There are seats designed for shorter riders, which will usually drop the seat lower and further up on the tank. For taller riders, the seat will sit them further back on the back so they can stretch out their legs more. Harley calls a seat for a shorter rider a Reach Seat and one for a taller rider is called a Tall Boy. Most seat manufacturers offer seats to dial in your seating position on the bike. If you are interested in learning more about motorcycle seats, be sure to check out our articles about seats.
Suspension
A common issue is the height of the bike. This usually comes into play for shorter riders. They want the bike lower so they feel more confident being flat footed sitting on the bike. The change in a seat can help a lot, depending on the bike. If the seat still doesn't sit you as low as you like, we can look at changing the suspension. I would recommend not altering the suspension geometry of the motorcycle unless necessary though it is less expensive than changing the suspension itself. When altering suspension to lower a bike, my first recommendation is to go to a shorter rear shock or shocks. If we look at a touring bike, like a Road King, Street Glide, or Road Glide, they all run a 12" rear shock. The ST models and Ultra Limited and Road Glide Ultras all have a 13" shock. A taller shock can provide more travel and greater lean angle, but if you are on your tippy toes at a stop light the taller suspension looses its appeal. You can change the rear shocks to greatly reduce the reach to the ground. About the shortest shock on the market is a Burly Slammer which is 10.5". It really sits the rear end on the ground. There are also lowering kits for the front suspension which can get the bike even lower and not throw off the geometry of the bike as much. The less expensive options is a lowering block. Lowering blocks are very inexpensive and easy to install. They are basically blocks of metal that mount to where the rear suspension would mount and a second point to mount the original shock. It's a very simply idea. Of course, changing where the suspension mounts does changes the angle of the suspension and can alter the ride and handling characteristics of the motorcycle.
Bars
The next most common modification is to change the bars or risers, depending on which bike you have. Taller riders often change to taller bars. The size can vary based on the bike, their height and just generally what they find the most comfortable. Most riders prefer bars that put their hands at about shoulder height. This is more a matter of preference than fit. Taller bars also allow a more forward hand position for a taller rider. It is important to keep in mind that the taller the bars, the less control you have of the bike. For optimal control of the motorcycle, your forearms should be parallel to the ground when holding the grips. This position allows you full range of motion when making slow turns, but may not be the most comfortable for longer trips. Shorter riders often prefer a bar that brings the controls closer to them. On a cruiser style motorcycle, this may be as simple as adjusting the stock bars or replacing the riser with a pullback riser. On a touring bike, they might go to a slightly taller bar, but rocking them back towards them.
Foot Controls
Changing the setup of the foot controls is one of the least common modifications I see. Changing a forward control bike to mid controls or vice versa is a pricey venture. There are kits for about every motorcycle to make this happen though. The price is because of the complexity and number of components involved. It is more than just moving pegs. You have to relocate the shifter and brake pedal. This also means that the shift linkage and either the master cylinder or a brake shift rod has to be replaced. If you are looking at a forward control bike, there are a few reduced reach kits available to bring the controls a little closer to you. The same holds true for some mid control bikes. Generally, I advise against swapping from one set up to another. Some bikes there are not any real options for moving the foot controls. Harley-Davidson touring bikes, for example are all set up with forward controls using floor boards. There is no real way to move these mounting points. I typed that and immediately had second thoughts. Anything and everything is possible, but it may involve custom fabrication, which means very big dollars. The most common foot control modifications I see are for taller riders. You can change to an extended brake lever and extended shifter. Both of these modifications give a little more leg room by moving those controls further forward.
Dialing in that perfect for for your motorcycle will make you a more confident rider and allow you to really enjoy your bike. As you can see, achieving this tailored fit ranges from very simple to fairly complex. Always start simple and with the least expensive options. I would encourage you to check out other bikes. If you have friends you ride with that will let you sit on their bikes, you can get a good feel for what you like. You could also visit a dealer and sit on some pre-owned bikes that have accessories already to get a feel for what you like. Finally, I encourage you to go to rallies or bike nights and speak with other riders. Everyone's opinions will vary greatly and should be taken with a grain of salt. That guy that has a 10 year old bike with 5,000 miles is probably not the best resource. Just remember the basics of what we covered here to make a well thought out decision on customizing the fit of your motorcycle.