First bike recommendation for tall person

[startingsomewhere]

Hi,
I am 192 cm tall (6 foot 3) and weigh 80kg.
I have never ridden a bike before.
Have done some searching for possible options and now looking for advice to help narrow it down.

From my searching common learner recommendations seem to be:
Ninja 250 / 300
Honda Cbr250 / Hornet / vt250
Suzuki gn250 / gs500

Obviously open to suggestions.

Looking for a cheap leanrner bike (2nd hand), not bothered about old / new, have a fair diy understanding of mechanics,

[AllanB]

What - three hours in and no one has said buy a Busa!


Best advice is for you to go have a sit on the listed (or suggested) bikes. Seriously.

On the positive side, you will have no problems planting both feet securely on the ground when stopping!


At your height (my son is that tall) I'd be considering one of the DR Suzukis or similar road legal dirty bike - they will have a naturally taller riding position that sill suit and give you the option as a learner of exploring more than a pure street bike.

[release_the_bees]

Hi,
I am 192 cm tall (6 foot 3) and weigh 80kg.
I have never ridden a bike before.
Have done some searching for possible options and now looking for advice to help narrow it down.

From my searching common learner recommendations seem to be:
Ninja 250 / 300
Honda Cbr250 / Hornet / vt250
Suzuki gn250 / gs500

Obviously open to suggestions.

Looking for a cheap leanrner bike (2nd hand), not bothered about old / new, have a fair diy understanding of mechanics,I've ridden all of the aforementioned bikes except for the hornet. I have to say that the majority of them would probably be too small for someone of your dimensions. I'm five foot nine, and some of those bikes felt on the small side even for me.

You might be better looking at a Versys 300-x or similar. But, it depends on what riding you are planning on doing and what your budget is (not that I recommend spending heaps on a learner bike anyway - 95% of people want to upgrade when they get their full licence). However, my main recommendation would be to make a list of bikes and then go to some bike shops and sit on them and see how you feel.

There's a really useful site, http://cycle-ergo.com, that will give you a rough idea about how well a bike will fit you, but if you're totally new to biking then it'll be tough to know what will work for you without a real world benchmark to compare against.

One thing that I would recommend is making sure that the bike has room to move around on though, especially if you plan on doing any kind of long distance riding.

Finally, here's a really good overview of the different options available and the things that you should be thinking about (the guy in this video is also six foot three):
https://youtu.be/7g1R_LD0yyY

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[OddDuck]

Yeah... that's a toughie. Most of the learner bikes you've listed would suit shorter riders. As Allan said, definitely test ride (at least test sit) before making any decision.

I'd actively avoid the Suzuki GN. Cheap as chips to buy and run, which also describes the performance, handling, suspension, braking etc etc. Also CF Motos are probably best avoided, and Hyosungs, well, sometimes you do actually get a good one...

I just had a quick look at the LAMs list and can only wish I could go back in time and do my learner's from a choice like this. There are 650's in there!! Which is a good thing (in many ways) but for what you want, maybe that's the place to start... bigger cc's tends to be built for taller and larger riders.

There's a lot of variety so the bike choice starts depending mostly on what you like the look of and what sort of riding you'll start out doing.

[Hoonicorn]

Might I suggest you look at a LAMS Ninja 650/ER6f or ER6n; or CBR500R CB500F. As you're going to be riding it for the next 12 to 18 months at least, park your bum on one and tuck your knees to the tank.

I found this, Kawasaki ER6nl in the Bay of Plenty https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/motorbikes/motorbikes/sports/auction-1792334507.htm?rsqid=ff1dfc039c0e483db8e887da57cdf 35e

[tigertim20]

Ninja 650 as mentioned would be a suitable fit size wise.

Best advice really is go and sit on a few at some bike shops - different people have different levels of comfort - I have friends shorter than me that don't ike being hunched over on a sports bike, but its never bugged me at all and I feel quite comfortable.'

Do remember that if you really like something that ALMOST fits, you have options like adjustable rearsets and bar risers.

