Motorcycles and Short Rider Tips & Tricks on a Yamaha R6 For Short People! 

Part 3 of my tips / tricks for Short People is out.. Check it out here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-DM6-dXVAJeY.html

Im 5'1" on and R3 (31in seat height)and have gotten comfortable just keeping my roght from on peg/break and shifting my body about to the left to flat foot my L foot 🙂short ladies yes we can ride sport bikes we don't have to tip toe or settle for low seat height bikes.

When someone told me that Marc Marquez is only 5'7" that really changed my perception about fear of being short while riding sport bikes. I'm also 5'7", about 29" inseam, and an '07 R6 was my first bike. I learned everything of what not to do in my first hour or so of riding up and down my neighborhood and it really made me stand back and question whether I still wanted to ride. I took the MSF course at a HD riding school a few weeks later and after a few days of messing around on their Street 500's it made riding so much more fun again. Got back home the next day and took the R6 for a ride and had a blast. This will be my third season of riding, with my third different bike. Starting on an R6 is definitely doable. It's skill floor is low enough that if you're willing to learn you can definitely ride it, and a skill ceiling of professional racing. After a year of that I traded it for a Ducati 999, my second bike and first liter bike. It's behavior was incredibly similar to that of the R6. Super nimble, light weight, with not much speed at the top. Down low it was a torquey monster (no pun intended) that chugged and shook all over in first gear up until about 25mph, but after that it was super smooth. Not something I'd recommend to start with but something I'd say anyone could ride after a few lessons. A few weeks ago I sold my 999 and immediately went back to a Yamaha again but this time an R1. I missed all the quirks of owning a Yamaha and the ease of maintenance, plus the sound of the CP4 R1 is unmistakable. Compared to the R6, I was amazed. It's far more comfortable with the clipons higher up, foot pegs lower and more forwards, the seat is more rounded instead of being flat allowing me to touch the ground with easy with both feet. Throttle response is close to that of the R6 but with just a little bit more torque, but it never seems to slow down once you get on it. I'm not going to say you should start on an R1, but I won't say it can't be done either. I'd say anyone with just a few hours on a 125cc in a parking lot doing slow maneuvers and practice can ride anything; however, I spent hours of time reading, watching, and learning from others here on RU-vid and from forums about racing and riding techniques in order to be a better rider. Two of the biggest points that stick out from everything I've learned so far is to stay vigilant and be ahead of the bike. You must look out for other traffic, road conditions, pedestrians, animals, etc... Look to see if a car is about to move from a stoplight not by just looking at the vehicle, but at its wheels turning. Look to see if there's an object in the road ahead or a road hazard through the cars ahead of you, not just the one directly ahead of you. Is that person on their phone and paying attention? Do they even hear you? Look out for the dog, deer, horse, etc.. on the side of the road. Slow down, and keep looking at the road before the car ahead of you slams on their brakes. Simple things like that which you can look for while driving too will definitely help you with reaction times and staying upright on your bike. As for staying ahead of your bike, your judgement on speed for corner entries, undertaking other riders/vehicles, is just as big as looking through the turn and not directly at it. Keep looking at the surface of the road for dust, sand, dirt, gravel and oil and stay clear but keep your eyes looking through where you want to ride. Use progressive braking techniques to keep the bike settled and in-order to ride smoothly. I personally chose to cover both the clutch and front brake levers with two fingers all the time to save the .5 seconds of reaction and repositioning of my hands, which also gives smoother inputs of throttle by not having a death grip on it (thumb, and two outside fingers is all it takes). All of this wasn't learned in a few days, weeks or months. Just like in your job, you continually learn to do things differently that suits your better. The same applies to riding as you'll never stop learning.

I’m 5’7 and I just bought myself a 2021 R1 today… I’m literally tippy toeing the bike and it makes me so nervous since my 05 R1 is so much lower. Pray for my tippy toeing skills.

I am 5" 7" with 30 inseam and I just purchase a 2022 Yamaha YZF R1M. You are spot on, it really doesn't matter about the height. It's all about being comfortable and knowing your bike.

I'm 5'7, 27 inseam. I ride my cbr600rr no problem. My best tip is to stay in gear at stops, so you won't need to do the leg shuffle

I'm 5' roughly and I've just bought my first bike, being an YZFR-125..So happy I found your videos, this helps so much Thank you :)

Thank you for this! I'm 5'6 too and am planning to get myself an R6 soon.

