Boost Your Confidence With These Short Rider Tips! 

I have a 29-inch inseam, and the biggest helper has been practicing fundamentals with only landing on my left leg. Progressive smooth movements are the key. Also, use the rear brake more during slow-speed maneuvers. I think so many people forget to brush up on practicing slow speed stuff, and I regularly watch your channel, and find the info super helpful, you can never learn enough.

Me and my 30-inch inseam thanks you!

I NEEDED THIS!!!!!!!!!! I’m too scared to do the advanced one, I’ll practice the first one 🤪

I recently shaved down about an inch off my seat but I also brought in the sides to make the width thinner. Highly suggest it for anyone having trouble stopping and being unstable. Bringing in the sides allows me to put my foot down more directly under my hip where I have more strength to hold the bike up and my stops have become smoother and much more confident

Good advise! I’m 5”3. I started riding motocross when I was 13 years old back in 1969. As the years passed the motorcycles got taller and taller I adapted. I started riding Street bikes in 1975. I have used all these techniques. Yesterday I bought a new triumph Tiger 900 GT pro and it is the tallest Street bike that I have owned. At 64 YO I hope to enjoy this bike for many years to come.

Finally the answer to us all short riders haha! And the second one practice looks fun! Definitely too early for me to try yet but on a horizon. Thanks a bunch!

I found useful to take my left foot off the peg sooner for the bike naturally leaning left prior to the full stop. Works good especially on positive camber areas of the road at intersections when stopping before right turn - prevents unnecessary drops onto the right side.

I watch a video of Jocelyn Snow, i think she is 5´00, on her 1200 GS, Just amazing Proper tecnics is doing everything fine. Thanks again to care about people!

Ive been riding for a im a petite woman, but this video has inspired me to start stopping with right leg up. I developed some bad habits teaching myself to ride with both feet down ( hitting front brake, we knownwhat happens then). I dropped my 1st bike several times and didnt know why. I finally figured it out, but i plan to start working on and doing stops this way.. Great video

I just got my seat shaved and oh boy what a difference 😅 Still a member of the tiptoe gang but much more confident 😎🏍💨

Thank you sir for the valuable lessons you're putting out consistently. I'm a new Rider and I love being able to implement your teachings when riding. Your awesome man! Keep up the great work! You've impacted my love for riding in a way that will hopefully helpe ride smarter safer better 🙏 you sir are the man! 💯

Everyone should watch "being a midget and having some skills on a bike" on RU-vid!

When you did that one peg start it was like a black magic to me, thanks for the tips!

This video helped me a lot! As a 5'5 guy, you can imagine how difficult it is for me to ride anything that is taller then MT-07. However, there is one detail I think he kind of overlooked in this video. When you're stopping at a traffic light - if you want to go left on the intersection, you put your left foot down and use rear break to keep your bike in place. No problem there. However, if you want to go right, then you can't do that. You lean your bike to the right, put your right foot down, and you absolutely MUST use your front break to keep your bike in place. If you're riding a light 125 ccm bike, like I do for now, you could get away with not using your front brake (if you're on even ground). But if you're a short guy (or a girl) riding a Tenere, Transalp, or anything similar, then you absolutely must learn how to use your front brake. Even more, you must master it!

I have a 28” inseam, and I changed my stock seat to a reach seat, then went to a super reach seat on my harley. Fast Eddie your balance is impeccable. Those last two tricks is how I used to mount, and dismount my bicycle. Very cool!

I am a short rider 5'4". I recently bought an Africa Twin. I call the one-legged stop my Captain Morgan. One thing I discovered recently, is that when you are short, you know you have more control when standing on the pegs, you virtually have nothing if you think that you can paddle through a rough patch. I dropped my AT in the snow and I was kinda rattled and upon restarting I started paddling and I almost fell again. Ten years on a Road King might make you think you can paddle, but you can't.

You talk about choosing the right bike for the rider often and it can make a HUGE difference getting the right bike as a short rider. I'm 5'2 ~130lb and just having the contact hours on a small 80cc minibike (~200lbs) before moving up to something larger (like my TW200 at 280lbs) made a big difference for me. I've seen women my size who ride tall dirtbikes use the advanced technique shown here to get starting and going! Sometimes it's the best option!

