Choices for smaller, affordable motorcycles are growing, and that’s good news for riders looking for a fun bike that won’t break the bank. Whether you’re new to riding and want something easy to handle or an experienced rider looking for a lighter or shorter bike, you have more options now than ever when it comes to finding the best motorcycles for smaller riders!
Below is Rider’s 2023 list of best motorcycles for smaller riders, an update of the popular post from 2019. This list includes motorcycles with seat heights between 31.0 and 31.9 inches with an MSRP of $17,000 or less.
We’ve also curated lists of the best motorcycles with seat heights between 30.0 and 30.9 inches, as well as a list of the best motorcycles with seat heights below 30 inches.
When possible, we’ve included a link to our test ride reviews so you can get a sense of how each bike performs in action. We’ve also included the 2022-2023 model year’s U.S. base MSRP (as of publication), seat height, and claimed wet or dry weight. On models with options to lower the seat height or suspension, we’ve listed the standard and lowered seat heights. You can also click on a model’s name to go to the manufacturer’s webpage for a full list of specifications and details.
The models in this list are arranged by seat height, with the first model having the shortest seat height and the last model having the tallest seat height in the list.
CFMOTO 450SS
$5,499
31-inch seat
370 lb
Read our 2023 CFMOTO 450SS First Look Review
Honda CBR500R
$7,299
31.1-inch seat
423 lb
Read our 2013 Honda CBR500R First Ride Review
Honda CB500F
$6,799
31.1-inch seat
416 lb
Read our 2017 Honda CB500F First Ride Review
Kawasaki Ninja 650
$7,999
31.1-inch seat
419 lb
Read our 2020 Kawasaki Ninja 650 Road Test Review
Kawasaki Z650
$7,749
31.1-inch seat
410 lb
Read our 2017 Kawasaki Z650 First Ride Review
Kawasaki W800
$9,199
31.1-inch seat
496 lb
Read our 2020 Kawasaki W800 First Look Review
Royal Enfield Hunter 350
$3,999
31.1-inch seat
400 lb
Read our 2023 Royal Enfield Hunter 350 First Ride Review
Suzuki GSX250R
$4,999
31.1-inch seat
399 lb
Read our 2023 Suzuki GSX250R First Look Review
Triumph Bonneville T100
$10,995
31.1-inch seat
503 lb
Read our 2017 Triumph Bonneville T100 First Look Review
Triumph Bonneville T120
$12,695
31.1-inch seat
520 lb
Read our 2022 Triumph Bonneville T120 First Look Review
Triumph Scrambler 900
$11,495
31.1-inch seat
492 lb
Read our 2022 Triumph Scrambler 900 First Look Review
Yamaha TW200
$4,899
31.1-inch seat
278 lb
Read our 2017 Yamaha TW200 First Ride Review
CFMOTO 300NK
$4,199
31.2-inch seat
333 lb
Read our 2022 CFMOTO 300NK First Ride Review
Royal Enfield Scram 411
$5,099
31.3-inch seat
408 lb
Read our 2023 Royal Enfield Scram 411 First Ride Review
CFMOTO 700CL-X
$6,799
31.5-inch seat
432 lb
Read our 2022 CFMOTO 700CL-X Road Test Review
CFMOTO 700CL-X Sport
$7,199
31.5-inch seat
432 lb
Read our 2022 CFMOTO 700CL-X Sport First Ride Review
Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4RR KRT Edition
Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4RR KRT Edition
$9,699
31.5-inch seat
415 lb
Read our 2023 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4RR KRT Edition First Look Review
Kawasaki Z900
$9,399
31.5-inch seat
468 lb
Read our 2017 Kawasaki Ninja Z900 ABS First Ride Review
Kawasaki Z650RS
$9,099
31.5-inch seat
412 lb
Read our 2022 Kawasaki Z650RS First Ride Review
Royal Enfield Himalayan
$5,449
31.5-inch seat
439 lb
Read our 2022 Royal Enfield Himalayan First Ride Review
Honda CB300R
$5,049
31.6-inch seat
316 lb
Read our 2019 Honda CB300R First Ride Review
Honda NC750X DCT
$9,399
31.6-inch seat
493 lb
Read our 2018 Honda NC750X Road Test Review
BMW R nineT
$15,945
31.7-inch seat
487 lb
Read our 2021 BMW R nineT First Look Review
BMW R nineT Pure
$10,995
31.7-inch seat
483 lb
Read our 2017 BMW R nineT Pure Road Test Review
Kawasaki Z125 PRO
$3,399
31.7-inch seat
225 lb
Read our 2017 Kawasaki Z125 PRO First Ride Review
Royal Enfield Classic 350
$4,699
31.7-inch seat
430 lb
Read our 2022 Royal Enfield Classic 350 First Ride Review
Royal Enfield INT650
$6,149
31.7-inch seat
445 lb
Read our 2019 Royal Enfield INT650 Road Test Review
Royal Enfield Continental GT
$6,349
31.7-inch seat
445 lb
Read our 2019 Royal Enfield Continental GT Road Test Review
Triumph Trident 660
$8,595
31.7-inch seat
417 lb
Read our 2021 Triumph Trident 660 First Look Review
Yamaha MT-07
$8,199
31.7-inch seat
406 lb
Read our 2021 Yamaha MT-07 Road Test Review
Zero S
$12,995
31.8-inch seat
313 lb
Read our 2022 Zero S First Look Review
Ducati SuperSport 950
$14,595
31.9-inch seat
405 lb (dry)
Honda CBR650R
$9,899
31.9-inch seat
445 lb
Read our 2023 Honda CBR650R First Look Review
Honda CB650R
$9,399
31.9-inch seat
445 lb
Read our 2023 Honda CB650R First Look Review
Suzuki GSX-R750
$12,849
31.9-inch seat
419 lb
Read our 2023 Suzuki GSX-R750 First Look Review
Suzuki GSX-R600
$11,699
31.9-inch seat
412 lb
Read our 2023 Suzuki GSX-R600 First Look Review
Suzuki GSX-S1000
$11,499
31.9-inch seat
472 lb
Read our 2022 Suzuki GSX-S1000 Road Test Review
Suzuki GSX-S1000GT
$13,349
31.9-inch seat
498 lb
Read our 2022 Suzuki GSX-S1000GT Road Test Review
Suzuki GSX-S1000GT+
$14,099
31.9-inch seat
498 lb
Read our 2023 Suzuki GSX-S1000GT+ First Look Review
Suzuki GSX-8S
$8,849
31.9-inch seat
445 lb
Read our 2023 Suzuki GSX-8S First Ride Review
Triumph Speed Twin 1200
$12,895
31.9-inch seat
476 lb
Read our 2023 Triumph Speed Twin 1200 First Look Review
Yamaha XSR900
$10,199
31.9-inch seat
425 lb
Read our 2022 Yamaha XSR900 First Ride Review
Yamaha Tracer 9 GT
$14,999
32.5-inch seat (optional low seat of 31.9 inches)
485 lb
Read our 2021 Yamaha Tracer 9 GT Long-Term Review
Where’s the Indian Scout? I ride an out of production Victory Octane, basically a Scout, and it is low, fast and comfortable.
John, we have the Indian Scout in our post for seat heights under 30 inches: https://ridermagazine.com/2023/01/06/best-small-motorcycles-with-seat-heights-under-30-inches/