I’m 5’6 and I just got a 2016 R6 60th year anniversary edition. And this is exactly how I get on and get off the bike. Glad to know I’m not the only one

Good job man. U r motivating short people like us in great way. 💙

This video you made is like an Angel recusing me from a very dark corner, seriously this is some amazing advice! Thank you so much!

I'm also 5'6" and my motorcycle's seat height is about 855mm. New subscriber here from Philippines! Your vid tutorial is really helpful. I think i'm gonna try this technique with a Versys1000 or an R1.

Nice. A clear explanation and demo

this is by far the best video, specially for short riders like me. thank you so much ! a million love and likes here from Philippines

I sat on the tuono 660 and I was tippy toe. I love to get this bike but hesitated. this video helped me feel a lot better knowing what to do in different situations. now I should book a test ride to really try the bike.

This is absolutely the BEST “short rider” video!!!! Thank you THANK YOU!!!! This is giving me the confidence I needed to become better acquainted with my new zx6r!

I am also around your height and just bought a 2020 orange and black R6. It's a beautiful bike and while it's a bit awkward at first, it soon becomes second nature to maneuver in slow speed environments. It's a a fun challenge managing a tall bike and feels like an accomplishment at the very least.

5'3" Rider here. Bikes I've owned and riden for 7yrs+ are Honda Grom(fun city bike around town ~65mph max depending on weight) and my new R3 are great short bike if speed not your main objective. Plenty of power in the R3 for highways and easy driving around town. I'm still tippy toeing on the R3 but it's not bad at all. Still can flat foot my left on the ground with my right foot on the rear brake.

putting up your height in the details made me subscribed to your channel! :D (coz we have the same height) hope to see more actions from you. ride free, ride safe my brother!

This was very helpful! Thanks for this video!

Well coming from Australia the camber of the road is the opposite and sometimes the camber can be unpredictable and more extreme when you least expect it so I would put my right foot down even if that means having to use the front brake rather than the rear brake.

I have watched both of your episodes about short riders (I am 5’ 5”) and both had boost my courage to continue in upgrading to bigger bike. Having a Yamaha R3 as my first motorbike at age 49 😅, confidence and courage doesn’t easily come by 😀. The interest and curiosity are both pushing me to tick another item on my bucket list but of course considering my limitations due to my age and riding experience (riding for more 2 months now). 😊

Excellent video

Great video man 😎

Thanks, this was very helpful. I am also 5’6” and just bought a Ducati Streetfighter V4.

Your videos are very helpful to us short people. You have taught us to conquer our fear.

Awesome.... Great info bud....

Thanks Petro head for your vlog about small rider and riding a big bike.I learned some of the technic.

Great work 👏

Really encouraging learning 'How to Ride a Tall Bike as a Short Rider' from an ACTUAL short(ish) rider.

Love your videos. Someone asked about reversing as a short person and you mentioned it’s obvious get off and walk it. However maybe not so obvious for. 5”2 with a 460lb tall bike. It is a bit challenging. Maybe a video on different methods to reverse and back into a spot on an angle

Keep up the good work mate

Thank you so much brother you are very professional and detailed looking forward for more videos.

I have a 28 inseam and a somewhat top heavy Enfield INT650 bike I bought earlier this year. It first it was a challenge and it was a good thing I first installed the big drop bars because I have dropped the bike a few times when learning how to handle it (no damage). There is one thing I do that I'd like to suggest and that is to build up the strength in your feet so you can push hard while on tip-toes. When standing on my toes, I can "toe foot" on both sides and I feel much more in control now when something comes up needing to support the bike on either the left or right sides. There is one other thing that I could wish for and that is a kickstand on the right side too. Finally I want to stress just how important it is to learn to control the clutch's "friction zone."

Wow, tnx!!!! Awesome content Really useful.

Thank you very much. Informative. I’m 5’5” w/ 30 inseam

Thanks for the tips you're awesome mate 👍

Very helpful thank you

I’m 17, 5’6 or 5’7 and I’m thinking of getting a motorcycle as well. Your vid made me feel a lot more comfortable. Thank you!

great motivation

You are a good teacher.

Your videos are very positive, I like it 👍

5'6?? That's tall, I'm 5'4

Great advise. I also have 29-30ish inseam. The tallest bikes I had ridden: 32 inch for street, and 34 inch for dirt. My next challenge is the dual sport such as CRF 300L with about 35-36 seat height. I am struggled to understand why mfg make such tall bike for small cc. If I am 6ft tall, I would never consider that size, too under powered.

