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RIDE Adventures Blog

What's the seat height on that adventure motorcycle?

Posted by Eric Lange on September 13, 2011
Eric Lange
Since riding his KTM 950 Adventure down to South America in 2008 and launching RIDE Adventures in 2010, Eric now resides in Oregon for most of each year. Riding is still a regular part of his work though, in that guiding tours is a passion he'll always have, and researching new routes and regions allows RIDE Adventures to continue growing and providing reliable travel services to adventure minded riders and travelers from around the world.

FrozenMotorcycleSeat

(Above: The “lowest” of all seats…the kind with frost on it as we start a cold day of riding in Argentina, heading into the richness of Patagonia further south.)

We as motorcycle guides are often asked "which is the best motorcycle to rent" as inquiring travelers plan their adventures with our services. Choosing the right size bike can be as important to your overall riding experience as any other factor, so often riders are concerned about the seat height. While intuition tells us “a larger engine means a larger bike and taller seat,” however as you'll see below, this is not necessarily true across the board. 

As such, we’ve been inspired to list for you below the seat height specifications for some of the most common motorcycles people are renting from us around the world:

Motorcycle  Standard Height Low Position  Special Seat 
    (adjustable seat) (if available)
BMW G650GS  800mm / 31.5 in   770mm/30.3 in
BMW F650GS/F700GS 820mm / 32.28 in   790mm / 31.10 in
BMW F800GS 880mm / 34.65 in   850mm / 33.46 in
BMW F800GS Adventure 890mm / 35.04 in   860mm / 33.86 in
BMW R1200GS (air/oil cooled (thru 2012) 850mm / 33.46 in 820mm / 32.28 in  
BMW R1200GS (Liquid Cooled 2013+) 851mm / 33.5 in 826mm / 32.3 in  
BMW R1200GS Adventure (air/oil cooled thru 2013) 910mm / 35.83 in 820mm / 32.28 in  
BMW R1200GS Adventure (Liquid Cooled 2014+) 889mm / 35 in 841mm / 33.1 in  
BMW F750GS 815mm / 32.1 in   790mm / 31.10 in
BMW F850GS 861mm / 33.9 in    836mm / 32.9 in
BMW F850GS Adventure 874mm / 34.4 in   850mm / 33.46 in
BMW R1250GS 871mm / 34.3 in 851mm / 33.5 in  
BMW R1250GS Adventure 909mm / 35.8 in 889mm / 35.0 in  
Honda CB500X (2013-18) 808mm / 31.8 in    
Honda CB500X (2019+) 831mm / 32.7 in    
Honda XR650L 940mm / 37.01 in    
Honda XL700 TransAlp 841mm / 33.11 in    
Honda Africa Twin 871mm / 34.3 in 851 mm / 33.5 in  
Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports 919mm / 36.2 in 899mm / 35.4 in  
Kawasaki KLR 650 890mm / 35.04 in    
KTM 690 Enduro R 909mm / 35.8 in  
KTM 790 Adventure 851mm / 33.5 in 831mm / 32.7 in  
KTM 790 Adventure R 879mm / 34.6 in   N/A
KTM 990 SM T 855mm / 33.66 in    
KTM 990 Adventure 880mm / 34.65 in    
KTM 990 Adventure R 905mm / 35.63 in    
KTM 1090 Adventure R 889mm / 35 in    
KTM 1290 Super Adventure R 889mm / 35 in    
Suzuki V-Strom 650 835mm / 32.87 in    
Suzuki V-Strom 1000 840mm / 33.07 in    
Suzuki DR650SE 885mm / 34.84 in    
Suzuki DR-Z400S 935mm / 36.81 in    
Suzuki DR200SE 810mm / 31.89 in    
Triumph Tiger 800XC 865mm / 34.06 in 846mm / 33.31 in  
Yamaha XT 250 810mm / 31.9 in    
Yamaha XT 660 895mm / 35.24 in    
Yamaha Tenere 700 874mm / 34.4 in    
Yamaha 1200 Super Tenere 867mm / 34.13 in 845mm / 33.27 in  

About Motorcycle Seat Heights

  • Remember that seat height alone is not the only factor to consider, as the width of a seat and the motorcycle are factors in being able to firmly reach the ground with both feet. For example, BMW's "inner leg curve" measurement considers how far apart a rider's feet are when seated with their feet firmly planted on the ground.
  • Where a manufacturer lists a special low seat as an option, or an adjustable position, such is shown. If you don't see a low (or high) option listed, ask your local dealer for options, as they might have access to a non-OEM seat.
  • Visiting your local dealer will typically be your best opportunity to sit on these bikes personally, and get the true "feel" between their differences.
  • This listing does not show where manufacturers have special suspension-lowering options to lower the overall seat height, or in some cases can be ordered directly from the manufacturer with a lower suspension profile.

These specs were taken from each manufacturer’s websites, and have been continually updated as new bikes are released into the market.

Keep checking back with us for similar posts on the topic of fitment of motorcycles.

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