The bike ergonomics link posted above will be worthless to you until youve actually sat on a few bikes for reference

[pete376403]

LAMS approved KLR650 suitable for a tall rider, not overly powerful but 40hp is enough to have a really good time. Off road (not hard core trail) capable.

Can be a little top heavy if you fill the tank right up.

https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/motorbikes/motorbikes/dual-purpose/auction-1798831680.htm?rsqid=b6dde892661f49359692e35970018 9c7

although the aftermarket muffler could disqualify it from LAMs

[Jeeper]

BMW G310GS (not G310R). Seat height is 835mm. Ergonomic setting is good for tall riders.

[FLUB]

I'd second the KLR650. I'm 6'5 115kg and been riding for 40 years. In that time I've owned everything engines size wise from a GP100 up to a Rocket III. I currently own a Goldwing, Thunderbird 1600, XL250 and KLR650. The KLR is the only bike that has truly fit me and is comfortable for all day riding. It's not the most powerful but has more than enough for our roads. Especially if you want to keep your licence. It's also amazingly good value at under $9k new. The DR650 is another worth looking at but I found the seat gets to feel like a plank very quickly.

As others have said. Take your time and sit on plenty of bikes before buying. Be especially careful not to buy anything that may cramp your legs. Nothing spoils the fun more than coming to a stop after a nice long ride and falling over because your legs give way [emoji6]

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[george formby]

I'm in the trailie camp. Versatile, reasonably tough and a good fit for a stretch, I'm 6'2 if I don't shower for a few days. They also allow for "Wonder whats down there?" excursions.

CRF 450L is probably LAM's. $$$

[Ulsterkiwi]

I am 6'4"
Some good suggestions already
The KLR and DR are good options, also BMW F650s (older ones, the fresher ones are actually 800cc Non-LAMS bikes). THe BMW tends to be a lot more comfortable than either the KLR or DR
The Honda CB500X variant is a really good option, especially for the 18months - 2 years you will be on your learner/restricted. Lots more of them around now in the 2nd hand market.
I have ridden the Kawasaki 650s and they do not have anything like the room of the Honda or the dual purpose models suggested. Great bikes though.
Depending on the $$ you have available there are LAMS versions of the VStrom 650. Brilliant value for money and one of the most comfortable seats ever.

[Ginge09]

I’m 6’ 2” and 90kgs. Seat height is one aspect. Legroom is another. The amount of wind you catch is a third.

While I own road bikes, my best fits are the KLR and the early BMW F650’s as suggested above.

If you want a road bike maybe get a cruiser with highway pegs. That wouldn’t be a GN but might be an older Virago or Intruder.

To defeat the wind you’ll need some cc’s

[WALRUS]

The taller people I know who have started riding recently have chosen bikes like Kawasaki KLR650s and Aprilia Pegasos, just to get the seat height they're comfortable with.

I'm 6"1' (and rather rotund) and learned on an old Kawasaki GPX/EX250. Ultimately not that hard to fit on despite being dwarfed by my superior mass, and these days I fold myself onto my Ducati with ease.

Go and sit on a few and see what you're comfy with. You might be surprised :)

[Scubbo]

xtz125!!!! :Punk::Punk::Punk::facepalm::eek::laugh:

[rambaldi]

Hi,
I am 192 cm tall (6 foot 3) and weigh 80kg.
I have never ridden a bike before.
Have done some searching for possible options and now looking for advice to help narrow it down.

From my searching common learner recommendations seem to be:
Ninja 250 / 300
Honda Cbr250 / Hornet / vt250
Suzuki gn250 / gs500

Obviously open to suggestions.

Looking for a cheap leanrner bike (2nd hand), not bothered about old / new, have a fair diy understanding of mechanics,

I am a similar sized rider to you and I started on a VTR250. Moved to a DL650 now. I was comfortable enough to spend all day riding on the 250, but did look a little big for it. Now that I have the bigger bike (adv style) I love the riding position, and the extra leg room. If I had to go back to the VTR I would still be happy with it, but much prefer the DL. As such my recommendation would be to look for one of the LAMs V-Stroms. There don't seem to be many in the 2nd hand market, but Suzuki NZ have them new (as well as the Strom-250, which I think is meant to have a similar seating and is much cheaper). Most of the ones I have seen were ex-lease so were high k's but I think well looked after (with a couple nice after market bits). And weren't wildly expensive. New though they might be out of your budget range.

