It’s been weeks since you bought that new bike. You can’t go more than an hour without taking a 30-minute break because you can’t get comfortable on it. You talked to your friends, you did some research online and now you are having second thoughts about this bike being right for you. If you haven’t had a bike in a few years, you may even be thinking getting a bike again was a big mistake. It’s even possible you are letting your mind make excuses like you are older now and this is what you should expect.
There is good news. The most likely issue is not that you and the bike can’t be compatible. The problem is very likely that you are not 5’11”, 170 lbs with a 32” inseam and a shirt sleeve length of 34”. This is the sized person that most motorcycles are designed around. And if that’s not you, you probably struggle to sit on your bike comfortably. The further you are from those dimensions, the worse it gets.
What can you do about it? The short answer is adjusting some things and replacing some other things. Many motorcycles can adjust the angles of the hand controls, rear brake & shifter. Some bikes will have some adjustability in the handlebars. When that is not enough, you will have to face replacing your seat, handlebars and possibly the footpegs. I know, you just paid A LOT of money for this bike, why do you need to spend more money replacing components just so you can ride it? Unfortunately, it is not practical to build in the kind of adjustability that cars have into motorcycles. When a bike doesn’t fit you, you must make some changes so that it does.
Always start with the seat first. Many times, that will cure all or at least most of what bothers you. I have seen countless times of people trying to fix fitment issues with handlebars, only to be unable to get it good enough. Then when the seat is inevitably replaced, the handlebars need to be done again. Save time and money and replace your seat first, handlebars second and pegs/ floorboards last, if needed.
What can the seat do for you? A true custom seat builder, like our team here at Diamond Motorcycle, will take the time to understand where you need to be located on the bike and move the seating position around to put you in the ideal spot on the bike. In most situations, this eliminates the need to change bars or pegs. Are you shorter? Then maybe you need to move forward and down in the seat? Are you taller? Maybe you need to move back? Are you really tall? Maybe you need to go up and back in the seat? Of course, the seat needs to be properly shaped with the proper density of foam to be comfortable, but it also needs to locate you for your best riding posture.
Our team at Diamond is available to help you understand your situation and determine if a custom fit and sized seat is right for you or not. If it is, we can help figure out what changes your seat will need and how to put you in the ideal spot on your bike. Whether you are tall, short, big, small or any other size or shape, being at the right spot in the seat on the bike is critical to enjoying your next ride!
Don’t get mad at the bike. Don’t get mad at the bike’s designers. Don’t blame yourself. Get the right customized components so the bike fits you and stop trying to make yourself fit on the bike.