I recently discovered your channel - great content! I'm 1.72 m (about 5'8") and I got a BMW GS Adventure a week and a half ago. I agree with you; a lower seat is often the most effective, least intrusive to motorcycle's geometry and dynamics (ground clearance, suspension travel, geometry) and cheapest way of adjusting a bike to a shorter rider. I'm still practicing, but its working well for me. I advise people to try as many different configurations as possible before deciding what to get (I tried standard suspension/standard seat in many settings, lowered suspension/low seat and a bunch of other combinations). Also, there are many companies that offer custom seats for a variety of motorcycles - and even your local upholstery shop can be very helpful. :-) Another "trick" is to use riding boots with thicker soles, like a typical adventure boots. The little bit more they provide in height (sometimes 1 cm, or 1/2 inch) can come very handy! Note though that riding a sports bike with ADV boots can be a bit annoying (they are bulky, so gear selection is less refined) and even though pegs are higher it's easy to hit the ground with your boots in turns. I liked the fact that you showed the use of rear beak at low speeds (05:18-05"45). How many times I've seen people dropping bikes in parking lots for grabbing the front break? This is even more common for short riders, as they may lack, for not being able to flat foot, the confidence - and that's the keyword! - required to maneuver at low speeds. Good tip on taking a butt cheek off the seat too, a simple thing that some people don't do for being too concerned about "not looking stupid" (as I recently heard from another short rider who struggles with his GS). The only thing I missed in the video were other tips for short riders to mount a motorcycle. The easiest way for me to mount the GSA is to put my left foot on the left peg, drop my weight there and then throw a leg over the bike, like mounting a horse. This may sound obvious - but, again, I've seen short riders struggling or dropping bikes when mounting them, like a friend of mine did on her Ducati Monster. At the end it's all about practice and developing confidence. Thanks for the video!

Great advice Sir. Went out riding with a friend who owns a Ducati Multistrada and I was on my Suzuki SV650. We stopped and he asked if I would like to ride Duc I'd never ridden it before. I'm 5'9 with a 30" inseam. Got on the bike and it was a tippy toe event. Started riding and when we came to the first stop I did the slide over to the left to get my left foot planted move. Never thought about it just came naturally. Keep uptake great content.

Good stuff as always! I've test ridden a standard BMW R1200GS like the first way; pretty hairy if you aren't used to the weight of that bike but once you get going its a smoooooth ride! (I practiced a few times in the parking lot of the dealership before taking off; this skill will come in handy if I find a used one, or a used Ducati Multistrada before I can find a lower seat.) The good news is that BMW has been making them with the lower frame, but from what I understand they sell more of the lows than the standards. Anyway, great video! Thanks! Stay safe out there in Cali!

Thanks! Big help and some new exercises to try for this short guy.

That was super! thank you!

I definitely need this! Can’t wait to be able to do the advanced technique! Thank you!!!!

My first bike was a Yamaha DT125R trail bike. I'd never even sat on it before I took delivery of it at the CBT (Compulsory Basic Training) course test centre in Wembley, London. You have to pass CBT to ride as a learner in the UK, before anything else, so it was pass the test or be in trouble having to push the bike home or arrange storage till I could re-take. The ride height on that is 35", and I take a 32" inseam, so, yeah, precarious. I could *just* get my tippy-toes to the ground. It was terrifying. After I passed the test I think it was another 2 weeks till I so much as tried to start the bike again, but I took it for trips round the block till I got used to it. The main thing I learned was sliding my bum off the side of the seat to get 1 foot firmly planted at traffic lights. I ended up commuting in to work in Vauxhall from Harrow every day, till I found the 14bhp single too limiting & upgraded to a CB500. I'm actually facing the same fear again now, at 50, as I consider buying a newer bike - either a Versys 1000 or an Africa Twin CRF1100L. These are heavier bikes than I've ever ridden before. Will I manage them, I wonder? I'm thinking whatever I get, it's going to need crash bars for when, not if, I drop it.

you forgot one of the most important! use high boots! that gives you a lot of confidence

I’m 5’1” so I’ve been doing the butt scoot left foot down technique since I was able 10 years old. If I learn to do the standing start & stop I can buy a 1250 GS next spring!

6:30 is how I always get going on my bicycle. Makes sense on a motorcycle

The real challenge comes when short rider needs to walk the bike backward There are times when you just can’t get off the bike to push / pull it. Being short still makes riding taller / heavier bike difficult Another reason I sold my Street Bob and got a CB 650 R

Thank you so much for doing this video for us short riders. Like the last part, just like riding a bicycle.

Exactly what I do on my GS and my short inseam. This is the first bike I’ve ever had with Hill start assist which is great so I can now choose which leg is going down based on the camber of the road at a stop. Here in the UK some of the cambers can be steep….

