Tiger Tales 11: Motorcycle Seat Height is Key to Safety and Comfort

By the Law Tigers
America’s Injury Lawyers Who Ride

Motorcycle Seat Height Is Key to Safety and Comfort

It seems like an insignificant issue, but the truth is, riding on a seat that is the improper height can be very dangerous. More specifically, when riding your motorcycle, making sure that your motorcycle has the correct seat height can increase your safety and overall comfort. On the one hand, if the seat height is too low, your knees become forcibly bent which can lead to muscle fatigue, leg cramps, and upper body discomfort. On the other hand, if the seat is too high, problems associated with controlling the motorcycle may arise due to one’s feet not entirely reaching the ground. Use of the foot’s entire surface area, combined with a greater range of leg motion and balance, is reduced when sitting on a seat that is too high. Seat height also affects where the shoulders are in relation to the handlebars. As a result, riding on a seat that is too high or too low will also affect your arm position. A bike handles better when the elbows are bent at a 90 degree angle. With improper seat height, this angle is altered. Angles greater than 90 degrees reduce the operator’s arm travel distance and increases arm muscle fatigue, both of which can cause delayed response time and decreased maneuverability.

One way to avoid these problems is to purchase a motorcycle with the proper seat height. I would suggest becoming familiar with all the models. Have a look at their specifications regarding weight, seat height wheelbase etc. Sit on and compare a number of different manufactures and their respective models. Ask the salesperson to stabilize your front wheel so that you can place both feet on the pegs and both hands on the grips. Then place your feet on the ground and ask them to observe your posture and explain whether or not the bike you are on has the ideal seat height. If you don’t feel comfortable, stable and at ease, then that motorcycle is not for you.

Consider the 3 main contact points. Your hands, feet, and bottom should all be where they are most comfortable. When sitting on the motorcycle, your hands grasping the handlebars, you should have as close to a 90 degree bend in your elbows as possible, a slight bend in your knees, and your heels should be completely on the ground. As you gain experience, you will likely be able to move from a flat-footed position to resting on the balls of your feet. Over time, this ability will provide you with skills necessary to ride certain models geared to the more experienced riders.

For those individuals who already own a bike or are set on a specific model where the seat is not the ideal height, there are several options designed to help. Due to increased demand, many motorcycle manufactures and aftermarket seat companies now offer an array of seat height and style options. New gel seat and memory foam technologies have given rise to lower profile, more contoured seats that minimize pressure and provide rear end support and comfort similar to that of much thicker seats. If a lower seat doesn’t do the job, there is another, slightly more costly alternative. Aftermarket manufactures like Progressive Suspension, provide various shock kits that can alter the seat height by as much as two inches.

Whether you already own a bike or are in the market to buy one, please take the time to make sure that your seat is the correct height. When you are cruising down the road, the difference between getting hit by that absent minded driver and just barely avoiding him, could be attributed to something as simple as having the proper seat height.