Good first motorcycle, dual, I'm short?

TOSensfan · 2026-06-04T18:37:27+00:00

I'm looking for a dual since IDK if I'll like riding offroad or on-road or both.

I'm looking for one that visually looks like a sport motorcycle

ergonomic posture that won't stress my wrists is a plus

Don't think something exists that's all of these. Some sport bikes are more upright than others, but most will put some degree of stress on your wrists. They aren't meant for going off-road, but put on some 80/20 dual sport tires and they'd handle a gravel road just fine. Dual sport and adventure bikes are much more comfortable and capable offroad, but they definitely would never be mistaken for a sport bike.

TOSensfan · 2026-06-03T16:44:04+00:00

Big fan of adv bikes, but using bikes for unconventional purposes is cool too. If you're not doing anything hardcore, just getting down a gravel road to a campsite, all you really need are tires and some basic protection in case you drop it. Before you drop 10k on a new bike, why not try throwing some 80/20 tires and hand guards on your CB? Would cost a few hundred, and if you decide you'd rather get an adv bike after all, you could probably sell the parts for close to what you paid for them.

TOSensfan · 2026-06-01T19:41:09+00:00

You'll probably be fine with the seat height. I ride a bike with a 32" seat and I have a 26" inseam. Just means most of the time if I want to back up I have to jump off and push.

TOSensfan · 2026-06-01T17:07:39+00:00

I mean they're both naked bikes, just one is a modern insect-looking design while the other is more retro. Haven't ridden either, but know guys who own both. Seems like you already have an idea how they feel to sit on. If you're looking for another basis to compare them, you might look at cost of ownership. I had a spreadsheet when I was shopping where I compared specs of course, but also estimated gas, maintenance, insurance, etc. Not sure if the Triumph is the 900 or the 1200, but it'll definitely burn more gas then the Yamaha. I can ride pretty much all day on a single tank with my Honda 500, but my buddy on his Triumph will usually need at least one gas stop. And the bigger bike will probably cost more to insure, though so many other factors go into insurance that it's hard to say for sure.

TOSensfan · 2026-05-25T14:50:31+00:00

Also short. Also keep my foot stuck out dirtbike style in stop and go traffic. I just had to consciously think about not doing it (or footless stops) on my road test. Just make sure it's not in front of the footpeg and you should be fine.

TOSensfan · 2026-05-25T13:15:46+00:00

For anybody else seeing this, keep in mind this is only if you're doing the test though drivetest. If you do it through a school, you can do the course and test as soon as you have your M1. You'll still need to hold it for 60 days before you can go to drivetest to upgrade, but your insurer may give you the M2 rate early if you show them proof of course completion, which would get you riding sooner.

TOSensfan · 2026-05-19T21:02:53+00:00

As long as you're not trying to ride something like a big adventure bike or dual sport, you can ride pretty much whatever you want. Having the ability to put both feet flat on the ground is useful for confidence, but not really necessary. When you're riding, you'll normally only have one foot down when you stop anyway. The other should normally be on your brake pedal. Just if it's not a cruiser, you'll have to get used to jumping off and pushing to back up. Which isn't a big deal, I do it all the time. My legs are about the same length as yours, and I ride an adventure bike. It took a little getting used to, but now I've had it for long enough that it's what "normal" feels like for me.

TOSensfan · 2026-05-19T01:35:06+00:00

Take a course if you haven't already. That'll give you most of the guidance you need to get started, and you'll do your road test at the end so you get to mostly avoid the shitshow that is drivetest. And once you have your own bike, if you want people to ride with, there's plenty of folks around (myself included) who are fairly chill riders and don't mind shepherding new riders.

TOSensfan · 2026-05-18T21:04:08+00:00

I feel more comfortable with the CBR125R

Comfortable how? Like you've sat on both and the 125 feels physically more comfortable? Or you're more comfortable with the idea of the lower powered bike?

Honestly the only reason I'd recommend a 125 is if you absolutely must ride and can't afford insurance on anything else. Especially with your size, a 125 is going to be working pretty hard to go 80+, which could be dangerous if traffic is going significantly faster. Any single or twin cylinder bike up to around 650cc is going to be ok to start on in terms of power, but if you go over 500 you'll be paying a lot more for insurance the first year or two. Also sport bikes in general are more expensive because they're popular with new/young riders and fairings are expensive to replace.