Nice emphasis on building confidence. Stay safe.🇨🇦🏍

Been watching your videos since the quarantine started.. Really informative and i learn a lot. Thanks

Great tips, been following almost same things since long now. This would help in fine tuning.

Thank you soo much sir. Great information ❤️👍

In the UK you have to adopt "safety position" left foot down, right foot on the back brake.

This is the best tip video for short riders ive seen for hours. Thanks a lot Sir! 🙏

I am 6'2" and this video has several useful tips for us tall riders, as well. Thanks!!

very nice and professionally explained. Agreed to reduce seat height but not to tamper with suspensions.

As a noob myself, I think it's good practice for anyone to single foot it. I'm short but not crazy short (5'8") and my bike is pretty low so I can have both feet flat if I want but tbh I have much more confidence with left foot down and right foot on the rear brake.

Used to do things like that as a kid on a bicycle sort of scoot of and throw your leg over the bike and also when getting off .

awesome nifty tricks there!! Lots of love from India 🇮🇳

Nice one, thanks!

Thanks!

Lol the second I saw the advanced one I was like yep that's me in traffic falling over 💯

Great video, thanks

Hi there Moto Jitsu, confidence is a big thing,they are great tips for building confidence, thank you friend for your fine teachings 🙂🙂🙂

These are some strats I definitely needed, since I want to upgrade to a Versys 650, but I have to tip-toe those.

So awesome thank you so much 5 ft and I am flat foot just on a street glide your advice is super helpful

I like to try the cowboy style mount and dismount on tall bikes, but will practice on a small bike first. All the cowboys movies did it that way.

Thanks man for all your content, seriously has helped me gain some knowledge during these cold months that in return can practice when we get these random indian summer day's #Midwestlife

Going to socal supermoto and was worried about the size of the bikes but this helped alot, thanks

I always put my right foot down unless I want to let go of the front break for some reason like to get phone out maybe ....then I just use right foot on the break a minute .... I like setting off with bite at same time as pick up right foot

You have very good tips. I congratulate you for the videos, they are of great help.

Me with my 30 inseam and a 35 inch seat on my f800gs lol thank you!

You rock! :)

Same problem here, I'll try this confident building takeoff maneuver 😊 Thanks! I was already thinking of buying that footpeg lowering kit... I won't do that, then. One thing to watch out because it has happened to me a few times. If the sole of your boot is too smooth and/or there's gravel or other slippery stuff on the ground and/or you put down your foot too far away from the bike, there's a good chance your foot that holds the weight slips with the bike along and fall.

La tecnica mas avanzada esta buena para practicar con una bicicleta, pones el pedal izquierdo a media altura, tomas impulso y te subis. Gracias por los consejos. Thank you.

Great video, I’m going to internalize this so I can confidently teach my girlfriend and anyone else interested in bikes these skills if they get on bikes that are tall for them.

i bought a bike before sitting on it now im super tippy toes, I wish I saw this video before hand. I am 4'10 and bought a kawasaki ninja 300. trying to find the best ways to ride without having wasted my money LOL. been thinking of taking down the seat as well as finding boots with some platform to them. lots of people are telling me to lower the suspension but I am nervous to do that

This guy gets it

Oh thanks

thanks again! :P

nice one

Thank you Mr Motojitsu!

only thing I need to improve more is be conscious where to set my foot specially on uneven road or those road that has steep pavement..I'm always scared when reaching those area and I need to stop because of traffic..hehehe..I hope Ed you have some tips about that..:)

Great tips! As a 5'0" rider with a 27" inseam, weighing in at 105 lbs, might I also recommend how important it is for the sag to be set correctly. I noticed that your bike responded under your weight with each input you gave it, coming to a stop, setting one foot down, starting while off the bike, etc. My experience on bikes where the springs were too stiff to get the sag set properly - which is almost every bike I've ridden - is that having the bike respond to your weight plays a large role how confident and stable I am in putting one foot down and shouldn't be overlooked as an important part of setting a bike up for your riding experience. Since I live in a downtown area near Los Angeles and there's a lot of stop and go traffic, I've opted to lower my Triumph Street Triple 765 RS. Between that and setting up the suspension properly, Ohlins make it super easy - the bike fits my littleness like it was made for me.

Used to do this as a child when riding a full sized adult bicycle haha

Before you stop at the red light and lean to your left do you first put into first gear so that you won't have problem switching gears when the light turns green.

Yessir!

Your advices are by far the best. Thanks so much. I would participate in all of your courses, but you are not in Switzerland:-(. Anyway best regards from Switzerland.