I recently dropped my 3-day old Panigale V2, because I panicked brake. Lucky, I am safe although the bike did get slight damage. But I am now learning from your videos. I will take the bike again for practice and apply what I just learned from your videos. But I will have to wait for the sliders I ordered. Thanks for the reminder.

this is very helpful for short rider

Thanks so much for your help

I love the colors on that R6 😍

Skill is the key not the height ! ❤️

Definitely have a subscriber here thank you so much🙏🏽

Thank you for real-time tutorial. 🙏🇮🇳

U have earned my like and subscribe thank u ❤️

very nice Video, you deserve more subscribers

These are good videos. Haven’t seen anyone go into detail like this on this subject. Good job.

Thank you 👍👍👍

Hi, I think that I've seen you filming there. I cross the stop sign and go up the bike path to the left (11:07) every Saturday morning. Been watching some videos and practicing because I just bought a Husky FE350S with a 37" seat height so it's the tallest motorcycle that I have. I'm 5'11" but with a long torso so my inseam is only about 30". It really doesn't seem too bad. I can get both toes down easily but am practicing sliding to the left and right to put a foot down for when I run into that situation where I get stopped by a rock or something and my foot goes down in a low spot. Stand up on the pegs to balance in place and which ever side it starts to lean to, I slide my butt to that side and put a foot down. I will add some wood under the tires to raise it up more just to help with that muscle memory. I see a lot of videos of people riding enduro and falling over when they have to put a foot down and it goes into a low spot. One thing that really helped me finally decide to buy this taller motorcycle was the salesperson had shorter legs and he rides a tall off road bike. He told me that I'd get used to it and it really won't be a problem, already I'm feeling better with it. Thanks for the videos and have fun riding.

@7:44 ur outfit is super dope! Geared up without sacrificing style!

I put thick insoles in my riding boots, definitely helped a bit! Super cheap mod to add a cm or so to your reach.

I bought a used r6 that was lowered. I was worried about the handling so I raised it back up to stock, tbh it’s not bad until stopping on an uneven surface.

I’m 5’3 and was worried about this, I’m not sure what my inseam is rn, I think it’s about 30in but an R6 is what I want to get eventually, so this is cool to see.

Sick looking bike.

As a short guy, the only times I've dropped my bike(s) is a U-Turn on an incline. I even dropped my most recent new bike on my ride from the dealership... on my steep driveway. I instinctually try to put my left foot down on a left u turn and it happens. I'm now highly aware of the risk but need more practice doing it right.

Nice!

Thank u I’m buying an r6 for a first bike never been on any bike before Wish me luck

This is perfect. I'm a short rider myself

Sadly, even with all the tricks I learned so many bikes are not accessible, taking my 5.2’ 😢 I tried some low seat touring bikes (Goldwing , BMW K1600 GTL) and all I could manage was riding a highway straight. Forget about backing it up, or low speed maneuvering in a crowded city traffic. When I see how easy my buddies handle those bikes and compare with what effort I put just to keep them up while tipping my toes I feel sad😢. Anyway, we need to learn how to be happy with what we have… Stay Safe!!

I am 5'4.. just bought my 2021 CBR500R today tip toe all the way home hahaha.. I just learned how to ride last week from MSFC

I am not a short person per say but the R1 I purchased right now is a little tall so both feet can touch about 50%. Problem is I have 1 limp foot which has nearly 0 movement. So I primarily keep my good foot flat and use the dumb on to back break by just increasing pressure

Im 5.2 riding zx6r 2008 its all about training my bike still on stock height no problem at all just make sure no panic

New subscriber here from Philippines

You’re doing remarkable job, I really appreciate your videos specially the way you describe |Love from India 🇮🇳|

Your 5'6 Jesus I'm 5'3 and I plan to get that same exact R6 you got next year hahahaha I currently rock on a Ninja 400 which is enough for both of my foot to be tip toe. But thanks for the tips man, I'm even more confident in getting my R6

I'm 5,10-11 and I'm riding my tiger 🐅 955i like a 6,9 feet tall person. Just keep always the right or left foot on the ground without leaning too much whenever you're standing still, and everything will work perfectly fine from you 🙂

I'm 5"5 but i really like the R1 which have 33,7 inch height seat too, i still haven't get the opportunity to try and sit on the R1 so i'm still afraid that i can't ride it And your video is inspired me somehow thanks for those useful tips

Nice video! what do you think about the R1?