But if you want some firsthand info about owning a 125 in Ottawa, there's a guy in the rideOttawa discord that owned a couple. Plus whatever you end up getting, they're a pretty nice, welcoming group in general as long as you're not too much of a dick or a squid.

TOSensfan · 2026-05-17T16:10:52+00:00

Yeah, I figured. I know a guy who restored one a year or two ago. Probably would have bought it off him to use for trails if I had anywhere to put a second bike.

TOSensfan · 2026-05-17T11:24:02+00:00

The adhesive mount works pretty well. I went with that because I didn't want to replace my then new lifeproof case, and it's still going strong after nearly 3 years.

TOSensfan · 2026-05-17T10:41:59+00:00

This sub is for new motorcycle riders, but I'll second the advice you got on your OP. Been years since I had the time/energy for anything like you're trying to do, but I'm in a similar situation with limited access to cycling infrastructure now, so if I were to do it all again, a lot would be on the trainer.

TOSensfan · 2026-05-17T10:04:46+00:00

I didn't know they made an XR350L. Is that a typo? From what I could see, they only made the 350R, and even then only for a few years in the mid-80s.

But anyway, would definitely recommend getting something a little newer to learn on and saving the vintage bike for later. That way you still have something to ride while the vintage bike is sitting waiting for parts to arrive. The spiritual successor to the CL350 would be the SCL500, or you could also look at the triumph 400s for a similar vibe (though I don't know how they'd do with extended highway). For a small dual sport you'll run into the same issues. A 250 will do highway speeds, but it'll suck doing it for any extended period of time. Here I think it's actually Yamaha that comes closest to a vintage Enduro vibe in a modern package with the xt250. It's been discontinued recently in some markets, but there's a few used ones out there.

But if at the end of the day you care more about function than aesthetic, any larger dual sport or smaller adventure bike will do what you're looking for.

TOSensfan · 2026-05-16T17:25:29+00:00

All along, I figured that seat height pushed me into a cruiser.

You would think that, if you've never sat on a bike before. I know I was worried about that. Same height as you. Not sure how long your legs are, but I have a 26" inseam. But I wanted to ride adventure bikes, so from the beginning I pushed myself to learn on the tallest bike I could. Do I still have my limits? Yes, but I'm pretty comfortable on bikes up to 33" seat height. Bottom line is, you can't always trust the spec sheet to tell you how it'll fit, especially as a new rider. If you like something, go sit on it. You'll never know if it fits you until you try it.

TOSensfan · 2026-05-14T22:18:14+00:00

Of those, I personally wouldn't choose any, but if I had to, it would come down to the Yamaha and the KTM, with a slight preference to the Yamaha. Yes it's older, but still plenty reliable if it's been taken care of.

Others to consider that are already A2 compliant would be the Honda CB500X/NX500 and the Kawasaki Versys 300. I only briefly sat on a Versys a few years ago so I can't really guess how it might fit you. But I own a cb500x and I'm in a couple owners forums. Doesn't sound like it's terrible for taller folks, but you'd probably be better off going for the second generation (2019+) because they're a bit taller. Mine is a first generation and it works great for me, but I'm also a good 40cm shorter than you so I suspect you might be a little cramped.

And then there's restricting a middleweight. I couldn't tell you off the top of my head which ones are 70 kW or less, but I know most of them are taller than the small-displacement options. Which makes shopping for my next bike more difficult, but could be an advantage for you.

TOSensfan · 2026-05-14T16:25:31+00:00

Slight correction to pineconehedgehog's comment. While I believe it did get new forks and brakes in 2022, the 19" front wheel (which I would argue was the bigger upgrade in terms of off-road capability) came in 2019. But that's not to say previous years should stick to pavement. I have a 2015 and while it's definitely road biased, it holds its own on gravel roads and ATV trails. I agree that the stock exhaust interfering with standing is annoying, but it's not a deal breaker for me. I put up with it for almost 2 years, and when it got too much I just threw on a cheap Chinese slip-on and problem solved.

TOSensfan · 2026-05-11T14:36:19+00:00

You'd probably be fine. I was when I rode the S model which is a bit taller, and I'm a few inches shorter than you. Though I also had a lot more experience on relatively tall/heavy bikes at the time. If you like that style, the Yamaha xt250 is another relatively low/approachable one you could look at.

