They said I couldn't ride this bike! | 5 Tips for Short Riders 

Just took delivery of a new Tiger 900 RP yesterday. What a thing of beauty! It’s still not quite riding season here in Alaska, but we’re getting really close! I’ve been hanging out in the garage doing these exercises to get myself acquainted with the new bike. I do get a bit of anxiety thinking about coming to a stop light and setting my one foot down onto a pile of gravel. Its never been a problem before on my shorter bikes, but the top heavy weight on the tiger is something new to me.

I love Danu Pedrosa, he'd talk about his challenges being short and in MotoGP....and yet...shortie made it to MotoGP 🤜🤛❤️

One thing a lot of people don't think about is boots.. you can get a boot like an Alpinestars Tech 5/7/10 and it will add probably an inch to your heel. Those aren't the most affordable or comfortable boots when you buy them, but after some break in they are comfortable and offer a lot of protection. I've been slowly wearing my Tech 7s more and more and have been reaching for them more often now. Also, Jocelin Snow is the king/queen of short rider content. I love Carolyns stuff, but Jocelin is the poster for "Short person with a BIG BIKE".

5'7" with only 27" inseam, 29" tip toes. 😂 Thanks man for the help

Short king tips! Definitely some good info 🤙🏼

Glad to join the flamingo gang LOL! 5'2 (and half!) Butt scooching all the time!

Love this video, being a 5'7" ride with the same inseam as you i appreciate you taking the time to help others. I've owned my Tenere 700 for three and a half years, commute it everyday in London traffic, take it offroad and have toured it in Europe. It's standard height but im very confident as ive been riding ADV's since 1989. Once again thanks for taking the time to make this video.👍🏻

I find riding solo fine for taller bikes but I defo prefer a more planted foot when im 2up with 3 box luggage

Good stuff, a lot of the same things I've been figuring out since getting my 1190 ADV R this past spring. 5'7" and 29" inseam here. Nice to see a video catering to us short guys as everything seems to be aimed at the shorter women out there. Still getting my bike tweaked for me but I'm getting more confidence each time I go out.

Great tips! And a great energy you brought to this topic. I rode my Tiger a couple months at stock height and decided to get an adjustable lowering link and drop the forks to keep the geometry even. Might be a cheat, but I wanted to be comfortable on a tall heavy adventure bike. My philosophy: if it keeps you riding - do it.

Thanks for the vid. I too am not going to get drafted by the NBA. So, I appreciate your insights into this particular bike and the vertical challenges therein. I ride a Harley and am contemplating a lighter bike.

Bump into your video by chance. Thank you for the wonderful tips and valuable guidance. I am 5'7". Currently taking learning lesson to prepare for Big bike license test.

Great video. I have the same bike, same crash bars. How are you liking the Outback Motortek crash bars and bash plate so far? I like those crash bar bags you have on also. I just got a Mosko Moto heated jacket for the wife...and a 46L Top case and she LOVES riding now. We ride down to Baja from San Diego often too!

As I’m now 72 years old , been riding over 50 years , but my hips have started playing up , getting a lower seat wouldn’t work as the pillion seat remains the same ( I can’t use foot pegs anymore) so I just lowered the bike by 2.5 cms front raised suspension 1.7 cm . Perfect no more sitting on the bike in pain after getting on Yee Haa .great video 👍👍😊ps I’ve not put flat feet in the floor when stopping in all the time I’ve ridden bikes 🤪🤪

Good video. I have multiple challenges when it comes to tall bikes - I’m old, short (29” inseam), heavy at 305, and I have bad hips and knees. But I want to ride! I struggled with my 2017 Africa Twin - dumped it a few times stopping in uneven places but I think the 2024 model with the electronic suspension set to soft and the 19” front wheel instead of the 21” I had might work for me. I will still rely heavily on the side stand to mount and dismount the bike but there’s just no way around it for me. On flat ground I can use the center stand to help me but that’s not always possible.

Short kings.... lol solid video. lots of great tips.

I’m 5 foot 8 inches and I ride my tiger 900 RP most of the time in high seat setup.. it is just about how confident we are….. BTW great topics you have covered nice video..

I absolutely loathe people referring to all those videos where short riders literally jump on and off the moving bike as prime examples of how to ride too-tall bikes. Worst of the lot are those where the sidestand kill switch was disabled to enable the sidestand to be lowered and raised when coming to a stop or when rolling off from a standstill (coz the rider is too short to even have one foot touch the ground). People will fake anything on Tiktok nowadays. To me, if the bike forces you to use techniques that won't get you a pass during your riding test, you shouldn't be riding it on the road. Period! Off-road, that's a different story - you can jump off your moving bike when stopping and drop your bike into a gulley for all I care as long as you don't ruin other motorists' day. I bought my Tiger 850 commuter bike specifically because, of all the ADVs available, this is the model that allows me to have my feet firmly on the ground. Shaving a little seat foam off the sides narrowed the seat to make it even better. And I always go for riding boots that have thick soles at the toes to add a bit more to my in-seam. My absolute greatest fear is losing my balance or slipping while tip-toeing on one foot and smashing the bike into the car next to me. The grief would be unimaginable.

Great :) another tip is to reduce the weight of the bike....and only put on what is useful...this bike seems to be quite loaded...in addition to lowering the suspension and saddle

Get really good at slow speed manuvers, you don't need to put a foot down as often.

In addition, you should be able to stop at a stop and start again without putting your feet down.

You only need one foot touching the ground when you stop. Otherwise, they only need to read the pegs.

Other end of the spectrum here, 6'6 i have completely the opposite issues.

Beau... I have to confess... At 6'2" i kinda didn't really pay attention to this video... But i let it play thru for the algorithm.

interesting video, did you find as a shorter rider that adjusting there preload lowered the seat with the right amount of sag, when I sat on one of these in the showroom the suspension was super stiff and there was absolutely no sag, thinking I may have to give another shot?

Do you think wearing boots with big heals is safe and can help?

Hihihi... there is no bike too big. Just a mind too little :D its all about practise and a hell of a will

Sure, short people like us definitely can ride big bikes! For example, I can ride around my Ducati Multistrada Enduro which is a big old bike and I can't come anywhere near flat-footing it. Usually, I need to only have 1 foot down. Can I ride it as a 5'10 guy? Yeah. Would I prefer a MT10 for the large majority of my riding? also yes lol. I think it is great to know you can ride big bikes, but what I've learned is just because we can, doesn't mean it is the best option.

Good one. Did u leave c2w?

Can you please put links for the accessories you have installed? Side bags, low seat, side racks, mobile stand etc...

Left foot down lets you stay on the back brake....

What height is considered short? Under 6ft?

2 words - Gaston Rahier - look him up.

Nice video 😉♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️🍫🍫🍫👌😉😉🙏👏🌟😘👍

Daytona make midget boots with a built up sole.

Bro your taller than me

Way to burry the lead on the #flamingogang sticker