[WeaponZero]

Okay, I have a friend who is 6’11” tall and weighs close to 400 lbs (not fat btw), and he wants to get into motorcycles. However he can’t find any bikes that he can even fit on. I haven’t been able to come up with any good suggestions for a first bike for someone his size, and 250s are DEFINATELY out of the question, maybe even 500s. What is he to do? The only bikes he’s sat on that he doesn’t find to be torture racks and can manage his weight without bottoming out the suspension are full size (1500cc) cruisers, and he wants more of a standard-style bike.

EDIT: I know there’s a good bit of people on this forum who swear by 250s and insist everyone should start out on them regardless of size. I ask that you please be a little more open-minded when answering this question

[ShannonG]

The Aprilia Shiver is not a good beginner bike, but it is HUGE. The seat has to be like 34″ off the ground. It’ s big and bulky and well, manly. Some sort of largish naked something would work. And because of his size, maybe he could get away with more displacement, I don’t know. He’d certainly have the strength to throw the thing around.

[six-shooter]

Would a dual-sport bike work for him? They tend to sit up higher than standard bikes.

[WeaponZero]

Well, I’d imagine that the weight of the bike wouldn’t be too much of an issue to him…

As far as dual sports go, I think it’s possible but it would probably have to be one of the big 650cc ones such as a KLR650. Not sure about that though…

[ShannonG]

I am kind of wishing I had bought a dual sport for when we camp; we could use it to recon new camping areas. But then I look at my bike and fall in love all over again.
Wait a minute; maybe I need TWO motorcycles!

[Budd]

Just change out the tires on your 500!

I hate to say it, but unless your friend goes custom, there isn’t anything stock that will fit him comfortably. That is the price he pays for being able to change a lightbulb without a chair. I have a friend that is 6’4″ and he owns a Vstar custom 1100 custom and he dwarfs the bike. He is only 6’4″ and it looks like most people on a 250 rebel. A chopper with forward foot controls that he uses as the normal foot controls could work.

“I am the best there is at what I do, and what I do ain’t nice.”-Wolverine

[Matt]

Any bike he gets WILL need suspension upgrades. Stock springs are set for somone 160ish pounds.

A KLR/DR650/DR400, etc has the power to support that mass. It will be long enough in the leg for him, though he might want to look into a custom seat. From what I understand, power is easy to manage so long as he is light with the clutch (lots of power at the bottom revs)

Sportster 883 is an option. Very standard seating, with the option of highway pegs up front to let him stretch. Again, enough power to support his weight.

But seriously, a Dual Sport with upgraded suspension. I’d look at the mods long distance guys do to thier KLRs to handle the extra weight of their gear, because I’m pretty sure many of them end up going over the original weight limit.

—
“The two seconds between ‘Oh S**!’ and the crash isn’t a lot of practice time.”

[Andrew]

I would think the Shiver and the Monster might be worth looking at since they are standards. Not sure how the forgiving they are on a noob though.

[ShannonG]

Hubby’s basically a noob and he loves his Shiver. He did almost launch it out from under himself leaving the parking lot at work one day though.

[BoOZe P-ti Motard]

ktm would suit him..or some star bikes…

BoOZe
Solomolo Rider

[parad0x177]

Have him take the MSF; that will give him a instant idea of how a 250 will fair under him. (I can’t imagine they’ll put him on anything smaller.)

However, I agree that a 250 is probably not the best idea for someone that big; just he, his gear, and a full tank of fuel may be pretty close to the bike’s maximum GVWR, depending on the model. With that kind of load, reasonable freeway speeds may be completely out of the question.

Given his really a-typical size, his best bet is to tour the dealerships and sit on anything he sees until he finds something he likes that fits. Then, even if he wants used and they don’t have it, he at least knows what to look for when searching around.

Depending on what he wants, a mid-sized cruiser with forward controls may fit the bill, or a dual-sport like the V-Strom 650. I also wouldn’t discount something like a Ninja 500/650 or a GS500/GSX650F. Basically, I’d still aim for something in the 500-650cc (just not a super sport) range for a sport, standard, or dual-sport and *maybe* something just a bit larger in the cruiser category. Just don’t go crazy; his size may warrant a little more grunt, but it’s no substitute for experience.

[Andrew]

He will need to find something he’s comfortable on but that doesn’t mean he needs a liter bike.

[WeaponZero]

He’s pretty dead-set on standard-style bikes with upright seating positions. He doesn’t like laying forward over the tank or laying back with his feat forward. He hasn’t sat on very many bikes yet but he says he can *tolerate* the seating position on a BMW R1200GS. He tried the GS500, Ninja 650, and even my SV650 and said that in order to grasp all the controls and get his feet on the footpegs he felt like he was being squished into a little ball. On my SV it looks like his knees are almost touching the handlebars.

Large displacement dual sports so far appear to be the only thing that can accomodate his size (not just weight but just actual physical size) and even those are a little bit cramped. Is there such a thing as a bike that is physically as large as a BMW R1200GS but only has a 500cc engine?

Also, because of how heavy he is, would light weight in a bike be counter-productive? I mean, him on a sportbike would make it EXTREMELY top heavy, and wouldn’t make that harder to control?

He hasn’t sat on a KLR yet because no local dealerships have any in stock right now, but based on what the spec sheets say it looks like it might be right up his alley. Still not quite a standard though.

[WeaponZero]

I don’t think it’s so much the power he needs from a large displacement bike as the actual physical size. He simply can’t fit on a 500 or 650 standard without having his knees interfere with the steering. GS500s and Ninja 650s are completely out of the question I can assure you.

[Ben]

Maybe check out the V-strom 650???

Ben
~Best Beginner Motorcycles Admin

[Author]

Posts