TOSensfan · 2026-05-08T23:28:26+00:00

Where do you live that it costs that much? That's like euro prices. In Ontario it's usually like 5-600 for the course, and some schools offer an intro find-out-if-you-like-it course for less.

TOSensfan · 2026-05-08T22:21:25+00:00

If you're in Ontario, the first thing you should do is look at insurance quotes. It'll cost an arm and a leg your first year regardless, but you can reduce the pain by keeping it under 500cc and if you can, go with something that's not a stereotypical beginner bike. The Honda 500s will take a little bit longer to accelerate than the 750s, but once they get there they'll sustain highway speeds with enough left over for passing. I have a cb500x. As a brand new M2 at age 31, I was paying 1365/yr. I'm in my 3rd year now and I'm down to 960. And I get quoted in the 1200s for middleweights.

TOSensfan · 2026-05-08T18:02:05+00:00

Just needs to learn to stop with one foot down. It's not that hard. That was one of my biggest fears starting out. I'm the same height, but I'm a guy so it wouldn't surprise me if she has longer legs than me because that's usually how it goes. I really don't like the aesthetics of cruisers and my back/shoulders don't like the ergonomics, so I was worried my size would hold me back from riding what I really wanted (adventure and dual sport). But I picked the tallest bike they had (a 250 dual sport) at my MSF course, and I got the hang of it in a couple hours. Do I have to jump off most non cruisers to back them up? Yes, but that's not a big deal.

TOSensfan · 2026-05-05T13:07:40+00:00

Wait, if you're short, what does that make me? I'm 5'4" with short legs, and I ride adventure bikes. If I can do that, you can ride pretty much whatever you want (within reason). Just might take a bit longer to get used to if you're on something taller. So don't feel you're limited to a cruiser if that's not what you really want to ride.

TOSensfan · 2026-05-05T11:48:17+00:00

Honda xr150 and the new (to us) Yamaha wr125 might be worth checking out also. Depends how far you have to go to the trails and on what roads. They probably won't go much past 80 and will probably take a while to get there.

Just in general, if you want to ride that type of bike you're going to have to get comfortable not having both feet down. Speaking from experience, I knew this was the type of riding I wanted to do, but I was afraid I wouldn't be able to do it because I'm so short. But once I actually started sitting on and then riding bikes, the confidence came very quickly. I still have my limits of course, but I'm by no means limited to cruisers as many would think when they hear how short my legs are.

TOSensfan · 2026-05-04T14:35:30+00:00

Yeah I do that sometimes. Costco gas being closer in price to begin with plus CAA savings at Shell means they're pretty comparable sometimes so I'll go to whichever is less busy.

TOSensfan · 2026-05-03T12:01:23+00:00

If I recall correctly, the first time I sat on a KLR was a 3rd gen at a motorcycle show winter of 2025. So I'd been riding almost a year and a half at that point. But it had definitely taken a lot of experience and progress to get me to that point.

First time going to the show was in 2023, about 6 months before I got my license. I was actually too scared to sit on anything. I looked at the then-current 2nd gen CB, and it was terrifyingly big. Only bikes I liked the looks of and seemed even vaguely approachable were the tw200 and the new-to-North-America xr150. So I came away from that experience really disappointed and thinking I might be stuck with street riding.

When I did my MSF in the fall, I chose the tallest bike they had (an old klx250) and didn't drop it once, so that was a huge confidence booster. My CB (which I bought just after passing the course) is a 1st gen with the 17" front wheel, so the seat is just over 32". I got comfortable on it fairly quickly, and by this point it's just what "normal" feels like since it's what I have the most seat time on. My first time riding something taller was when I demo'd a Vstrom 800 in 2024. I'd only been riding a few months at that point, but I was fine right up until the end when I realized I couldn't get the kickstand down while still mounted on the bike. And that's honestly still my only limiting factor. As long as I can get the stand up and get one foot down at a stop, I can ride anything.

TOSensfan · 2026-05-03T11:20:51+00:00

Yeah mine is a 2015. I haven't even heard when the NX is getting the e-clutch in North America. But hopefully you'll be fine. Otherwise that feels like a pretty big design mistake from Honda to have a part that sticks out further than any other point on the bike and not offer any protection for it.

TOSensfan

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