In general I would suggest looking to adventure/dual sport bikes as a taller rider. Things like the KLR650 <BMW Fsomething or other> etc. They tend to be a bit taller, and fit the bigger rider better. Also think about type of riding you want to do. As a new rider you may not know yet what you want from a bike, but choosing a compatible style can mean you end up more comfortable (i.e. I went for the Strom over the KLR as I won't be doing much off-road serious stuff, and wanted better road manners that might suit pillioning).

[russd7]

What - three hours in and no one has said buy a Busa!.

seriously, some people just come up with absolutely stupid answers, why would you suggest one of those to a learner. :facepalm:

better off with an H2

[Ulsterkiwi]

seriously, some people just come up with absolutely stupid answers, why would you suggest one of those to a learner. :facepalm:

better off with an H2

Or maybe a Blackbird?

I was asked why I don't ride a Harley, "is it because you can't handle the power?" yeah, that's the reason........:msn-wink:

[russd7]

Or maybe a Blackbird?

I was asked why I don't ride a Harley, "is it because you can't handle the power?" yeah, that's the reason........:msn-wink:

its why I have kept the zzr :no:

[startingsomewhere]

This is still on my todo list with next summer around the corner. After looking at different options, style wise I think I want a cruiser bike. I like the look of:

Yamaha Virago
Suzuki Intruder
VRX400 looks nice, but they don't seem too common

Hopefully these are not too painful for tall people. Any others I should look at?
Seems harder to test them out, there are many more second hand car yards than second hand motorcycle shops. Looking at under $5k. Cheaper the better while still being relatively reliable. Don't want something flash for a first bike and I think I like the slightly custom blacked out look almost cafe racer / bobber style.

[BabsTheBiker]

This is still on my todo list with next summer around the corner. After looking at different options, style wise I think I want a cruiser bike. I like the look of:

Yamaha Virago
Suzuki Intruder
VRX400 looks nice, but they don't seem too common

Hopefully these are not too painful for tall people. Any others I should look at?
Seems harder to test them out, there are many more second hand car yards than second hand motorcycle shops. Looking at under $5k. Cheaper the better while still being relatively reliable. Don't want something flash for a first bike and I think I like the slightly custom blacked out look almost cafe racer / bobber style.


I started riding 8 weeks ago, I'm 6 foot 2 and 93kg. So not tall but not short either. I'm learning to ride on a Suzuki Intruder 250vl.

I find it good enough for a starter bike, I've never ridden anything else but it seems comfortable enough for my height, it's low center of gravity makes it super easy for me to get on and off and manage. I will admit it does feel like a sofa with wheels for the longer rides (4 hours +) some of my friends on sports bikes need to stop more often due to muscle pains which i don't seem to get.

[rastuscat]

Tall = ADV, all day long.

[Bonez]

Hyosung 250s are tall bikes and something to consider as well. Have riden in a couple of group rides with folk in the past and they seem to scoot along alright.

I don't seem to hear about Hyobags these days. Are they still imported?

Small capacity Hornets and Bandits a fairly reasonably sized as well.

[Skipper]

I was searching for ages for the same answer, looking for cheap bikes etc I gave that up and just paid a bit more.

Three that fitted me well at 6’5” and 110kg

BMW G310r but I found it under powered even on my 1st ride but comfy
Suzuki dl650 it was actually a non lams I tried but it was an easy fit (they do make lams version)

I finally bought an mt07 tracer it is super comfy apart from a numb butt on long non windy rides
But if thereÂ’s corners it better because IÂ’m moving a bit. Powerful enough to make a mistake but forgiving too.
The windscreen does a bit, but wind does still hammer my helmet with the standard screen.
At 180 odd kg itÂ’s light enough to man handle when practicing low speed stuff and not getting it right.

I did try a hyosung 250 sport bike and had hip cramp in 50m I took it straight back and said I wonÂ’t waste your time.

Hopefully this is handy for the next oversized person thatÂ’s looking.