I'm 5 "4" and I don't want my height to stop my dream of having a sports bike that's at least 200 or 400 cc.. If I ever find this vid after I get one, I'll tell you guys about my experience

Man that orange is the nicest thing since the 06 tribal orange Honda cbr 600RR 🍊

I put a heat temp gun to see how hot the frame gets and it was hitting 150 degrees almost which I think is insane. Everyone I talked to says it’s normal that the frame gets hot but 150 degrees that’s crazy

I wish I saw this video before I started riding with my 80,2cm (31,5") tall bike with my 75cm (29,5") legs ':D.. Luckily I learned these tricks by myself. You can also try lowering the bike a bit (instead of actually lowering it) by tightening the shock absorbers, if it doesn't affect too much on the riding comfortness. (That's what I did. But I rode an allrounder on the street, so there was much to tighten from). That should give you up to over 1 inch lower bike, depending on how much you can tighten the absorbers. Good luck on the road my short fams!

so this exact same situation, but you have a passenger. Do you ask them to mount before or after moving up the kickstand? Im 5'7, 31 inseam. Pretty much ok with the one leg down situation, but im still pretty nervous about a passenger mounting with these sensitive balance issues.

I'm 5'6 as well. But my personal preference is just a low seat. And don't wanna go higher that I can't touch w/ both feet. Anyway, subbed. cheers!

I think I’m gonna pull the trigger on a bike soon. I know how to shift/ downshift and everything but i don’t really know how to maneuver or really ride at all. Any suggestions for a first bike? Kinda nervous but i really want one!

Hi, when you stop the bike, how to change the lower gears? And when you start turn on the bike it seems like you already in gears? How?

This is good advice for short riders. However, i'd argue you need to go on to a lower seat height bike initially to grow confidence in riding. The issue isn't riding the bike, it's stopping, and pulling away when the ground is so far away

I am 5'4 maybe 5'5 and I get really intimidated by these big machines but I love them so much but I'm just scared of like falling down on a bike especially during u turns which almost happened to me onboard a Ninja 250

New subscriber here

My dream bike is RSV4. I’m exactly your size and inseam… wish I could be that confident.

5’6” is a giant in my world. I’m 4’11”. The only time I get angry about being short is when I am limited on the bikes I can ride. I’m going to branch out and work on riding something taller for me.

funny enough its not how short you are that matters its your inseam. Also aftermarket seats, lowering the bike and ofc everything he said are great solutions for us shorter riders :)

Hey @PetroHead, Quick question. I’m a 5”6’ rider on an R6 as well, and I realised that the foot pegs and stock rear sets are very low for me, and it gets hard to grip the tank while cornering because of how low my knee is compared to the tank. Do you know any rear sets that are good for the R6 that will rise the pegs and the the gear lever too?

Hey I got an r6 also I’m like 5’ 4” lol was here to see if you did it the same way I do🤷‍♂️ howwww is your mic so clear? I tried making a video on a ride all I get is wind lol teach uss

I’m 183 cm would I be comfortably touching both grounds with my two feet?

I’m 5’0 and I ride a ninja 400. I think I may have to lower the R6 cause I’m ready for an upgrade

Hey man! We have almost identical measurements, my building being really stocky, thick thighs.. I’m currently on a 2017 Street Triple 675R and can get half of both feet down. I have an 890R coming mid January and not sure what to expect. I previously owned a 390 and fell in love with KTM. I know the 890 is slim, was wondering if you think it’ll be much different than my current situation. The Triple is not as narrow, wondering if that would negate the height increase that’s coming with the 890. Appearance your videos and the time you put in.

I was the shortest guy in my crew, but I was the fastest on the track ☺️

ah ok i love you man, so you never back the bike in anywhere? i found backing to be extremly difficult and im 5'8

What if the road happens to dip on the left side and is higher on the right side? Could I put my right leg down and cover my front brake instead?

I have been riding Harley's forever but am considering a sport bike @ 61 and I am 5'11 and in shape.. Just because I hav never have. I jumped on a Hondba CBR1000 but was imtimidated about the long reach to the handle bars. It's not that I have short arms by no means. I guess it's that I have always rode upright then slouched over. Is this something that you get used to?

Not sure if you mentioned it however I see that the bike is already in gear? That could be mentioned. I too am a short rider and whenever I set out to ride. I make sure it is in gear. Helps me not to have to pop it in gear first - as a short rider.

Petrohead what app do u use 2 edit?? Is it mobile or cpu and does it cost??