My humble opinion, but if you're able to put your helmet on over your hoodie without any effort, like you did, and it's not squishing your head, your helmet is too big for you.

Holy Hell, that's Camp Pendleton!

I know a few that do that last dismont.. Small GS riders.

Thanks for the tips man im 5'1 height . Beginner rider . 😀

One less obvious tip for shorties. I started going to massage therapy and apparently there was a lot of scar tissue in my lower back. After a few sessions, the therapist broke it all up and increased my mobility. As a collateral benefit, I found it easier to ride my bike. Breaking up the scar tissue allowed me more range of motion with my hips. It made it easier to put one foot down as my lower back/pelvic bone were better able to "tilt" (one side down/one side up). This additional flexibility made a world of difference for me. I didn't realize how messed up my body was!

As a short rider, don’t let it scare you into not getting your dream bike. I ride a Yamaha R6 and I’m only 5 ‘7

Always check the slope of the road as you stop, I got caught out once with a negative slope and dropped my baby, thankfully no damage.

My country is in lockdown. Not allowed to go out for a month. Decided to watch motorcycle videos instead. Now I want to get out there even more!! 😭😭😭

First time commenting here :-) Really nice to see an expert like you thinking about short people. I have few questions by the way. 1. How to get on the bike if you had to stop it on a slope? So the bike is leaned over more than usual (in this case towards the kick stand side) and if you can put only one leg down always (even on balanced roads) on the ground (and that's even only the tippy-toe of one foot) how can someone manage this? 2. Same situation, how that person can reverse the bike? Get down and reverse without getting on? Hope you would reply and thank you for all your hard work.. Let me know if these aren't clear. I will explain more. I would really like your expert advice on these :-) Reason for all these? I am 5'2 and riding a supermoto with around 34inch seat height and I am still practicing. I can ride my father's small bike easily without fear but with this I am little bit worried :-) So I am always following your tips and I have a lot to learn. Thank you..

So, in one your videos, the lane splitting quick take-off. Could you show how you could mix that video along with this video. Idk whether I would hold myself with left foot and kinds use rear brake or just use all rear brake and primarily use my foot to stay upright

Any suggestions for maneuvering the heavy bike from a parked position or backing the bike up with short legs

Thank you for useful tips but it's really hard on a SUPERSPORT because of leaning position. I'm 5,5>bike is r6

*Merciful infiniment, Thanks. Bangkok-Johnnie Royal Enfield aficionado from THAILAND*

Well, phooey! I thought this was going to be a short video of tips for (t)all motorcyclists. :-p

5,2 girl XD, that helps a lot! thank u

Hey Greg, I have a question. How do you safely mount a passenger on the bike if you are a short rider on a taller bike that you can’t flat foot with both feet?

I'm tip toeing barely on my new MT07. SO different than my CX500D. How do I back up to park on an incline? Had to have one of the hot girls from my riding group do it for me.

We have left side driving. Will this also work with roads that have a large curve which will put the bike on quite a steep lean?

How’re you liking that steal braided brake line? Were you able to do stoppies without it?

Just curious if you use left foot only and bike is leaning left, when you make a right turn (from a stop) are you leaning with your weight the “wrong” way? Do you need to use right foot for a right turn so you can counterweight on left peg?

5,5 I'm scared af of standing on a gs1200

Random question but is it necessary to put your bike into neutral when you stop at a light? I feel like just staying in first and holding the clutch would be easier and more efficient, but then again I don’t have a bike

I love when 5"9 height guys decide to give advices to short riders !

Great thank's from France!!! Very usefull video , skills well explained even if my feet touch the ground on my 600DR 1989😄😄😄 Ha...just a question ...how kick starting my bike with the left leg on the ground 😅😅😅 Friendly Richard Lionheart 👍😎🇫🇷

u turning best method for short rider??plz make vdo on this topic sir

What supermoto would you recommend someone who's 5'4

I thought I was at an disadvantage with my height, after reading through the comments here it doesn't really matter. Edit The video too!!

so when to come to a stop, you stay at first gear, and hit the kill switch? how can you do that in the city that you are stoping every few min, you need to switch legs and stay with your right foot on the ground

Did you sell your BMW S1000R when you purchased the Suzuki you have now? Or do you still have it?

just curious what your height and inseam is? I'm just trying to gain confidence on my side, I rode for years never an adventure bike and I would want to get the Tenere 700 at 34.4" seat height at 452 lbs. wet weight, wants to get touring around with it but concern on the seat height and weight. Thanks for the video.