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There's Just One Thing Moto Manufacturers Should Do To Get More Riders on Bikes
- Thread starter GTAM
- Start date
Hey all - members may start seeing more threads like this popping up in the general forums. This is actually a bit of background function that digs up interesting motorcycle related content from various places and makes posts on the topic.
We're going to start moving more of these out into the forums to strike up some new topics of discussion.
They all link to an article so you have to click-through to read the actual story, but perhaps I'll post a quick synopsis of the article along with the first reply and then we can discuss.
Let us know your thoughts.
Anyhow, the article synopsis:
"There's Just One Thing Moto Manufacturers Should Do To Get More Riders on Bikes" discusses the importance of motorcycle manufacturers providing adjustable components, such as low and tall seat options, during demo rides. The author emphasizes that while manufacturers may offer accessory seats to accommodate different rider heights, these options are often unavailable during test rides, potentially deterring prospective buyers who cannot experience a comfortable fit firsthand. The article advocates for manufacturers to make these adjustable components readily available during demo events to enhance accessibility and attract a broader range of riders.
We're going to start moving more of these out into the forums to strike up some new topics of discussion.
They all link to an article so you have to click-through to read the actual story, but perhaps I'll post a quick synopsis of the article along with the first reply and then we can discuss.
Let us know your thoughts.
Anyhow, the article synopsis:
"There's Just One Thing Moto Manufacturers Should Do To Get More Riders on Bikes" discusses the importance of motorcycle manufacturers providing adjustable components, such as low and tall seat options, during demo rides. The author emphasizes that while manufacturers may offer accessory seats to accommodate different rider heights, these options are often unavailable during test rides, potentially deterring prospective buyers who cannot experience a comfortable fit firsthand. The article advocates for manufacturers to make these adjustable components readily available during demo events to enhance accessibility and attract a broader range of riders.
If the province decided to crack down on fraud, there might actually be a chance of that happening...but politicians are more worried about getting reelected than they are about making tough decisions.
But that's another topic. Might make a good new thread in the insurance forum.
I agree that the seat heights have crept up quite a bit. Occasionally a manufacturer will offer a low seat on an ADV model, but the arse-up nature of those bikes, combined with comically long travel suspension still means you have to climb up onto it like you were mounting a horse. It seems plenty of new models are designed with tall motors with the downdraft EFI and air filter making them appear taller, as well as single shock rear suspension adding to it.
Not all new riders, or shorter riders want to ride a cruiser, and as a now older rider with creaky old knees, even though I'm 6' tall I find the climb-on aspect and stratospheric seat heights less and less appealing sometimes bordering on irritating.
I think the author is correct, bringing the seat height down would be good for motorcycling.
Not all new riders, or shorter riders want to ride a cruiser, and as a now older rider with creaky old knees, even though I'm 6' tall I find the climb-on aspect and stratospheric seat heights less and less appealing sometimes bordering on irritating.
I think the author is correct, bringing the seat height down would be good for motorcycling.
100%. I've put lowering links in two bikes. On my DRZ I stripped the seat cover off and carved about an inch out of the seat foam with an electric carving knife.
I looked at lowering my 2018 KTM 1090 this spring. $2000 plus tax or more to have it lowered properly, meaning shock and fork internals, custom length springs and shortened side stand to maintain the stock geometry.
I watched a video of a guy who had lowered one and he said it was transformational in how it improved his experience with the bike.
But I decided that dumping $2K on a now 7 year old bike didn't really make sense, unless I absolutely LOVED it and was going to keep it much longer. Probably a different story and cost had I done it in 2019.
I know more than a few people who ride cruisers solely because of seat height. I know a few who would prefer a sport touring or maybe even an ADV, but at their age or physical abilities level simply can't get on and off easily, or are too short to be able to reach the ground while sitting on some of the highest models. Heck, I'm 6' and a few weeks ago at a dealer I tried sitting on an ADV bike (I forget what it was, it was a split second thing, and ADV isn't really my bag so I didn't pay much attention) and even with my leg length the first thing that struck me was how I had my knees at full lock to be able to flat foot, and even then it didn't feel comfortable, ie if I was in an unlevel parking lot or intersection I'd be struggling to reach the ground on the low side.
Anyone who was a few inches shorter than me or with shorter legs couldn't physically flat foot that thing, and accordingly, would probably not buy it.
That's been my ongoing experience as well.
