Motorcycle reviews

I wish motorcycle reviewers would tell you how tall they are.

Motorcycles, unlike cars, don’t have a whole lot of variability in things like ergonomics. Even Kawasaki’s ergo-fit is underwhelming, and it only applies to fresh from the factory purchases. For bikes, the seat is where it is, and can’t be moved forward or adjusted much. Even buying a whole seat only allows an inch or two of adjustment.

Especially in reviews heavy on pictures, I’d like to know how tall the rider is. I often scan those pictures trying to figure out where their knees are and how far they bend, where the pegs are, and what the posture looks like.

My NC700, which was a great bike, had pegs too far under the seat. Riding for any amount of time made my knees hurt and my thigh’s cramp. Now I’d love to get another, but I just keep thinking of the ergonomics. I consistently got 70mpg and 100 when I rode for mileage. Great bike.

I wonder if among Japanese people the height-variation is narrower than in places like the US. Designing bikes for bigger or shorter people vs a norm might not be as significant to them.

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