A couple years ago I followed the Pick Axe route from the Ride the Highlands website. I made a wrong turn on a forest access road and wound up on a dead end, off camber ATV trail. I would normally have got off and bulldogged it around to get pointed in the right direction. But I couldn't do that because there wasn't a solid place to put the side stand down so I could dismount. Plus, not being able to get both feet firmly on the ground limited my turn around options further. I don't recall how long it took, but I was drenched in sweat by the time I rode out of there after futzing around with a 100 point turn.
Fuzzbuster
Well-known member
I sat on all the Ducati's at the show and I was shocked how high (height, not price) some of them were! I had to bust out the old kickboxing moves to get my leg up and over! I have my heart set on finding an adv bike but not sure I will actually like it once I ride it?
Personally I am not that tall but want my legs almost straight under me or it hurts my knees. That means the bike has to be tall to still have good cornering clearance. I can only touch on one side of my bike and will gladly take the tradeoff for the comfort when riding.
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Not sure how I feel about the whole idea. I think there’s a danger that any sense of community could be lessened or feel artificial.
That being said, there are lots of short people riding these bikes. There’s technique and strategies to cope, and I am getting better, but even people much taller than I am struggle with tall bikes.
But it makes eminent sense to make bikes that are more accessible and that do not require coping. And given that most of these bikes never make it off the tarmac, the insistence by enthusiasts of x amount of travel or 21” wheels seems so misplaced.
There’s a real need in the market for much smaller bikes in this style - for most, it’s really a style and not much else and the poo-pooers who insist that it should be all about learning coping techniques are really just gatekeeping.
I’m short and bought a Multistrada. The seat height felt insane. I’m not too proud to admit I’ve dropped it a few times - always at a stop.
That being said, there are lots of short people riding these bikes. There’s technique and strategies to cope, and I am getting better, but even people much taller than I am struggle with tall bikes.
But it makes eminent sense to make bikes that are more accessible and that do not require coping. And given that most of these bikes never make it off the tarmac, the insistence by enthusiasts of x amount of travel or 21” wheels seems so misplaced.
There’s a real need in the market for much smaller bikes in this style - for most, it’s really a style and not much else and the poo-pooers who insist that it should be all about learning coping techniques are really just gatekeeping.
Fuzzbuster
Well-known member
I sat on a bunch at the Toronto show last year and used the mounting a horse technique because they were on center stands. Very easy but not sure if that is the correct thing to do? Once mounted they seem comfortable but you are a long ways up! Cornering must feel weird!
Were they on stands?
Fuzzbuster
Well-known member
Side stands
No different than a lot of jeep owners who use their lifted vehicles solely as mall crawlers and grocery getters. They're chasing an aesthetic or trying to project an image.
As someone who does off-road, I like the fact that the manufacturers at least give us offerings for long travel suspension and 21" wheels.
It's not as if there aren't plenty of other motorcycles in their line-up offering street-appropriate travel suspension and 17" front wheels. There are faux-ADV models just like there are crossover SUVs built off of a passenger car platform that have no off-road prowess but are shaped like an SUV for the aesthetic.
As a rider, if you don't know what's good for street/off-road or you are doing more pavement than dirt, this is entirely the rider's fault for not getting the right tool for the job and/or buying a bike just based off of looks.
Like buying a sports car and complaining of clearance issues and not being able to see over the SUV in front of you.
Maybe don't get the Africa Twin and buy a NT1100 instead? S1000XR instead of a R1300GS? 890 SMT instead of the 890 Adventure R? Versys650 instead of the KLR650? Multistrada Pikes Peak instead of DesertX? Sure, all of those offer less dirt-cred than their ADV counterpart, but you're not going off-road anyway...?
Another win for klr. Just dump it, drag the front wheel around and stand it up again. Done.
I have no issue with people preferring certain aesthetics. I do have an issue with the argument that every ADV-styled bike needs to have full-on off-road bonafides. To me it's like arguing that every cruiser-styled bike needs to be a V-twin, that every 911 needs to have a manual transmission, or that every Range Rover needs to be able to handle off road in Africa for their existence in the marketplace to be validated.
There's nothing wrong with someone buying a bike (or an SUV, or a because they like the way it looks - hell, I bet most of us are guilty of it - and I'm more than OK if the market provides us options that don't tick all the purists boxes. More so in an environment when a prominent maker of ADV bikes is struggling . If the market gives us bikes of a certain styling that are only used to go to Starbucks and aren't ideal for the purists' purposes, so be it.
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